A Book Review

On Saturday I finished reading a book I spent a few weeks with Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan by Giles Milton. I was expecting more adventure based on a review of the book I had read and based on the title I thought the book would mostly concern Samurai William. I didn't get either. Milton's book is mainly about the story of the failed English attempt to establish a trading post in Japan. The trading post lasted for a time, but was never particularly successful. In between tales about this trading post and others in the region the book did tell the story William Adams. Adams somehow survived a trouble ridden journey to Japan across the Pacific. He gained the favor the Shogun and became his greatest adviser, even earning the title of Samurai. He was never able to return to England, but did do his best to help the English establish their factory. His story is said to have inspired James Clavell's Shogun. I liked Milton's writing style and he has written several other books whose subjects interest me, so I think I'll try to read his other works. I just hope those books are a bit less disjointed then this book. Maybe I'll reread Shogun or get the mini-series from Netflix too.