Shōgun
The best-known entry and a representative standalone historical epic.
Author guide
James Clavell Books in Order
James Clavell (1921–1994) was an Australian-born British-American novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer. A Royal Artillery officer captured by Japan in 1941, he spent three years as a prisoner of war at Changi in Singapore; that experience informed his first novel, King Rat. He became internationally known for his six-novel Asian Saga, which explores encounters between Eastern and Western cultures across Asian history. His other literary works include a standalone dystopian short story, an illustrated children's fantasy, a novella derived from Whirlwind, and a stage play.
historical fictionwar fictionadventure fictionchildren's literaturedrama
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
King Rat
The publication-order starting point and the autobiographically grounded first novel.
Read in order
Books by series
series · completed
Asian Saga
A six-novel cycle tracing interconnected stories of East-West contact, commerce, conflict, and cultural exchange across Asia.
Outside the series
