In the Service of the Shogun: The Real Story of William Adams
232 pages
Brian Trim
While I have not (yet) watched the new streaming mini-series of Clavell’s 1975 Shogun, I felt satisfyingly ‘on-trend’ in reading this book. This seems to have been – in some part – the publisher’s intent. It is a relatively easy inspirational stretch from William Adams’ life to Clavell’s novel (and Bradford’s excellent Young Samurai series). What is not quite so easy is to weave a scrapbook of historical sources about Adams into a non-fiction work that is both coherent and compelling. Cryns makes a fair job of this difficult task. It is clear that he was able to access sufficient primary sources on Adams in the UK and in Japan to situate the man amongst places and events.
A Man of Kent, Adams succeeded as apprentice to a sailing master, as English sea power was expanding in the late 15thcentury. England and its ally, the newly liberated Dutch Republic, were soon to catch up to Spain and Portugal in ocean-going trade, but were not (quite) competing with each other. Adams’ later life straddled this Anglo-Dutch seam, occasionally uncomfortably, while facing off Spanish influence in Asia.
After some years of sea-going trade, which was closely interwoven with fighting, Adams shipped as sailing master in a Dutch trading expedition to Asia via the Magellan Strait. The journey was fraught and, on arrival at Japan in 1600, the one remaining ship was in no state to continue. Effectively stuck in Japan, Adams became progressively enmeshed in Japanse politics as a favourite of the Shogun. Far from England, far from his humble roots, he was eventually established amongst the minor landed gentry of Japan. His status, however, was founded on his influence with the Shogun, who appeared to find in Adams a way of diversifying trade beyond the Spanish. Thus Adams found himself as a sort of trade agent at large for first the Dutch, then the English.
Cryns examines the various challenges Adams faced in this role, particularly cross-cultural explanations. Amongst the most challenging was managing the expectations of later English trade missions, who appear to have felt Adams owed them a duty. Cryns sets out an interesting tapestry of personalities and events, including the eventual up-board of Adams’ life in Japan when the Shogunate passed to a less mercantile warlord.
This unusual story seems ideal for a compelling story of an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. I regret to say that while Clavell may have delivered such as fiction, I’m not convinced the Cryns has quite hit the mark in non-fiction. I do not doubt the book is well-grounded in primary sources, nor question Cryns’ deep specialist knowledge of Japanese history. However, in bringing the two together, he (or his editor) has managed to wash out some of the drama and sense of adventure that should bring Adams to life. There is in some places a little too much supposition and assertion about the reasons for Adams’ choices. Further, there is a clear disconnect in the flow of the story around page 100, not long after Adams’ arrival in Japan. This would be fine at a chapter or section break, but for some reason it falls mid-chapter, with no context or explanation given.
Overall, an enjoyable, informative, interesting read. At £16 in paperback, it is value for money and would suit those wanting a richer context to Clavell’s work, or with an interest in early 17th century English trade.
