(This is fiction based on historical events.)

My synopsis

Thomas Blake Glover was a Scotsman, born in Aberdeen. His wanderlust and need for adventure saw him join Jardine Matheson in Japan. He soon started his own company, trading in anything that made money. He supported the rebel clans against the Shogun, helped restore the monarchy to Japan, and his personal life rumoured to be the inspiration for the story in Madame Butterfly.

Wikipedia entry.

Review

I must preface this with a warning: I adore historical fiction.

I also date a Scotsman, and am extremely interested in Scottish history as well. Singapore, where I'm from, shows its own Scottish influences (a bridge that is now only open to foot traffic bears a plaque, stating it was built in Glasgow), so I was really keen to read this book when I saw it in the office. I would have finished it weeks ago, but reading other books took priority. I finally raced to the finish, so to speak, last night.

I thought Alan Spence's storytelling was very good, and he wove fiction with fact very well. I read in the acknowledgements (and have seen it in the news as well) that this started out as a film project, and I can really picture it. Frankly, I find the tale more believable than The Last Samurai.

I'm not entirely sure how well I can review this without giving too much away, but I found it very realistic - how expatriate men behaved (and continue to behave, you can't change human nature!), xenophobia in Japan (at the time), and business ethics and tactics!