Super Short Summary

Shogun by James Clavell follows English ship pilot John Blackthorne, who is shipwrecked in Japan and becomes entwined in the power struggle of Yoshi Toranaga, a character based on the historical figure Tokugawa Ieyasu. Toranaga, vying to become shogun, leverages Blackthorne's European insights against rival warlords. The novel explores cultural exchange, loyalty, and political intrigue during this tumultuous period in Japanese history. The book contains acts of and references to seppuku, or ritual suicide, originally practiced by samurai and others in feudal Japan.