This well-preserved, highly collectible Book Club Edition hardcover is in pristine condition, with no marks or signs of wear. The pages are tight, the book is tight, square, and unmarked. The dust cover is unmarked, red cloth boards with black lettering on the spine. Shōgun is inspired by real historical events, drawing from the life of William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan. In Volume 2, the story continues to follow John Blackthorne as he navigates the complexities of Japanese customs, deepens his relationship with the powerful warlord Toranaga (inspired by Tokugawa Ieyasu), and becomes entwined in a romance with the elegant Lady Mariko. The plot delves further into the intense political struggle among rival warlords vying for control of Japan, while also exploring Blackthorne's growing internal conflict between his Western values and the Eastern philosophies he encounters. (John Blackthorne is the main protagonist of Shōgun, the novel by James Clavell. He is an English sailor and pilot-major of a Dutch trading ship who becomes shipwrecked in Japan in the early 1600s. His character is loosely based on the real-life historical figure William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan.) The Shōgun TV series set a new record for Emmy Award wins.