Samurai William—the adventurer who unlocked Japan
~ by Giles Milton

This is by far the most fascinating history book I have read.

It tells an incredible story of the Englishman William Adams’life in Japan during the period of 1600 to 1620. After two years dangerous sailing at sea, Adams first step on the land of Japan a retched sea captain who died 20 years later a wealthy samurai crowned by the late shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa.

Adams played an important role on the expulsion of the Jesuit and Christians during Ieyasu’s reign.

In 1613, Adams also took care of the establishment of the Hirado factory under the employment of England’s East Indies Company. During the company’s ten-year operation in Japan, Adams was the sole influential figure at court who saved the company’s agents from many crisis.