Tim Murphy revisits Connie Bruck's 1995 New Yorker profile of Gingrich, where he reveals he was particularly influenced by James Clavell's novel Shogun, about a 17th-century Japanese samurai named Toranaga:
The book is a narrative of Toranaga's quest for the absolute power of shogun. Throughout the book, Toranaga, who confides in no one, violently repudiates the suggestion of his most loyal followers that he should seek to become shogun, even calling it "treason." Yet, through his study of individuals' psychology, his patience in listening, his system of punishment and reward, his establishment of an elaborate information network of spies, and his talent in projecting a wholly false self-image (he is an accomplished Noh actor), Toranaga is able to use, manipulate, and deceive all who come in contact with him; thus, in the end, he achieves his goal.
The Dish 