William Dalton

Who was William Dalton?

William Dalton was a Victorian-era British author of adventure stories for youth set in exotic locations such as China, Japan and Peru. 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.

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. His "romantic biography" is called Will Adams, the First Englishman in Japan. 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. Later authors would also novelize the Adams story, the best known is James Clavell's Shōgun and subsequent 1980 film.