A Gentleman from Japan, Thomas Lockley
A Gentleman from Japan, Thomas Lockley
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A Gentleman from Japan
The Untold Story of an Incredible Journey from Asia to Queen Elizabeth’s Court

Author: Thomas Lockley

Narrator: Gary Furlong

Unabridged: 8 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/21/2024

Synopsis

An incredible sea story that turns the Age of Exploration on its head, following the first Japanese man to set foot on North America and England.

On November 12, 1588, five young Asian men—led by a twenty-one-year-old called Christopher—traveled up the River Thames to meet Queen Elizabeth I. Christopher’s epic sea voyage had spanned from Japan, via the Philippines, New Spain (Mexico), Java and Southern Africa. On the way, he had already become the first recorded Japanese person in North America. Now Christopher was the first ever Japanese visitor to England, and no other would leave such a legacy for centuries to come.

The story of Christopher is almost utterly forgotten and has never been fully told before.

A Gentleman from Japan is a fast-paced, historical narrative of adventure, cross-cultural endeavor, intellectual exchange, perseverance, espionage and conflict in the Age of Exploration.

About Thomas Lockley

Thomas Lockley is Associate Professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo, where he teaches courses about the international and multicultural history of Japan and East Asia. He co-authored African Samurai, the first book in the world about Yasuke, the African warrior who served the Japanese warlord Nobunaga, in 2019. While Visiting Scholar at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, he did much of the research behind his new book, A Gentleman from Japan: The Untold Story of an Incredible Journey from Asia to Queen Elizabeth’s Court. He and his family live in Chiba, Japan.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Claire on August 15, 2024

Interesting history lesson, but drawn out and full of semi- fictitious scenes of Christopher's days and thoughts on the seas. We all know about Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare and the East India Company, but not how they were influenced by Asian politics and trade. Did I really read this because I s......more

Goodreads review by Dee on August 24, 2024

It was an interesting subject but the author went on long tangents about background history while attempting to tell the story of the book subject. It was very difficult to read and a struggle to get through......more

Goodreads review by Chelsea on May 18, 2024

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review A Gentleman from Japan by Thomas Lockley is a creative nonfiction exploring a young Japanese man named Christopher (Japanese name unknown) and his journey to England. When Christopher is sold to a naval captain and discovered to un......more

Goodreads review by M. on June 19, 2024

High hopes for this after reading the author’s previous tome about Yasuke, the African samurai. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough actual evidence to support most of this at times entertaining narrative. Too little is known about the actual “Christopher,” and there is too much speculation bout w......more

Goodreads review by Alexandria on September 18, 2024

An absolutely incredible book. I could see the story as though watching a movie! I had hoped for a better ending, but alas, history is not so kind. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book to history buffs, and especially to those with an interest in notable Japanese figures. Christopher was an inc......more

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