Viewers around the world are tuning in weekly to the hit FX series “Shogun” (based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell) to follow the adventures of John Blackthorne, an Englishman who arrives in 17th-century Japan at a moment of high drama.
The character of Blackthorne is based on William Adams, and May sees the publication of “In the Service of the Shogun,” a new biography of Adams written by historian Frederik Cryns, who also served as historical adviser on the series. While the book is not a direct tie-in, the timing was serendipitous.
“That was not intended, because we thought ‘Shogun’ would be out in 2023,” Cryns says. “The shooting was already done in the summer of 2022, but the process of editing everything took a long time. My book was coming out much later, but ‘Shogun’ was postponed. It is a very nice coincidence.”