An eye-opening account of the first encounter between England and Japan, by the acclaimed author of Nathaniel's Nutmeg . In 1611, the merchants of London's East India Company received a mysterious letter from Japan, written several years previously by a marooned English mariner named William Adams. Foreigners had been denied access to Japan for centuries, yet Adams had been living in this unknown land for years. He had risen to the highest levels in the ruling shogun's court, taken a Japanese name, and was now offering his services as adviser and interpreter. Seven adventurers were sent to Japan with orders to find and befriend Adams, in the belief that he held the key to exploiting the opulent riches of this forbidden land. Their arrival was to prove a momentous event in the history of Japan and the shogun suddenly found himself facing a stark choice: to expel the foreigners and continue with his policy of isolation, or to open his country to the world. For more than a decade the English, helped by Adams, were to attempt trade with the shogun, but confounded by a culture so different from their own, and hounded by scheming Jesuit monks and fearsome Dutch assassins, they found themselves in a desperate battle for their lives. Giles Milton's Samurai William is the fascinating story of a clash of two cultures, and of the enormous impact one Westerner had on the opening of the East. “Witty, entertaining and intellectually stimulating” ― Donna Marchetti, The Plain Dealer on The Riddle and the Knight “[A] dandy, at times sparkling piece of literary sleuthing.” ― Peter Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle on The Riddle and the Knight “Giles Milton's exciting account of the dangerous voyages, bizarre transactions and desperate battles of the Spice Wars makes today's drug trade look like a church bazaar.” ― Leo Carey, The Washington Post on Nathaniel's Nutmeg “Giles Milton rivals Evan Connell in his ability to tell a good story. . . A rousing historical romp.” ― Kevin Baker, The New York Times Book Review on Nathaniel's Nutmeg “Exceptionally pungent, amusing and accessible...[Big Chief Elizabeth] yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past.” ― Janet Maslin, The New York Times on Big Chief Elizabeth “Just as novelist Michael Crichton took us back vividly to medieval France in his 1999 action thriller Timeline , so Giles Milton propels us to the brutal environs of the first English colonies in North America in his new history...Milton's well-researched book is popular history at its finest.” ― Chris Patsilelis, Houston Chronicle on Big Chief Elizabeth Giles Milton is the million-copy, internationally bestselling author of a dozen works of narrative history. His books have been translated into twenty-five languages. One of Milton’s previous books, Nathaniel’s Nutmeg, is currently being developed into a major screen project. Milton is the writer and narrator of the acclaimed podcast series Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets , produced by Sony. He lives in London and Burgundy.