William Dalton (author)

William Dalton (1821–1875) was a Victorian-era British author of adventure stories for youth set in exotic locations such as China, Japan and Peru.[1] He wrote most of his books during a seven-year period between about 1857 to 1864. He was also chief Editor of the London Daily Telegraph for some time.[2]

Dalton was the first among many authors to novelize the true story of William Adams, who was the first Englishman to reach Japan in the 17th century.[1] His "romantic biography" is called Will Adams, the First Englishman in Japan (1861).[1] It is not an accurate history - Dalton never went to Japan, he relied on old sources and fictionalized the story - but it is an accurate reflection of 19th century British stereotypes of Japan and Asia.[1] Later authors would also novelize the Adams story, the best known is James Clavell's Shōgun (1975) and subsequent 1980 film.[1]

Works

Source.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Henry Smith, editor. Learning from Shogun: Japanese History and Western Fantasy, Program in Asian Studies University of California, Santa Barbara, 1980. Pg. 7-10
  2. 1 2 John Foster Kirk. A Supplement to Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors, Volume 1, 1899. See "Dalton, William" on pg. 443.

External links

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