James Du Maresq Clavell(1924–1994), Australian-born American writer, scriptwriter, film director, and producer. Born in Sydney, he was the son of a British commander stationed in Australia to help establish the Royal Australian Navy. When Clavell was nine months old, his family was posted back to England, where he was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School. He left the school at the outbreak of World War II to join the Royal Artillery as a young captain. In 1941 he was captured by the Japanese in Java and, at the age of 18, was shipped to Changi jail in Singapore, where he remained until the end of the war.

In 1953 he moved to Hollywood, where he embarked on a career as a scriptwriter and, later, producer and director. His best-selling novels include King Rat (1962), Tai-Pan (1966), Shogun (1975), Noble House (1981), Whirlwind (1986), and Gai-Jin (1993). His successful works as a scriptwriter include the cult sci-fi film The Fly (1958) and the prisoner-of-war drama The Great Escape (1966). Clavell also wrote, produced and directed To Sir With Love (1966). By the time his film The Last Valley (1969), a meditation on men at war starring British actor Michael Caine, appeared, Clavell was already a best-selling novelist.

Tai-Pan, Shogun, and Noble House were made into TV mini-series, which Clavell produced. When Shogun went on air in 1980 starring Richard Chamberlain, it became the second highest rated mini-series in history. Shogun the musical followed on Broadway in 1989.

Born 10 th October

(found in Encyclopadiea Britannica)