Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan

With all the adventure derring-do and bloodcurdling battle scenes of his earlier book Nathaniels Nutmeg acclaimed historian Giles Milton dazzles readers with the true story of William Adamsthe first Englishman to set foot in Japan (and the inspiration for James Clavells bestselling novel Shogun). Beginning with Adamss startling letter to the East India Company in 1611more than a decade after hed arrived in JapanSamurai William chronicles the first foray by the West into that mysterious closed-off land. Drawing upon the journals and letters of Adams as well as the other Englishmen who came looking for him Samurai William presents a unique glimpse of Japan before it once again closed itself off from the world for another two hundred years.