James Clavell
Encyclopedia
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell (10 October 1924 – 7 September 1994) was an Australian-born, British (later naturalized American) 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
.
officer who was stationed in Australia on secondment from the Royal Navy
to the Royal Australian Navy
. In 1940, when Clavell finished his secondary schooling at Portsmouth Grammar School, he joined the Royal Artillery
to follow his family tradition.
Following the outbreak of World War II, at the age of 16 (or 19) he joined the Royal Artillery
in 1940, and was sent to Malaya
to fight the Japanese
. Wounded by machine-gun fire, he was eventually captured and sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp on Java
. Later he was transferred to Changi Prison
in Singapore
.
Clavell suffered greatly at the hands of his Japanese captors. According to the introduction to King Rat, written by Clavell, over 90% of the prisoners who entered Changi never walked out, although the actual mortality rate was under 1%. Clavell was reportedly saved, along with an entire battalion, by an American prisoner of war who later became the model for "The King" in Clavell's King Rat
.
By 1946, Clavell had risen to the rank of Captain, but a motorcycle accident ended his military career. He enrolled at the University of Birmingham
, where he met April Stride, an actress, whom he married in 1949.
and Noble House
, although he is also mentioned once (as a friend of Andrew Gavallan) in the novel Whirlwind
. Featured much more prominently in King Rat, he is an English FEPOW
in Changi
prison during World War II. In Noble House, set two decades later, he is a novelist researching a book about Hong Kong. Ancestors of the character Peter Marlowe are also mentioned in other Clavell novels. The character of Marlowe as a novelist is a clear reference to Clavell; in Noble House
he is mentioned as having written a novel about Changi which although fictionalized is based on real events (like Clavell and King Rat); when asked which character was based on him Marlowe answers "Perhaps I'm not there at all."
and wrote a war film, Five Gates to Hell. Clavell won a Writers Guild Best Screenplay Award for the 1963 film The Great Escape
. He also screenwrote, directed and produced a 1967 box office hit, To Sir, With Love
, based on the book by E. R. Braithwaite
and starring Sidney Poitier
.
Clavell's daughter Michaela
appeared briefly as Penelope Smallbone, Moneypenny's would-be successor, in the James Bond 007
movie Octopussy
. The character, however, did not catch on and was dropped after that single picture.
Tai-Pan and King Rat were adapted as feature films, but Clavell was not directly involved in their writing.
, was a semi-fictional account of his prison experiences at Changi
. When the book was published in 1962, it became an immediate best-seller and three years later, it was adapted for film. His next novel, Tai-Pan
, was a fictional account of Jardine-Matheson's rise to prominence in Hong Kong, as told through the character who was to become Clavell's heroic archetype, Dirk Struan
. Struan
's descendants would inhabit almost all of his forthcoming books.
This was followed by Shōgun
in 1975, the story of an English navigator set in 17th century Japan, based on that of William Adams
. When the story was made into a TV series in 1980, produced by Clavell, it became the second highest rated mini-series in history with an audience of over 120 million. In 1981, Clavell published his fourth novel, Noble House
, which became a number one best seller during that year and was also made into a miniseries. Following the success of Noble House, Clavell wrote Whirlwind
(1986) and Gai-Jin (1993) along with The Children's Story
(1981) and Thrump-o-moto (1985).
consisting of six novels:
Several of Clavell's books have been adapted as films or miniseries; Shōgun was also adapted into interactive fiction
.
Other books include:
capitalism
, as many of his books' heroes exemplify.
Clavell admired Ayn Rand
, founder of the Objectivist
school of philosophy, and sent Ayn Rand
a copy of Noble House
in 1981 inscribed: "This is for Ayn Rand—one of the real, true talents on this earth for which many, many thanks. James C, New York, 2 September 81."
In 1963, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
He supposedly fathered a child with Caroline Barrett, who was Marlon Brando's assistant. The child, Petra Brando-Corval, was born in 1972 and was adopted by Brando.
He died of a stroke while suffering from cancer in Switzerland in 1994, one month before his 70th (or 73rd) birthday.
Following sponsorship by his widow, the library and archive of the Royal Artillery Museum at Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich, in London has been renamed the James Clavell library in his honour.
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Clavell is best known for his epic Asian Saga series of novels and their televised adaptations, along with such films as The Great Escape
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
and To Sir, with Love
To Sir, with Love
To Sir, With Love is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite.The film's title song...
.
Early life and World War II
Born in Australia, Clavell was the son of Commander Richard Clavell, a British Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who was stationed in Australia on secondment from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
to the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
. In 1940, when Clavell finished his secondary schooling at Portsmouth Grammar School, he joined the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
to follow his family tradition.
Following the outbreak of World War II, at the age of 16 (or 19) he joined the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1940, and was sent to Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
to fight the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. Wounded by machine-gun fire, he was eventually captured and sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp on Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. Later he was transferred to Changi Prison
Changi Prison
Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Clavell suffered greatly at the hands of his Japanese captors. According to the introduction to King Rat, written by Clavell, over 90% of the prisoners who entered Changi never walked out, although the actual mortality rate was under 1%. Clavell was reportedly saved, along with an entire battalion, by an American prisoner of war who later became the model for "The King" in Clavell's King Rat
King Rat (1962 novel)
King Rat is a 1962 novel by James Clavell. Set during World War II, Clavell's literary debut describes the struggle for survival of British, Australian and American prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in Singapore—a description informed by Clavell's own three-year experience as a prisoner in the...
.
By 1946, Clavell had risen to the rank of Captain, but a motorcycle accident ended his military career. He enrolled at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, where he met April Stride, an actress, whom he married in 1949.
Peter Marlowe
Peter Marlowe is a character in the Clavell novels King RatKing Rat (1962 novel)
King Rat is a 1962 novel by James Clavell. Set during World War II, Clavell's literary debut describes the struggle for survival of British, Australian and American prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in Singapore—a description informed by Clavell's own three-year experience as a prisoner in the...
and 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...
, although he is also mentioned once (as a friend of Andrew Gavallan) in the novel 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....
. Featured much more prominently in King Rat, he is an English FEPOW
Far East Prisoners of War
Far East Prisoners of War is a term used in the United Kingdom to describe former British and Commonwealth prisoners of war held in the Far East during the Second World War...
in Changi
Changi
Changi is an area at the eastern end of Singapore. It is now the site of Singapore Changi Airport/Changi Air Base, Changi Naval Base and is also home to Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II which held Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia...
prison during World War II. In Noble House, set two decades later, he is a novelist researching a book about Hong Kong. Ancestors of the character Peter Marlowe are also mentioned in other Clavell novels. The character of Marlowe as a novelist is a clear reference to Clavell; in 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...
he is mentioned as having written a novel about Changi which although fictionalized is based on real events (like Clavell and King Rat); when asked which character was based on him Marlowe answers "Perhaps I'm not there at all."
Film industry
In 1953, Clavell and his wife emigrated to the United States and settled down in Hollywood. Clavell scripted the grisly science-fiction horror film The FlyThe Fly (1958 film)
The Fly is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film, directed by Kurt Neumann. The screenplay was written by James Clavell , from the short story "The Fly" by George Langelaan...
and wrote a war film, Five Gates to Hell. Clavell won a Writers Guild Best Screenplay Award for the 1963 film The Great Escape
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
. He also screenwrote, directed and produced a 1967 box office hit, To Sir, With Love
To Sir, with Love
To Sir, With Love is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite.The film's title song...
, based on the book by E. R. Braithwaite
E. R. Braithwaite
Edward Ricardo Braithwaite is a Guyanese novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat, best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people...
and starring Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
.
Clavell's daughter Michaela
Michaela Clavell
Michaela Clavell is an actress. She portrayed Penelope Smallbone in the James Bond movie Octopussy, and "Teacher" in the 1982 television adaptation of her father's short story "The Children's Story". She is the daughter of April Stride and author James Clavell.- External links :*...
appeared briefly as Penelope Smallbone, Moneypenny's would-be successor, in the James Bond 007
James Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
movie Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
. The character, however, did not catch on and was dropped after that single picture.
Films
- The FlyThe Fly (1958 film)The Fly is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film, directed by Kurt Neumann. The screenplay was written by James Clavell , from the short story "The Fly" by George Langelaan...
(1958) (writer) - WatusiWatusi (film)Watusi is a 1959 MGM adventure film directed by Kurt Neumann and produced by Al Zimbalist and Donald Zimbalist. The screenplay was by James Clavell based on the novel King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard...
(1959) (writer) - Five Gates to Hell (1959) (writer and director)
- Walk Like a Dragon (1960) (writer and director)
- The Great EscapeThe Great Escape (film)The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
(1963) (co-writer) - 633 Squadron633 Squadron633 Squadron is a 1964 British film which depicts the exploits of a fictional Second World War British fighter-bomber squadron. It was based on a novel of the same name by Frederick E. Smith, published in 1956, which itself drew on several real Royal Air Force missions. The film was directed by...
(1964) (co-writer) - The Satan BugThe Satan BugThe Satan Bug is a science fiction film directed by John Sturges that stars George Maharis and Anne Francis. It was loosely adapted from Alistair MacLean's 1962 novel of the same name...
(1965) (co-writer) - King Rat (1965) author of the novel (only)
- To Sir, with LoveTo Sir, with LoveTo Sir, With Love is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite.The film's title song...
(1966) (writer and director) - The Sweet and the Bitter (1967) (writer and director)
- Where's Jack?Where's Jack?Where's Jack? is a 1969 film based around the exploits of notorious 18th century criminal Jack Sheppard and London "thieftaker" Jonathan Wild....
(1968) (director) - The Last ValleyThe Last ValleyThe Last Valley is a 1970 historical drama film directed by James Clavell. Set during the Thirty Years War, it stars Michael Caine as the leader of a band of mercenaries, and Omar Sharif as a teacher fleeing from the violence endemic to Germany during this period...
(1970) (writer and director) - ShōgunShogun (TV miniseries)Shōgun is an American television miniseries based on the namesake novel by James Clavell. As with the novel, the title is often shown as Shōgun in order to conform to Hepburn romanization. The miniseries was broadcast over five nights, between September 15 and September 19, 1980 on NBC in the...
—miniseries (1980) - Tai-PanTai-Pan (film)Tai-Pan is a 1986 film directed by Daryl Duke, loosely based on James Clavell's 1966 novel of the same name. While many of the same characters and plot twists are maintained, a few smaller occurrences are left out. Filmed under communist Chinese censorship, some portions of Clavell's story were...
(1986) author of the novel (only) - Noble HouseNoble House (TV miniseries)Noble House was an American television miniseries that was produced and broadcast by NBC in 1988. Based upon the novel Noble House by James Clavell, it featured a large cast headlined by Pierce Brosnan as business tycoon Ian Dunross and was directed by Gary Nelson...
—miniseries (1988)
Tai-Pan and King Rat were adapted as feature films, but Clavell was not directly involved in their writing.
Novelist
Clavell's first novel, King RatKing Rat (1962 novel)
King Rat is a 1962 novel by James Clavell. Set during World War II, Clavell's literary debut describes the struggle for survival of British, Australian and American prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in Singapore—a description informed by Clavell's own three-year experience as a prisoner in the...
, was a semi-fictional account of his prison experiences at Changi
Changi
Changi is an area at the eastern end of Singapore. It is now the site of Singapore Changi Airport/Changi Air Base, Changi Naval Base and is also home to Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II which held Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia...
. When the book was published in 1962, it became an immediate best-seller and three years later, it was adapted for film. His next novel, Tai-Pan
Tai-Pan (novel)
Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1842 following the end of the First Opium War. It is the second book in Clavell's "Asian Saga".-Plot summary:...
, was a fictional account of Jardine-Matheson's rise to prominence in Hong Kong, as told through the character who was to become Clavell's heroic archetype, Dirk Struan
Dirk Struan
Dirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell's 1966 novel Tai-Pan. The title comes from a Cantonese term that Clavell loosely translates as "supreme leader", and Struan is the taipan or head of his own trading company in China, Struan's...
. Struan
Struans
The Struan family and company is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels by writer James Clavell...
's descendants would inhabit almost all of his forthcoming books.
This was followed by Shōgun
Shogun (novel)
Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
in 1975, the story of an English navigator set in 17th century Japan, based on that of William Adams
William Adams (sailor)
William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
. When the story was made into a TV series in 1980, produced by Clavell, it became the second highest rated mini-series in history with an audience of over 120 million. In 1981, Clavell published his fourth novel, 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...
, which became a number one best seller during that year and was also made into a miniseries. Following the success of Noble House, Clavell wrote 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....
(1986) and Gai-Jin (1993) along with The Children's Story
The Children's Story
The Children's Story is a short story written by James Clavell in 1963 and published in 1981. It is also the title of a 1982 short film based upon the story. As of April 2010, this book is still in print.-Plot summary:...
(1981) and Thrump-o-moto (1985).
Novels
The Asian SagaThe Asian Saga
The Asian Saga is a series of six novels written by James Clavell between 1962 and 1993. The novels all center on Europeans in Asia, and together they explore the impact on East and West of the meeting of these two distinct civilizations.-Overview:...
consisting of six novels:
- King RatKing Rat (1962 novel)King Rat is a 1962 novel by James Clavell. Set during World War II, Clavell's literary debut describes the struggle for survival of British, Australian and American prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in Singapore—a description informed by Clavell's own three-year experience as a prisoner in the...
(1962): Set in a Japanese POW camp, 1945 - Tai-PanTai-Pan (novel)Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1842 following the end of the First Opium War. It is the second book in Clavell's "Asian Saga".-Plot summary:...
(1966): Set in Hong Kong, 1841 - ShōgunShogun (novel)Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
(1975): Set in feudal Japan, 1600 - Noble HouseNoble HouseNoble 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...
(1981): Set in Hong Kong, 1963 - WhirlwindWhirlwind (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....
(1986): Set in IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, 1979 - Gai-JinGai-Jin (novel)Gai-Jin is a 1993 novel by James Clavell, chronologically the third book in his Asian Saga, although it was the last to be published. Taking place about 20 years after the events of Tai-Pan, it chronicles the adventures of Malcolm Struan, the son of Culum and Tess Struan, in Japan...
(1993): Set in Japan, 1862
Several of Clavell's books have been adapted as films or miniseries; Shōgun was also adapted into interactive fiction
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
.
Other books include:
- The Children's StoryThe Children's StoryThe Children's Story is a short story written by James Clavell in 1963 and published in 1981. It is also the title of a 1982 short film based upon the story. As of April 2010, this book is still in print.-Plot summary:...
(1980) - The Art of WarThe Art of WarThe Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Sun Tzu , a high ranking military general and strategist during the late Spring and Autumn period...
, a translation of Sun TzuSun TzuSun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
's famous book (1983) - Thrump-O-Moto Illustrated by George Sharp (1986)
- Escape (1994) – shorter novel adapted from Whirlwind*
- Love Story-from the "Whirlwind".
Politics and later life
Politically, Clavell was said to have been an ardent individualist and proponent of laissez-faireLaissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, as many of his books' heroes exemplify.
Clavell admired Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
, founder of the Objectivist
Objectivism (Ayn Rand)
Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
school of philosophy, and sent Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
a copy of 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...
in 1981 inscribed: "This is for Ayn Rand—one of the real, true talents on this earth for which many, many thanks. James C, New York, 2 September 81."
In 1963, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
He supposedly fathered a child with Caroline Barrett, who was Marlon Brando's assistant. The child, Petra Brando-Corval, was born in 1972 and was adopted by Brando.
He died of a stroke while suffering from cancer in Switzerland in 1994, one month before his 70th (or 73rd) birthday.
Following sponsorship by his widow, the library and archive of the Royal Artillery Museum at Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich, in London has been renamed the James Clavell library in his honour.