Asian saga (James Clavell)

Set in 1600, this is the epic saga of Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, who is shipwrecked on Japan. It charts Blackthorne's rise from the status of reviled foreigner to the heights of trusted advisor and, eventually, Samurai. And all this while civil war is looming over the fragile country.

"The heir to the magnificent English trading company, the Noble House--the direct descendant of the first Toranaga Shogun battling to usher his country into the modern age--a beautiful young French woman forever torn between ambition and desire--Their lives intertwine in an exotic land newly open to foreigners, gai-jin, torn apart by greed, idealism, and terrorism. Their passions mingle with monarchs and diplomats, assassins, courtesans and spies"--Amazon.com....

"Ian Dunross, the current tai-pan of the illustrious yet financially troubled Struan empire, is racing to undo the damage his predecessor left behind and to once again stand on stable ground. And he'll do whatever it takes--including striking a hard-fought deal with an American millionaire. But his rival, Quillan Gornt, has other plans. Suddenly caught in a dubious plot involving Soviet spies, Hong Kong's criminal underground, and the hostile takeover...