In 1600, English helmsman William Adams washed ashore in Japan, and was interrogated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japans most powerful warlord and soon-to-be shogun. Far from executing Adams as a pirate, Ieyasu made him one of his most trusted advisers. This biography traces Adamss rise from humble pilot to a position of immense influence in Japans foreign relations. It unravels the subsequent diplomatic manoeuvres of the Western powers in the shoguns empire, and Adamss eventual downfall. This is the first full biography of Adams based on original Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese sources, and includes much previously unknown information. Frederik Cryns tells the authentic story of Adamss chequered life in its historical context, taking us on a compelling journey into Adamss complex inner feelings and cosmopolitan heart.