James Clavell — Australian Novelist born on October 10, 1924, died on September 07, 1994
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell, was an Australian-born British novelist, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his epic Asian Saga series of novels and their televised adaptations, along with such films as The Great Escape and To Sir, with Love... (wikipedia)