I read Shogun after watching the mini-series. On about the 3 page, one of the characters comments that she ship was about to flounder.

In Tai-Pan, within half a page, he refers to the same vessel as a gun boatm sloop of war, a frigate and as a ship of the line. The vessel's captain is variously referred to as Lieutenant, Captain, Commodore.

I wonder how many other solecisms Clavell committed. Was it due to carelessness, poor research, or just not caring, figuring that he wrote well enough to get away with it.

The writing was good, the details were sometimes questionable. After Tai-Pan, I didn't bother.