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97 ratings | 41 reviews | avg rating:4.86

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Lesley Downer

Goodreads Author

Born

London, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.lesleydowner.com

Twitter

LesleyDowner

Genre

Historical Fiction, Nonfiction

Member Since

July 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/lesleydowner

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I write historical fiction set in Japan - women’s untold stories, largely true and based on meticulous and detailed research, though primarily, of course, good yarns. I’ve just finished The Shogun’s Queen, the fourth of The Shogun Quartet, four novels set in the nineteenth century during the tumultuous fifteen years when Japan was convulsed by civil war and transformed from rule by the shoguns into a society that looked to the west.
Preorder: http://bit.ly/TheShogunsQueen
The second, The Last Concubine, was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2009 and translated into 30 languages. The other two novels are The Courtesan and the Samurai and The Samurai’s Daughter. My non-fiction on Japan includes Geisha: The Remarkable Truth Behind the ...more

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Lesley Downer’s books

Average rating: 3.8 · 10,112 ratings · 953 reviews · 27 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Last Concubine (The Shogun Quartet #2) 3.84 avg rating — 3,404 ratings — published 2008 — 59 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shortest History of Japan: From Mythical Origins to Pop Culture Powerhouse―The Global Drama of an Ancient Island Nation (The Shortest History Series) 3.80 avg rating — 1,723 ratings — published 2024 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha 3.90 avg rating — 1,573 ratings — published 2000 — 30 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Courtesan and the Samurai (The Shogun Quartet #3) 3.51 avg rating — 1,045 ratings — published 2010 — 33 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shogun's Queen (The Shogun Quartet #1) 3.96 avg rating — 762 ratings — published 2016 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha Who Bewitched the West 3.63 avg rating — 677 ratings — published 2003 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Across a Bridge of Dreams (The Shogun Quartet #4) 3.81 avg rating — 538 ratings — published 2012 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	On the Narrow Road: A Journey into Lost Japan 3.91 avg rating — 245 ratings — published 2013 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Brothers: The Hidden World of Japan's Richest Family 4.04 avg rating — 70 ratings — published 1994 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Geisha for the American Consul 3.29 avg rating — 78 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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3 posts
Lesley Downer's Blog

The Shogun's Queen

Most excited! My new novel now has a definite title, The Shogun’s Queen, and a publication date - November 3rd 2016 - and a beautiful cover. I’ve loved researching and re-imagining this true story- the heart-rending story of Atsu. My research has taken me down to the south of Japan, to the black sands of Ibusuki and the smoking volcano of Sakurajima, and up to Tokyo, which in Atsu’s day was called Read more of this blog post »

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Published on May 14, 2016 03:51 • Tags: japan-new-shogun-seraglio

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Series by Lesley Downer

The Shogun Quartet (4 books)
by

Lesley Downer (Goodreads Author)

3.79 avg rating — 5,749 ratings

Lesley is Currently Reading

Lesley is currently reading

The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise

by Pico Iyer

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Aug 12, 2023 06:03AM

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The Dalai Lama's Secret Temple

by Ian A. Baker

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Jul 26, 2016 09:20AM

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PACIFIC- HB

by Simon Winchester

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Jul 26, 2016 09:19AM

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Lesley is now friends with Reader
Mar 06, 2026 02:56AM · like
Lesley liked midsizedchillybin's review of The Shortest History of Japan: From Mythical Origins to Pop Culture Powerhouse―The Global Drama of an Ancient Island Nation (The Shortest History Series): "Cool samurai stories and obviously lots of other interesting things! Will hopefully make my trip there even better!"
Sep 29, 2024 02:21AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lesley liked H. Foster's review of The Shortest History of Japan: "useful overview I would recommend this book to people travelling to Japan and to school students of modern east Asian history. Its overview of 20 th century Japanese history is useful."
Sep 29, 2024 02:21AM · see review
Lesley liked Liz's review of The Shortest History of Japan: "A brief history of Japan spanning 400BCE though to 2023. Although high level, the book’s 235 pages of content covers all big events and gives a great introduction and overview of Japan’s fascinating history. "
Sep 29, 2024 02:21AM · see review

More of Lesley's books…

Quotes by Lesley Downer (?)

“ A samurai never worries about losing his life. He worries about losing his honour. Being shamed is far worse than losing your life. A samurai is always ready to die - for his lord, for his honour. That's the samurai way”
― Lesley Downer, Across a Bridge of Dreams

7 likes

“Sometimes you'll win, sometimes you'll lose, but you must never run away.”
― Lesley Downer, Across a Bridge of Dreams

5 likes

“Once fallen, the blossom doesn't return to the branch”
― Lesley Downer, Across a Bridge of Dreams

4 likes

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