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Clavell suffered greatly at the hands of his Japanese captors. According to the introduction to Clavell's novel King Rat (1962), over 90 per cent of the prisoners who entered Changi never walked out. Clavell was reportedly saved, along with an entire battalion, by an American prisoner of war who later became the model for 'The King' in King Rat. Free PDF Download Books by James Clavell. The time is World War II. The place is a brutal prison camp deep in Japanese-occupied territory. Here, within the seething mass of humanity, one man, an Ameri.
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Free download or read online King Rat pdf (ePUB) (Asian Saga: Chronological Order Series) book. The first edition of this novel was published in 1962, and was written by James Clavell. The book was published in multiple languages including English language, consists of 368 pages and is available in Paperback format. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are,. King Rat is a 1962 novel by James Clavell and the author's literary debut. Set during World War II, the novel describes the struggle for survival of American, Australian, British, Dutch, and New Zealander prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in Singapore—a description informed by Clavell's own three-year experience as a prisoner in the notorious Changi Prison camp. Free download or read online King Rat pdf (ePUB) (Asian Saga: Chronological Order Series) book. The first edition of this novel was published in 1962, and was written by James Clavell. The book was published in multiple languages including English language, consists of 368 pages and is available in Paperback format.
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(Asian Saga: Chronological Order #4)
The time is World War II. The place is a brutal prison camp deep in Japanese-occupied territory. Here, within the seething mass of humanity, one man, an American corporal, seeks dominance over both captives and captors alike. His weapons are human courage, unblinking understanding of human weaknesses, and total willingness to exploit every opportunity to enlarge his power..more
Published May 19th 2009 by Delta (first published 1962)
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Dr BrownA bit late my answer (3 years!) but Shogun and King Rat imho share nothing except both are in Asia. Well, both are fantastic novels! I started Tai Pan…moreA bit late my answer (3 years!) but Shogun and King Rat imho share nothing except both are in Asia. Well, both are fantastic novels! I started Tai Pan but just could not take the mentality of the characters, I stopped after a few chapters. It's all about making moola without honor.. (less)
Best Historical Fiction 6,190 books — 25,073 voters
World War II Fiction 980 books — 1,698 voters
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Jun 22, 2009Agnieszka rated it really liked it Shelves: own-a-copy, 2017, i-saw-the-movie-too, reviewed, friends-of-my-youth, japan
Changi was set like a pearl on the eastern tip of Singapore Island, iridescent under the bowl of tropical skies. It stood on a slight rise and around it was a belt of green, and farther off the green gave way to the blue-green seas and the seas to infinity of horizon.
This beautiful opening line is like a promise of fantastic adventure, exotic trip, it evokes some delightful place, a mystery island you always dreamt about but it is anything but it. Changi was the inhuman Japanese camp for the..more
Recommends it for: History readers, WW2 readers, literary readers, culture clash readers
The beginning of Clavell's truly epic series of culture clash novels is a curiously autobiographical book. King Rat takes us to Changi, a Japanese prison camp during World War 2, where British and American soldiers are held in dire conditions. We watch as people cling to honor, duty and any semblance of structure for their own mental health and survival. Every observation about humanity in these conditions is more interesting because Clavell himself was held in a Japanese prison camp during the..more
Jan 03, 2009Manny rated it really liked it
It's not cool to praise James Clavell - and indeed, Shogun is extremely silly. I recall a couple of Japanese people cringing when I once was foolish enough to mention it (I believe they showed the series on Japanese TV).
But this book, which is based on Clavell's own experiences as a World War II prisoner of war, is pretty damn good. There's something universal about his description of camp life. He doesn't try and draw any moral, and there are no obvious symbolic associations, but at the end I..more
Jan 08, 2015Jim rated it really liked it · review of another editionBut this book, which is based on Clavell's own experiences as a World War II prisoner of war, is pretty damn good. There's something universal about his description of camp life. He doesn't try and draw any moral, and there are no obvious symbolic associations, but at the end I..more
Shelves: historical, 1audio, 3series, 2sortof_nonfiction
I read this once decades ago, but Mom & I were talking about it one morning. When she got her hair cut later that day, she found a copy in their free book rack & loved it. My library has it in an audio edition, so I listened to it. It's a great fictionalized account of American, British, & Australians in Changi, a Japanese POW camp during WWII.
This audio edition has extra material from the original manuscript that's never been published before including an introduction written by Cla..more
This audio edition has extra material from the original manuscript that's never been published before including an introduction written by Cla..more
This is the first volume in Clavell's 'Asian Saga,' and was written about the Japanese prison camp of Changi located in Singapore, where the author himself was held as a POW during the late stages of World War II. 'The King' is a successful wheeling and dealing American. Using capitalistic initiative, he concocts many money-making schemes, the most shocking of which, involves breeding rats to sell as 'rabbit' meat. He generates feelings of hatred or envy in others, but everyone wants to be close..more
May 21, 2019Dax rated it liked it
This was Clavell’s first novel, and it shows a little bit. A step or two below ‘Shogun’ and ‘Taipan’, but that’s an awfully high bar to set. Loosely based off of Clavell’s personal experiences in Changi POW camp during WWII, ‘King Rat’ is slower paced than you might expect. Nevertheless, it is entertaining with solid character development. The conclusion is a bit muted and surprisingly introspective, but I think Clavell was looking for an accurate depiction of his experiences in Changi, rather t..more
a real good story teller. not easy to be a master.
Oct 06, 2011Karla rated it really liked it · review of another editionRecommends it for: lovers of gritty ambiguous food for thought stories
Shelves: historical-fiction, war-world-war-2, 4-and-a-half-stars, dead-tree
James Clavell Asian Saga
(4.5 stars) After a stretch of the book crankies, this one finally broke the bad luck. That's probably due in no small part to the fact that the 1965 movie 'King Rat,' with George Segal and James Fox, is tremendously awesome and one of the best war or prison pictures I've ever seen. It's the complete flip side to the jaunty and fun 'The Great Escape' (the screenplay of which, oddly enough, was penned by Clavell.)
Clavell's style here isn't exactly my cup of tea: so many run-on sentences, and I th..more
Clavell's style here isn't exactly my cup of tea: so many run-on sentences, and I th..more
Jul 04, 2007Mr. Person rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
In King Rat, James Clavell succeeds in doing what countless other authors usually fail at: taken actual experiences from his life and distilled them into a gripping dramatic narrative.
And this praise is perhaps the most damnable understatement the book can receive -- Clavell isn't writing about 'experiences,' he is writing about the cauldron from which he was 'reborn' -- his time in Changi, a Japanese POW camp in Malaysia during WWII.
And yet, the book is mostly comedic -- filled with the hopefu..more
And this praise is perhaps the most damnable understatement the book can receive -- Clavell isn't writing about 'experiences,' he is writing about the cauldron from which he was 'reborn' -- his time in Changi, a Japanese POW camp in Malaysia during WWII.
And yet, the book is mostly comedic -- filled with the hopefu..more
A brutally realistic account of soldier's survival in a Japanese WWII prison camp.
Clavell doing what he does best; making history come to life with very interesting and entertaining fiction.
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i just found out that King Rat is in part autobiographical. Clavell was apparently a POW himself. That explains are great deal. i was very much awed that a fictional book could be so incredibly detailed and convey the day to day struggle of the characters so well. JC was writing from experienc..more
Clavell doing what he does best; making history come to life with very interesting and entertaining fiction.
Back for more..
i just found out that King Rat is in part autobiographical. Clavell was apparently a POW himself. That explains are great deal. i was very much awed that a fictional book could be so incredibly detailed and convey the day to day struggle of the characters so well. JC was writing from experienc..more
Oct 15, 2016Jen from Quebec :0) rated it really liked it
I thought his novel was just fantastic! (However, the entire saga of the King and the diamond was a lot of build up for a lot of nothing in the end, wasn't it?)
May 07, 2013Mel Bossa rated it it was amazing
This book was apparently written by Clavell in six weeks during a screenwriters strike in 1963. The story feels rushed and is messy at times with this sort of disconnected feel to it, but yet, I absolutely loved it. Maybe it's Clavell's urgency to tell the tale that gripped me.
This book is not as macho as I thought it would be. There's actually a lot of tolerance and genuine emotion in all of the characters. I was moved by them and I wasn't expecting that. I've read Shogun and Taipan, and thoug..more
This book is not as macho as I thought it would be. There's actually a lot of tolerance and genuine emotion in all of the characters. I was moved by them and I wasn't expecting that. I've read Shogun and Taipan, and thoug..more
Sep 02, 2007Mark rated it really liked it
Clavell is better known for his later Shogun and other Japanese history novels, but this earlier novel about the lives of Americans and British POWs in a Japanese prisoner of war camp is a classic. The title character is an American with a true gift for survival in the underground economy of the camp, and the book raises many questions about what the most ethical road is to take in an impossible moral situation.
Aug 30, 2014Benoit Lelièvre rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I wish every first novels had such ambition, scope and gusto. KING RAT is about the manliest, most violently existential novel south of Hemingway. It's full of dudes lost without the structure and the social status that normal life usually provides and completely adrift, not knowing the faith of the free world during WWII. KING RAT depicts the microcosm that was formed by all this doubt and confusion and follows the faith of men who used to live by the rules and the men who decided to create the..more
Feb 22, 2018Hasham Rasool marked it as to-read · review of another edition Shelves: classic, historical-fiction, fiction, james-clavell
Nov 30, 2010aPriL does feral sometimes rated it really liked it
The story takes place in an enclosed small wartime POW camp with imprisoned English, Australians, and some Americans. Japanese soldiers guard the camp which is surrounded by jungle and Malay villages.
There is not much food, no medicine, incredible heat and biting insects. Soap is rare, privacy almost nonexistent. Men die every day from disease and despair. Clothes have rotted away and sarongs and rags are all that's available so rank is made known only by arm bands and a slight difference in li..more
There is not much food, no medicine, incredible heat and biting insects. Soap is rare, privacy almost nonexistent. Men die every day from disease and despair. Clothes have rotted away and sarongs and rags are all that's available so rank is made known only by arm bands and a slight difference in li..more
Feb 07, 2017Bodosika Bodosika rated it really liked it
A Novel about prisoners of war in Asia that was wonderfully narrated.
Dec 20, 2018Kelly .. rated it really liked it Shelves: read-the-world-2018-2019, read-the-world, asian
After finishing Clavell's Shogun earlier this month I immediately turned to Wikipedia to read more about the author. There I learned that he had been imprisoned by the Japanese during WW2, a POW in Changi Camp, and that he later wrote King Rat about a man he knew in that camp. I was fascinated by the idea of a semi-autobiographical story in this setting as I was convinced that the story would feel more authentic. And I was correct.
The story is incredible right from the beautiful first line:
Chang..more
The story is incredible right from the beautiful first line:
Chang..more
Feb 28, 2013Harv Griffin rated it it was amazing
At one time or another I've read most or all of James Clavell's novels. KING RAT is by far my favorite. I've lost count of the number of times I've read this novel. I also own the movie version of the story on DVD; and yes, I've lost count of the number of times I've watched the movie. I like the book better.
Clavell survived as a POW in WWII. The sub-story is that the Peter Marlowe character in KING RAT is a fictionalized version of James Clavell and that the Corporal King character is a fictio..more
Nov 03, 2013T.A. Uner rated it it was amazing
As an Author myself I trace my roots on why I wanted to write back to 'King Rat.' After 'Shogun' this is probably my favorite Clavell story, and rightfully so, as this was written based on Clavell's own experiences in a POW camp in WW II.
What I take most from this book is that it directly inspired me to pursue writing, not for writing's sake, but to leave something worthwhile behind to inspire future generations.
Apr 19, 2018SallyB rated it it was amazingWhat I take most from this book is that it directly inspired me to pursue writing, not for writing's sake, but to leave something worthwhile behind to inspire future generations.
Shelves: re-read, adventure, japanese-pow-camp, starvation, rats, military
Was googling Japanese POW camps to find more info after reading this amazing story. It's not for the faint of heart but very well done and worth your time. Just very eye opening to the deplorable conditions that prisoners lived in in that era. My grandparents lived in China during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I remember them talking of a Japanese woman surviver that lived near them and took care of their children. Very good book!!!
Apr 09, 2018David Highton rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Set in 1945 in Changi prison towards the end of the war, a story of men imprisoned on poor rations for months and years, and the growing relationship between a young British RAF officer and an American corporal, King. King is the best and cleverest black marketeer and operator in Changi. The desperation of all the camp inhabitants is all the more real when you know the author was in Changi himself for 4 years - this was his first novel, published in 1962.
Mar 26, 2017Judy rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fiction, books-from-1962, 20th-century-fiction
At last, the final book on my 1962 reading list. I read this a long time ago before I was keeping my reading log, so sometime in the 1980s. It was my first experience with what I now call Prison Camp Lit. The dirt, the starving, the dysentery, etc. Ugh.
I remember it as a shorter book. The reprint I got from my local library contains sections left out of the original publication in 1962, giving a look at some of the wives and girlfriends of the prisoners and what they were going through while th..more
I remember it as a shorter book. The reprint I got from my local library contains sections left out of the original publication in 1962, giving a look at some of the wives and girlfriends of the prisoners and what they were going through while th..more
Saw the movie and had to read the book. Got it in a Used Bookstore where they had classic books available. Unfortunately the bookstore is gone thanks to online retailers, but at least I got my copy (an original hardback).
In the Far East during WWII an American corporal named King is determined not to 'rot' in the brutal prison camp run by the Japanese. He barters anything of value to keep alive, and he does this with the prison guards as well as British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, and Am..more
In the Far East during WWII an American corporal named King is determined not to 'rot' in the brutal prison camp run by the Japanese. He barters anything of value to keep alive, and he does this with the prison guards as well as British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, and Am..more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Aug 31, 2013Martyn Halm rated it really liked it · review of another edition
My interest in Japanese culture was just blossoming when I came across this powerhouse of a book, which I have re-read since at least three times. The story, about a friendship between an American soldier and a British officer in a Japanese POW camp, and the way the two men influence one another, is interesting enough on its own, but the book also gives insight in how the camp strips the occupants of their civilization and shows the lengths people go through to survive. Recommended not only to t..more
Oct 09, 2017Radu Stanculescu rated it really liked it · review of another edition
The start was quite slow, and the side stories, while pertinent, felt a bit out of place. The second half of the book was exhilarating though. The characters became more likable and the pace picked up a lot. After plodding through Gai-Jin, I really enjoyed this one. The fact that it is just one third the length of Gai-Jin helped too.
Nov 12, 2018Wsm rated it really liked it
A tale of survival under brutal conditions in a prisoners of war camp,during World War II.Not too impressed with Clavell's other books,but this one is his best.
Apr 05, 2019Mishu Panoiu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
A powerful story about survival and the compromises one makes in order to live another day - especially in extraordinary circumstances such as a harsh prison in the WW2 period. You cannot help but wonder what you would have done placed in their shoes - what cost would you be willing to pay?
Dec 23, 2017Margarit (Mark) Ralev rated it it was amazing
Great one.
Strongly recommend for my man-friends.
I'll definitely read more from Clavell in the future.
Strongly recommend for my man-friends.
I'll definitely read more from Clavell in the future.
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James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell was a British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and POW. Clavell is best known for his epic Asian Saga series of novels and their televised adaptations, along with such films as The Great Escape, The Fly and To Sir, with Love.
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James Clavell. (2007, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia...more
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James Clavell. (2007, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia...more
Asian Saga: Chronological Order(6 books)
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“And Adam ruled, for he was the King. Until the day his will to be King deserted him. Then he died, food for a stronger. And the strongest was always the King, not by strength alone, but King by cunning and luck and strength together. Among the rats.” — 32 likes
“Guard yourself and your conscience no one else will and know that a bad decision at the right time can destroy you far more surely than any bullet!” — 25 likes
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