In the year 1600, a bedraggled English sailor and his sick and dying crewmates anchored off the coast of Kyushu, Japan. His name was William Adams, and over the next two decades, he would rise through the ranks of Japanese society to become the first Western samurai. As a close advisor to the revered shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Adams was a first-hand witness to a defining period in Japanese history.
To hear about Adams' remarkable life, Dan is joined by Frederik Cryns, author of In the Service of the Shogun: The Real Story of William Adams and historical advisor for the Disney+ series, Shōgun.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/.
We'd love to hear from you- what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom Fighter
2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque Roads
1. Thomas Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander
The Romanovs
Fall of the Aztec Empire
England & Portugal: The Oldest Alliance in the World
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Pythagoras' Utopia
Georgian Christmas
The Middle Ages in 5 Facts
Saint Nicholas
Fighting Hitler's U-Boats
The Boston Tea Party
Sara Forbes Bonetta: Queen Victoria's African God-Daughter
King Herod
The Tower of London's Most Notorious Prisoners
Mother Shipton: Tudor Prophetess of England's Doom
A Guide to Ancient Egypt
Medieval Baghdad
What Really Happened to the Princes in the Tower?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Extra podcast
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
Key Battles of American History
Gone Medieval