Library


James Clavell
1924 - 1994


King Rat
Set in Changi Prisoner of War Camp in Singapore during World War two, the British and Commonwealth prisoners seem hidebound to a system of honour. An American POW does not suffer from such outmoded conventions and thrives in an otherwise brutal environment. It was also made into a film.

Amazon

Taipan
The fictionalised story of the founding of Hong Kong in 1840. The main character is Dirk Struan who sets up his trading empire with some less than reputable methods. This entrepreneur/Pirate/Drug Dealer has stiff opposition from rivals and the Chinese alike. It was made into a film.

Amazon

Shogun
Based, very loosely, on the true story of a remarkable English Elizabethan sailor, William Adams, who came to be a key adviser to the Shogun of Japan after being washed ashore after a shipwreck. It was also made into a mini-series.

Amazon

Noble House
Despite being set a century after the Taipan novel, the Struan Empire is still defending itself in unscrupulous business waters in 1960s colonial Hong Kong.

Amazon

Gaijin
The Struan Empire spreads to Japan as it is forced to open up under the guns of Commodore Perry. Seeking an opportunity in this new market, the Taipans move in as the old world of Japan comes face to face with the capitalist West.

Amazon


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by Stephen Luscombe