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 Tess 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. [ citation needed] The story is told through a wide array of POV characters, giving the reader a well rounded view of their motivations, passions, agendas, and blind spots that would otherwise be absent if told in a different manner. There aren't really good guys and bad guys (except, you know, Imperialism), just competing interests and agendas. We see things from both British perspectives as well as a Chinese ones, each with their own unique view on the matters at hand and a diverse range of opinion within each respective camp. Like in Shogan, Clavell allows all sides to have good reason to pursue the agendas they do and he avoids any cliched portrayal of characters, Western or Asian. In Shogun si aveva da creare lo Shogunato, il destino del Giappone era in gioco e il protagonista era il jolly pescato dall'uomo che avrebbe cambiato la storia nipponica. Tai-Pan is a 1966 novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1842 following the end of the First Opium War. It is the second book in Clavell's Asian Saga, and the first to feature the fictional Struan family. Law and Democracy) “Ridiculous to have one law for all—for rich or for poor. What else is the point of working and sweating to become rich and powerful?”

A fabulous epic of the Far East that will disturb and excite you . . . a thrilling and enticing tale of adventure and human relationships . . . dramatic episodes, exotic vignettes and heady descriptive passages.”— Baltimore SunBefore joining Goodreads, I had already read ‘Shogun’, so you, my friendly reader, do not have the luxury of a review of that as comparison, but I believe that what I say about ‘Tai-Pan’, set in Hong Kong, can easily be said of it’s predecessor. The Asian Saga is a series of six novels written by James Clavell between 1962 and 1993. The novels all centre on Europeans in Asia, and together explore the impact on East and West of the meeting of these two distinct civilizations.

After publishing Whirlwind, Clavell wrote a shorter version of the story which focused on two characters from the book. Titled Escape: The Love Story from Whirlwind, the book is generally not considered an official part of the Asian Saga; nonetheless, some reviewers said it helped flesh out several aspects of the original novel. [ citation needed] The Brits’ hygiene) “Wash my clothes? Why, that’ll make them shrink and spoil the cut and goodness knows what!” Being aware of the before mentioned details are important. They all play a major part in Clavell's writing. Roger Moore became briefly attached, with John Guillermin mentioned as director of a possible mini-series. However finance could not be arranged. Moore said: "If it's offered to me again I'll do it". Quite frankly, it's one of the best scripts I've ever read". [16] For a time Sean Connery was mooted as star for director Martin Ritt. "I've always wanted Sean to do it", said Clavell. [17] It turns out, reading Tai Pan was so much more than an interesting history lesson: the book has a perfectly crafted narrative, with Hollywood worthy, vivid action scenes, eye-catching descriptions, and a complex plot – with a surprising ending (that’s all I’ll say, no spoilers)

About Power) “I’m saying that without power you canna be a saint in this day and age. Power for its own sake is a sin. Money for its own sake is a sin.” You stink, Culum.” “So does everyone! Why else do we always carry pomades? Stinking is a way of life” James Clavell based Dirk Struan on William Jardine who built the "Princely House" of Jardine, Matheson & Co of Hong Kong. I've read this before & really liked it, but it is even better as an audio book. Incredible, really. John Lee has great accents & intonations & really makes the book come alive.