James Clavell books in order
American novelist
- Lived
- 1921–1994
- Country
- Australia
- Books
- 16
- Series
- 1
James Clavell published 10 novels, 2 children's books and 4 other books, beginning with King Rat (1962). The series is The Asian Saga (6 books, starting with King Rat). The best-known is Shōgun (1975).
Updated September 2026
The Asian Saga books in order (6)Series page
Reading order: 1 King Rat (1962) · 2 Tai-Pan (1966) · 3 Shōgun (1975) · 4 Noble House (1981) · 5 Whirlwind (1986) · 6 Gai-Jin (1993)
- 1.
King Rat (1962)
- 2.
Tai-Pan (1966)
- 3.
Shōgun (1975)
- 4.
Noble House (Apr 1981)
- 5.
Whirlwind (1986)
- 6.
Gai-Jin (1993)
Where to start with James Clavell
Start here
King Rat
Book 1 of The Asian Saga, the series that includes Shōgun, James Clavell's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Shogun, A Novel of Japan (1975)
Shogun, Volume Two (1975)
whrilwind (1986)
Escape (1995)
Children's books in order
The Children's Story (1981)
thrump-o-moto (1986)
Other books in order
Shogun, A Novel of Japan, Volume 1 (1975)
Art of War (1981)
Noble House Volume 2 (1981)
Noble House, Vol. I (1981)
Film and TV adaptations
- King Rat (1965)Film · from King Rat
- Tai-Pan (1986)Film · from Tai-Pan
- ShōgunTV · from Shōgun
- ShōgunTV · from Shōgun
- Noble HouseTV · from Noble House
About James Clavell
Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell, known as James Clavell, was a British and American writer, filmmaker and a British Army officer during the Second World War. He is best known for his Asian Saga novels, a number of which have had television and film adaptations.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
James Clavell FAQ
- How many books has James Clavell written?
- James Clavell published 10 novels, 2 children's books and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read James Clavell's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Asian Saga with King Rat. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is James Clavell's last book?
- Escape (1995).
- What is James Clavell's most famous book?
- Shōgun (1975) is James Clavell's most widely read book.
- Are James Clavell's books connected?
- 6 books belong to 1 series (The Asian Saga); the other 10 books stand alone.
- Which James Clavell books have been adapted?
- 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including King Rat (film, 1965), Tai-Pan (film, 1986), Shōgun (TV) and Noble House (TV).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.