Ian Dunross
Encyclopedia
Ian Dunross is a fictional character in James Clavell
's novel
Noble House
, and a minor protagonist behind the scenes in Whirlwind
.
Dunross is the 10th tai-pan
of Struan's
, who rose to that office in 1960 and took the company public. Prior to this, he was a lifelong Struan's employee, a son and grandson of previous tai-pans. During World War II
, Dunross served as a fighter pilot until being grounded after being shot down.
In the novel Noble House, set in 1963, Dunross finds his company the target of a hostile takeover from his arch-rival Quillan Gornt at a time when it is desperately overextended. He is also embroiled in international espionage when he finds himself in possession of secret documents desperately desired by both the KGB
and MI6. The novel follows Dunross' attempts to extricate himself from all this and to save Struan's, the Noble House.
Though one of many characters in the novel, Dunross is the only one involved with all the main plot line.
Noble House was made into a NBC
miniseries
in 1988 in which Ian Dunross was portrayed by Pierce Brosnan
.
Dunross is allegedly based on the composite characters of two former Jardine Matheson taipans, Sir Hugh David MacEwen Barton
and Sir Michael Herries
.
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Noble House
Noble House
Noble House is a novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963.It is a massive book, well over 1000 pages, with dozens of characters and numerous intermingling plot lines. In 1988, it was adapted as a television miniseries for NBC starring Pierce Brosnan...
, and a minor protagonist behind the scenes in Whirlwind
Whirlwind (novel)
Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. It forms part of The Asian Saga and is chronologically the last book in the series....
.
Dunross is the 10th tai-pan
Tai-Pan
The term tai-pan was originally used to describe a foreign businessman in China or Hong Kong in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cantonese colloquialism is now used in a more general sense for business executives of any origin...
of Struan's
Struans
The Struan family and company is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels by writer James Clavell...
, who rose to that office in 1960 and took the company public. Prior to this, he was a lifelong Struan's employee, a son and grandson of previous tai-pans. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Dunross served as a fighter pilot until being grounded after being shot down.
In the novel Noble House, set in 1963, Dunross finds his company the target of a hostile takeover from his arch-rival Quillan Gornt at a time when it is desperately overextended. He is also embroiled in international espionage when he finds himself in possession of secret documents desperately desired by both the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and MI6. The novel follows Dunross' attempts to extricate himself from all this and to save Struan's, the Noble House.
Though one of many characters in the novel, Dunross is the only one involved with all the main plot line.
Noble House was made into a NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
in 1988 in which Ian Dunross was portrayed by Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
.
Dunross is allegedly based on the composite characters of two former Jardine Matheson taipans, Sir Hugh David MacEwen Barton
Hugh Barton
Sir Hugh David MacEwen Barton was a former Chairman and Managing Director of Jardine, Matheson & Co. from 1953 to 1963....
and Sir Michael Herries
Michael Herries
Sir Michael Alexander Robert Young-Herries MC was the Chairman and Managing Director of Jardine Matheson & Co...
.