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  • Shōgun, Part One

  • The Asian Saga, Book 1.1
  • Written by: James Clavell
  • Narrated by: Ralph Lister
  • Length: 24 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

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Shōgun, Part One

Written by: James Clavell
Narrated by: Ralph Lister
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Publisher's Summary

By the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell’s Shogun is soon to be a major FX/Hulu TV series!

Shogun, the classic epic novel of feudal Japan that captured the heart of a culture and the imagination of the world, is now available for the first time in serial format. Part One contains the first half of the complete novel.

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.

Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shogun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book. Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the best-selling novels of all time but one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shogun is, as the New York Times put it, ‘'not only something you read—you live it.’‘

Also available: Shogun: Part Two

©1975 James Clavell (P)2015 Blackstone Publishing

What listeners say about Shōgun, Part One

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating story, masterful narration.

A very engaging story with one of the best performances by a narrator that I have yet come across. I cannot speak to the historical and cultural accuracy of the novel, but I assume and accept some level of romanticism. Beyond that, due to the quality of the performance, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting a tale that I had read some years ago. I think that I may like it even better in this format, which is rather unusual for me.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A fitting conclusion

This was a great series of books. The storytelling was excellent, the voice acting was superb. The pieces all fall together in a great way giving you the insight into the true plan of the Shogun.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great storytelling

Characters bring the history to life, with some embellishment of course. Happy to have read before the show comes out.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A classic

A masterpiece is storytelling and mandatory reading for anyone interested in the feudal era of Japan

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Audio is Odd! Enough to distract you from the Story

Right from the get go… the editing of the audio makes it sound like the volume is being turned down constantly. This happens at the end of just about every sentence. It is incredibly distracting. I was listening with headphones. Perhaps I noticed it more than if I were to be playing this on speakers.

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