TaiPan, James Clavell
TaiPan, James Clavell
1 Rating(s)
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Tai-Pan

Author: James Clavell

Narrator: Gildart Jackson

Unabridged: 32 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/24/2015


Synopsis

The sweeping epic novel of the founding of Hong Kong, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell“There can only be one Tai-Pan.”Dirk Struan rose from humble beginnings to build Struan & Company, also known as the Noble House, into the world’s largest Far East trading company. He is now the Tai-Pan—Supreme Leader—of all Tai-Pans in China. Along the way, however, he made a powerful enemy. Tyler Brock, Struan’s rival from their early opium-smuggling days, also heads a large trading fleet, second in size only to Struan’s. But it is not only silks and spices that drive their mutual companies’ wealth—the opium trade is still booming. War between England and China might be over, but the hostilities remain. Struan and Brock come to control much of England’s trade with China yet neither can control their desires or their hatred of each other. Over the years, their two families will cross paths, threatening to rip both apart, with reverberations that will echo across the generations.Struan must fight to save his company and his family, or risk seeing everything he has created destroyed at the hands of his sworn enemy. Ambition, political intrigue, and love and lust weave their way throughout the novel the New York Times called, “grand entertainment…packed with action…with blood and sin, treachery and conspiracy, sex and murder.” East and West come together in an opulent and intricately plotted narrative. A tour-de-force of historical fiction, rich in detail yet eminently readable, Tai-Pan will stay with you long after the final page.

About James Clavell

James Clavell (1921–1994) was a novelist, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. He is best known for his epic Asian Saga novels, which launched with the 1962 bestseller King Rat, and their televised adaptations. He also wrote screenplays for such films as The Great Escape and The Fly, and was a writer, director, and producer on To Sir, with Love. His books Shōgun, Noble House, Tai-Pan, and Whirlwind were #1 New York Times bestsellers.

About Gildart Jackson

Gildart Jackson’s acting credits span the stage and screen. He is most often recognized for his roles as Gideon on Charmed and Simon Prentiss on General Hospital. He has also starred in numerous television shows, including CSI and Vegas, and he played the lead in the highly acclaimed independent feature film You, directed by his wife, Melora Hardin.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jeffrey on May 07, 2019

***MOVIE ADDENDUM ADDED SEPT 13th, 2014*** ”’Joss’ was a Chinese word that meant Luck and Fate and God and the devil combined.” Hong Kong was just a cluster of fishing villages when the English traders arrived in 1841. The port quickly proved a safe haven to ships even impervious to Typhoons. Dirk......more

Goodreads review by Jim on October 21, 2014

I've read this before & really liked it, but it is even better as an audio book. Incredible, really. John Lee has great accents & intonations & really makes the book come alive. Clavell is most famous for Shōgun, the first of his Asian series, which was made into a mini series starring Richard Chambe......more

Goodreads review by Allen on May 29, 2023

Fantastic, by God. It's joss that I was able to read this again and love it just as much as the first time. This is the book that sparked my obsession with trading houses. A fabulous historical fiction for anyone with interest in Hong Kong.......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on April 02, 2025

I wanted so much to like this more than I did (I loved Shōgun). But I had a lot of emotional problems with this book: 1. Aside from May-May, none of the women are written as characters of any worth (even Tess didn't live up to what I was expecting). 2. The annexation has always bothered me. The Britis......more

Goodreads review by Joshua on May 05, 2023

A highly compelling book with a whopper of an ending that's somehow simultaneously epic and subtle. I don't feel this book reached the heights of Shogun in terms of thematic content or characterization, but O marveled at the political and interpersonal intrigues with a large cast of characters, all......more


Quotes

“Grand entertainment…Packed with action…Gaudy and flamboyant with blood and sin, treachery and conspiracy, sex and murder…Fresh and vigorous.” New York Times

“Unforgettable!” Chicago Tribune

“Clavell is, as always, a matchless tale-spinner.” Cosmopolitan

“A fabulous epic of the Far East that will disturb and excite you…A thrilling and enticing tale of adventure and human relationships…Dramatic episodes, exotic vignettes, and heady descriptive passages.” Baltimore Sun

“Every five or six years there appears on the horizon a book so vast in scope, so peopled with bold, colorful characters, it eclipses other efforts…Such a book is Tai-Pan.” Pittsburgh Press


Awards

  • iBooks bestseller
  • Collider Pick