Great Books - Six

One of my favorite novels of all time is James Clavell’s Shogun. It is the story of John Blackthorne, an English ship pilot who’s shipwrecked in feudal Japan in the 1600s, not long before the famous battle of Sekigahara. As Blackthorne struggles to survive in a very hostile, completely alien land, while picking up enough Japanese language and knowledge of their customs and etiquette to save himself and his crew, we also gain greater insights into Japan during this critical period in its history.

Clavell masterfully handles all of this, drawing us into the battles facing would-be shogun Toranaga in his attempt to unify Japan and become shogun. (Toranaga is fashioned after a real life shogun, Iyeasu Tokugawa.) The story is based on a true event, when William Adams, became the first Englishman to land in Japan and be named a samurai - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Adams_(sailor). The movie, The Last Samurai, borrowed heavily from it, but didn’t (in my estimation) achieve anywhere near the book’s drama and insights.

Once you get into the story, you won’t be able to put it down. I’ve read it three times over several years and enjoyed it each time. The first time, I was intimidated by its length, almost 1200 pages. But by the time I reached the end, I wished it was twice as long.

Again, clicking on the book name, Shogun, will take you to Amazon’s order page. I think all Japanese/Okinawan martial artists should read this book to better understand the culture from which our arts arose.