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The Asian Saga is a series of six novels written by James Clavell between 1962 and 1993. James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell ( 10 October, 1924 – 7 September, 1994) was a British (later Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The novels all center around Europeans in Asia, and together they explore the impact on East and West of the meeting of these two distinct civilizations.

Contents

Overview

The books in narrative order are:

This is not the order in which the novels were originally published; it is therefore possible to read them in virtually any order. Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first Novel (chronologically speaking in the author's Asian Saga. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1841 following Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link Gai-Jin ( Japanese, "Foreigner" is a 1993 novel by James Clavell, chronologically the third book in his Asian Saga, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday King Rat is a 1962 Novel by James Clavell. Set during World War II, Clavell's literary debut describes the struggle for survival For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Singapore Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Noble House is a Novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The first book of the saga to be published was King Rat in 1962, and the name "Asian Saga" was not applied to the series until after the publication of Shogun.

The books in published order are:

Apart from Shogun and King Rat, all the books follow the dealings of the great trading company Struan's, the Noble House of Asia (based on Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited), its founder Dirk Struan, and his various descendants. King Rat is a 1962 Novel by James Clavell. Set during World War II, Clavell's literary debut describes the struggle for survival Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1841 following Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first Novel (chronologically speaking in the author's Asian Saga. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Noble House is a Novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Gai-Jin ( Japanese, "Foreigner" is a 1993 novel by James Clavell, chronologically the third book in his Asian Saga, Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (,) often called Jardines or Jardine's (怡和 is a Multinational corporation that is incorporated in Dirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell 's Novel Tai-Pan. Gai-Jin provides the major link between the Shogun and Struans storylines, while two characters from King Rat (Robin Grey and Peter Marlowe) appear in Noble House.

Some of the characters make appearances in multiple books, and many characters from one book are referred to in later books. Robert Armstrong, for example, is a major character in both Noble House and Whirlwind. Noble House is a Novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963. Noble House is a Novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963. Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. As an interesting tie-in, Linc Bartlett's (Noble House) ancestor appears in James Clavell's 1960 film, "Walk Like A Dragon".

There are dozens of characters throughout the series, with very complex family relationships and a great deal of history that is hinted at but never described in detail. For instance, Peter Marlowe is almost certainly a descendant of Lt. John Marlowe, the captain who married Malcolm Struan and Angelique Richaud against the wishes of Hag Struan, as Clavell refers often to Peter Marlowe's family's long history of naval service. Clavell peppers the entire Asian Saga with these genealogical easter eggs.

After the publication of Whirlwind, Clavell wrote a shorter version of the story which focused on two characters from the book. Entitled Escape: The Love Story from Whirlwind, the book is generally not considered an official part of the Asian Saga and is considered quite rare; nonetheless some reviewers said it helped flesh out several aspects of the original novel.

Clavell died in 1994 after the publication of Gai-Jin; it was reported that he was planning several more entries in the Asian Saga series at the time of his death. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

Plot

List of tai-pans of Struan's

Lochlin Struan became tai-pan for a second time after Kelly O' Gorman, the fifth tai-pan, was killed as he tried to murder Hag Struan, and so Lochlin Struan became the sixth tai-pan, but totally under the thumb of Hag Struan, until his death in 1915. A tai-pan ( Chinese 大班 was an influential foreign businessman doing business in China or Hong Kong in the 19th century Dirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell 's Novel Tai-Pan. The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels Ian Dunross is a fictional character in James Clavell 's Novel Noble House, and a minor protagonist behind the scenes in Whirlwind The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels The Struan family and company (also called the Noble House in Clavell's Novels is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels

Hag Struan was tai-pan in everything but name from 1841 until her death in 1917. Tess Struan (1825-1917 is a character in the James Clavell novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin.

The half coins of Jin-qua

In 1841 when Struan's was on the brink of collapse, Dirk Struan received a loan of silver from the merchant Jin-qua in exchange for a series of favors. Jin-qua, is a character in James Clavell 's Novel Tai-Pan. His full Chinese name is Chen-tse Jin Arn Among these were four bronze coins, split in half. Anyone who brought a half coin to the tai-pan of the Noble House would be granted whatever he asked, whether legal or illegal. A tai-pan ( Chinese 大班 was an influential foreign businessman doing business in China or Hong Kong in the 19th century All future tai-pans must swear to keep this bargain, before learning the details, if they were to become tai-pan.

Of the four coins, one was kept by Jin-qua, one given to the warlord Wu Fang Choi, one given to Gordon Chen, and one given out in secret. Gordon Chen (1821-1907 is a character in the James Clavell Asian Saga novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin.

The first coin was brought to Dirk Struan in 1841 by Wu Fang Choi.

The second coin was brought in 1894 by Chiang Wu-tah. He asked that the Noble House give aid and sanctuary to Sun Yat-sen and to assist him to overthrow the Manchu dynasty. Sun Yat-sen ( November 12, 1866 &ndash March 12, 1925) was a Chinese Revolutionary and political leader often The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in This is recounted in Noble House, chapter 60. Noble House is a Novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963.

The story of the third coin is a major plot line in Noble House. The coin is owned by Struan's trusted compradore Phillip Chen, handed down to him from his grandfather Gordon Chen. However, his son John Chen learns the secret of the coin, steals it, and bargains it and its secret away to American businessman Lincoln Bartlett. Before Bartlett takes possession of the coin, John Chen is kidnapped and murdered. When Phillip Chen enlists his underworld cousin Four Finger Wu to help locate John, Wu discovers the coin in the possession of one of the kidnappers, and takes it for his own, knowing its secret. When Wu dies, his son Profitable Choi takes over the coin and begs the favours from Ian Dunross.

The fate of the fourth coin is not addressed in the saga. However, it is speculated in Noble House that it was given to May-may (Dirk Struan's mistress) and passed down to their descendant Shitee T'Chung.

Adaptations

As of 2006, all installments of the Asian Saga except Whirlwind and Gai-Jin have been adapted for film or television:

Although there were press reports in the mid-1990s that a miniseries adaptation of Gai-Jin was planned, no production eventuated.

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