James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell, was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is renowned for his Asian Saga series of novels, which have been adapted for television. He also wrote the screenplays for notable films such as The Fly (1958) and The Great Escape (1963). In 1967, he directed the popular film To Sir, with Love, for which he also wrote the script.