In the Eighties, it felt like every household had a copy of Shogun by James Clavell on the bookshelves. Running to some 800 or so pages, with a samurai sword on the cover and a ruddy cool title, I remember it seeming so exotic and enthralling to me as a child.
Clavell's novel, first published in 1975, was a cultural phenomenon. It sold millions of copies before being adapted into a hugely popular TV series, and some claim it sparked a rise in the West embracing Japanese culture and cuisine.
