Shōgun has been the epic show of the year, premiering to critical acclaim and garnering a whopping 25 Emmy nominations. (Thankfully, Season 2 and 3 are now in early development as a result of its success.) Fans are probably aware that the series was adapted from a book by author James Clavell, which also served as the basis for the 1978 film adaptation. What readers may not know is that Shōgun is actually just one book in a six-part series called the Asian Saga, spanning from the 17th century to the 20th.
The series focuses on the interplay between Western and Eastern cultures over hundreds of years, and each novel immerses readers in a different era and location, from feudal Japan to colonial Hong Kong and war-torn Iran. It’s basically well-researched genre fiction, with an emphasis on entertainment over factual accuracy. But this is precisely their appeal, and they’re bound to please fans of historical fiction. Here is every book in the series ranked according to its Goodreads rating.
6 ‘Whirlwind’ (1986)
Rating: 3.86/5
“They’re all mad, blinkered!” The fifth installment in the Asian Saga takes place against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The main characters are members of a British helicopter company caught in the political upheaval. The protagonist, Andrew Gavallan, and his colleagues struggle to maintain their operations – and their safety – amidst escalating chaos. This plot was inspired by real helicopter crews who had to get out of the country post-haste when the Revolution got into full swing.
Befitting its title, Whirlwind consists of a tangle of subplots, almost all of which have something to offer, whether it’s action or romance. (A highlight is the poignant love story between pilot Tom Lochart and the captivating Sharazad.) Another good one involves a KGB agent who strains under pressure. The locations are also varied and richly realized, from Aberdeen to Tehran to Turkey’s Lake Van. Clavell has said that he did a ton of research for the book, even going so far as learning how to fly a helicopter.
5 ‘Gai-Jin’ (1993)
Rating: 3.90/5
“Repay your teacher by making it your duty to surpass him!” Gai-Jin transports readers to 1860s Japan, a time when the country was grappling with the pressures of opening up to the Western world. Commodore Perry’s infamous ‘gunboat diplomacy’ had forced Japan to begin trading. The story focuses on Malcolm Struan, who must navigate the complex and often perilous interactions between the Japanese and foreign traders.
Once again, Clavell takes on a story of mammoth scope and tells it with a brisk pace and ever-ratcheting tension. It’s engaging and rarely lets up. Where the author stumbles is with some of the characters, who are two-dimensional, even cartoonish. Their occasionally clunky dialogue and inexplicable behavior can hamper the reader’s suspension of disbelief. Overall, though, Gai-Jin should please fans of historical fiction, as long as they aren’t too fastidious about accuracy, as Clavell plays fast and loose with some details and invents others whole cloth.
4 ‘King Rat’ (1962)
Rating: 4.19/5
“The strongest was always the King, not by strength alone, but by cunning and luck and strength together.” The first entry in the Asian Saga (and Clavell’s debut novel in general) offers a snapshot of life in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. Based on Clavell’s own experiences as a prisoner, the story revolves around Peter Marlowe, a British RAF officer who becomes entangled with the enigmatic and resourceful American corporal known as the King.
Ultimately, the fact that Clavell had firsthand experience of a POW camp elevates King Rat over similar, more middling fare. Sure, the book can be over-the-top at times, but its blend of action and philosophizing will go down well with a certain kind of reader. It’s an intense, muscular novel, drawing on classic war adventures. Prose-wise, Clavell seems to be channeling the lean, economical style of Ernest Hemingway to varying degrees of success.
3 ‘Noble House’ (1981)
Rating: 4.27/5
“Lend a little and you have a debtor—lend a lot and you have a partner.” Noble House takes place in Hong Kong during the 1960s, chronicling a week in the life of the powerful trading company Struan’s. At the heart of the drama is Ian Dunross, who battles to keep the company (nicknamed ‘Noble House’) afloat amidst a whirlwind of corporate espionage, financial crises, and personal vendettas.
Once again, Clavell intricately weaves together multiple storylines and a sprawling cast of characters, making Noble Housea genuine epic (this applies to the length too: it clocks in at some 1170 pages.) As a result, it’s immersive and larger-than-life. Noble House also received particular praise for its authentic and realistic depiction of Hong Kong. “My intention is to entertain, perhaps illuminate,” the author has said. “If I can transplant people into that buccaneering society of Hong Kong, 1963, maybe they’ll get something out of it.”
2 ‘Tai-Pan’ (1966)
Rating: 4.30/5
“The whole world’s mad, by God!” Tai-Pan is the prequel to Noble House, set in Hong Kong during the mid-19th century. his time, the protagonist is Dirk Struan, the formidable and ambitious leader of the trading company Struan’s. Struan, the Tai-Pan, or supreme leader, of his company, is determined to secure his legacy and fortune amidst fierce competition. Naturally, it proves to be no easy feat.
Tai-Pan stands out most with its fascinating historical setting. In particular, the novel chronicles the British seizure of Hong Kong in 1841 and its expansion of opium trading. Clavell then populates this dramatic period with eccentric and memorable characters, like Strauna’s nemesis, the one-eyed Tyler Brock. Many of the scenes are predictable, and some of the plot developments feel formulaic, but these are only minor quibbles compared to the book’s many strengths. Overall, it’s a solid piece of historically grounded genre fiction, sure to please fans of a good old-fashioned blast through the past.
1 ‘Shōgun’ (1975)
Rating: 4.41/5
“Be thou, now, a rock against which the waves of life rush in vain.” It’s no surprise that Shōgun is Clavell’s highest-rated book on Goodreads, given that it’s far and away his most iconic novel. This epic chronicles the adventures of John Blackthorne, an English pilot who becomes shipwrecked on the Japanese coast. As Blackthorne navigates this new and enigmatic world, he becomes entangled in the country’s political and cultural upheaval. Along the way, he forms a close relationship with the powerful warlord Toranaga, who seeks to unify Japan under his rule.
Blackthorne is the perfect protagonist for this kind of book as he becomes a stand-in for the audience. Through him, Clavell nimbly guides his readers through 17th-century Japan, explaining concepts like bushido, and interspersing the information with romance, warfare, treachery, and tragedy. Shōgun is thus a nice balance of informative and entertaining. For this reason, it was a major hit, having already sold six million copies by 1980.
