'Clavell never puts a foot wrong . . . Get it, read it, you'll enjoy it mightily' Daily Mirror This is James Clavell's tour-de-force; an epic saga of one Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, and his integration into the struggles and strife of feudal Japan. Both entertaining and incisive, SHOGUN is a stunningly dramatic re-creation of a very different world. Starting with his shipwreck on this most alien of shores, the novel charts Blackthorne's rise from the status of reviled foreigner up to the hights of trusted advisor and eventually, Samurai. All as civil war looms over the fragile country. 'I can't remember when a novel has seized my mind like this one. It's irresistable, maybe unforgettable. Clavell creates a world so enveloping you forget who and where you are' - New York Times

'Intensely readable and exciting' Sunday Telegraph Set in the turbulent days of the founding of Hong Kong in the 1840s, Tai-Pan is the story of Dirk Struan, the ruler - the Tai-Pan - of the most powerful trading company in the Far East. He is also a pirate, an opium smuggler, and a master manipulator of men. This is the story of his fight to establish himself and his dynasty as the undisputed masters of the Orient. 'Packed with action . . . gaudy and flamboyant with blood and sin, treachery and conspiracy, sex and murder . . . grand entertainment' New York Times

'James Clavell does more than entertain. He transports us into worlds we've not known, stimulating, educating, questioning . . . a wonder of detail' Washington Post 'The author handles the plot with all the confident authority of a ring-master, keeping a half-dozen themes and a formidable cast of characters moving along at a cracking pace. By the end I was breathless and lost in admiration at the sheer professionalism of it all' Sunday Telegraph Whirlwind is the story of three weeks in Tehran in February 1979: three weeks of fanaticism, passion, self-sacrifice and heartbreak. Caught between the revolutionaries and the forces of international intrigue is a team of professional pilots. They are ordered to flee to safety with their helicopters. Two of them, both Europeans, have Iranian wives whom they love beyond safety and politics. 'So abundant in sub-plots, characters, intrigue and atmosphere that its 1,000-plus pages seem barely adequate. Some of the most enjoyable reading around' Daily Mail

Set in Changi, the most notorious prisoner of war camp in Asia, King Rat is an heroic story of survival told by a master story-teller who lived through those years as a young soldier. Only one man in fifteen had the strength, the luck, and the cleverness simply to survive Changi. And then there was King.

'A herculean achievement . . . strong plot and strong characterisation' The Times It is 1862 and Japan is a land in chaos as the power of the Shogun wanes and the rival factions plan to restore the Emperor. In Yokohama, the gai-jin, the hated foreigners, seek to profit from the chaos. At the head of the Noble House - and heir to the title of Tai-Pan - stands Malcolm Struan, who is determined to become his own man and marry the woman he loves. At the head of the Shogunate party is the Lord Yoshi, a direct descendant of Shogun Toranaga, who shares all of his ancestor's cunning and ambition. 'A passionate portrait of suffering . . . a strange and gripping tale of a nation's deflowerment' Mail on Sunday

Sun Tzu was one of the greatest army generals who ever lived. He wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BC and yet his words are still resoundingly relevant to our modern lives. His writings on aspects of warfare from the laying of plans to the tactics and psychology of manoeuvering an army, to the proper use of spies, resonate for us in today's world of cut-throat, ruthless business. With James Clavell's insightful foreword and notes, this classic is widely seen as a necessity on the bookshelf of military leaders and boardroom executives alike.

'Breathtaking. Only terms like colossal, gigantic, titanic, unbelievable, gargantuan are properly descriptive' Chicago Tribune Over one hundred years have passed since Dirk Struan founded Hong Kong's oldest trading company. But now, the Noble House is in danger. As Hong Kong itself becomes the deadly playground of the CIA, the KGB and the People's Republic of China, rival tai-pans, seeking revenge for blood feuds over a century old, gather for the kill. 'Fiction for addicts . . . A book that you can get lost in for weeks. Not only is it as long as life, it's also as rich with possibilities' New York Times

Five films from the hugely popular sci-fi franchise. In 'The Fly' (1958), a scientist (David Hedison) is obsessed with developing a molecular matter transmitter. When he attempts to test the invention himself, he is unwittingly joined by a companion - a fly that has sneaked into the transportation pod with him. The consequences of the experiment soon become clear, as the scientist begins to take on fly-like characteristics. 'Return of the Fly' (1959) sees the original scientist's son reconstructing the matter transporter which turned his father into an insect, with the young man's experiments leading him down the same insectoid path. In 'Curse of the Fly' (1965) the plot again revolves around the Delambre family, although this time it is the scientist's grandson, Henri Delambre (Brian Donlevy), who becomes obsessed with transporter experiments to the dismay of his two sons, who want to live normal lives and forget about their grandfather's invention. Henri's oldest son, Martin (George Baker), marries a young woman who just escaped from a mental hospital. After Martin's new wife discovers a closet filled with deranged humans left over from failed teleportation experiments, the police are called and Henri attempts to flee using the infamous transporter. 'The Fly' (1986) is the Oscar-winning remake of the 1958 horror classic. Scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), experimenting with transmitting matter uses himself as a guinea-pig, unaware that a fly has got into the machinery. As he embarks on a relationship with Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), the journalist covering his project, his body slowly begins to take on fly-like characteristics. 'The Fly 2' (1989) is the sequel to the 1986 movie. Dr Seth Brundle is no more, but he has left behind a gruesome legacy: the teleportation device which transformed him into a human fly, and a son, Martin (Matthew Moore/Harley Cross). Infected with his father's insect metabolism, Martin's growth is hugely accelerated, and he is soon a fully grown man (Eric Stoltz). When he discovers the remains of his father's experiment, Martin decides to pick up where Seth left off.

It was a simple incident in the life of James Clavell -- a talk with his young daughter just home from school -- that inspired this chilling tale of what could happen in twenty-five quietly devastating minutes.  He writes, "The Children's Story came into being that day.  It was then that I really realized how vulnerable my child's mind was -- any mind, for that matter -- under controlled circumstances.  Normally I write and rewrite and re-rewrite, but this story came quickly -- almost by itself.  Barely three words were changed.  It pleases me greatly because I kept asking the questions....



Questions like, What's the use of 'I pledge allegiance' without understanding?  Like Why is it so easy to divert thoughts? Like What is freedom? and Why is so hard to explain?



The Children's Story keeps asking me all sorts of questions I cannot answer.  Perhaps you can--then your child will...."

Double bill following the adventures of two generations of scientists who get a real buzz out of their work. In 'The Fly' (1958), scientist Andre Delambre becomes so obsessed with developing a molecular matter transmitter that he attempts to test the invention himself. However, when a fly sneaks into the transportation pod with him, the consequences of the experiment soon become clear, with the scientist taking on a number of alarmingly fly-like characteristics. In the sequel, 'Return of the Fly' (1959), Delambre's son Phillipe reconstructs the matter transporter and begins a series of experiments which lead him down the same insectoid path.