Talk:James Clavell
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[edit] "British"?
Just as a user below was confused as to Clavell being called "Australian" simply because of his birthplace, I'm confused as to why he is being called "British" when he became a citizen of the US (thus becoming an American) and I'd assume regarding usual practice of United States naturalization, his British citizenship would have been renounced. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.215.131.126 (talk) 16:53, 31 May 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Clavell's father
The claim that Clavell's father "... was stationed in Australia to help establish the Royal Australian Navy" is overstated. Five pages of digitised records on the National Archives of Australia database (look up http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ResearcherScreen.asp, then type in Richard Clavell) show an officer named Richard Clavell as having been loaned to the RAN in 1919 - 11 years after its formation. Richard's Australian appointment was terminated with his "reversion to the Royal Navy" on February 23, 1922. Yes, he served with the RAN, possibly with distinction, but it's a bit rich to say he had a hand in establishing it. Sounds to me like a beat-up by publicists based on a son's fond family stories. Alidocious 14:57, 15 April 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Asian Saga Book Order
I know that the originator of this section put the books in the chronological order of the events in the books. It is far more common in wiki to put books in the order of their release (although top-to-bottom, earliest-to-latest does seem to vary). Thus, my change. I am not married to this should anyone want to change it back, but it should be noted (as I added to the text) the connection between the novels did not start until the publication of 'Noble House'. MarnetteD | Talk 01:55, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)
[edit] "Australian"?
I was surprised to see Clavell in some "Australian" categories. Surely "British" would be more accurate? His only link to Australia seems to be that he was born in Sydney. He went to England as an infant. Grant65 (Talk) 05:57, 5 November 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Age at time of death
If Clavell was born in 1924 and died in 1994 wouldn't he have died shortly before his 70th, rather than 80th, birthday?
GAI-JIN
Can anyone help with the explanation as to why James wears his trouser belt buckle to his left in the publicity photograph on the inside cover of GAI-JIN?
I am terribly curious about the belt buckle too. I think it actually looks sharp and have tried to wear it that way myself. I'll bet it's some fancy belt. Any ideas?? Avermillion 00:37, 24 August 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Documentation?
Zilch in the way of sources is provided for the article's assertions. For an article that's over five years old. Bacrito 05:21, 4 August 2007 (UTC) I believe the belt buckle on the hip, as opposed to above the zipper, was a habit formed from Clavell's years in Changi wearing a sarong, where the "knot" is on the hip... much like bunching/knotting a towel around one's waist. Scourge to dogma 17:00, 24 August 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Month of birth
The introduction says September, the infobox says October. This needs to be clarified, corrected, and, if possible, referenced. Waggers 13:37, 13 August 2007 (UTC)
- Are we allowed to reference Encyclopedia Britannica? It confirms 10th Oct for birth... it also gives 6th Sep instead of 7th Sep for death.[1] --duncan 19:46, 4 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Year of birth?
Never mind the month of birth, what about the year? Some sources I've seen say Clavell was born in 1922, and that seems a lot more plausible to me than 1924. It means he would have gone to war in 1940 at the age of 18 rather than 16 (the latter age would have been illegal, surely?). He probably attempted to shave a couple of years off his age somewhere along the line -- no doubt when working in Hollywood! So I'd say he was born in 1922 and was 72 when he died. Davidpringle 23:08, 4 September 2007 (UTC)
- Can we find some official documents? Birth certificate, baptismal record, hospital record, census data?? WikiDon 17:47, 9 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] WHAT.
"As of 2007, Whirlwind and Gai-Jin remain the only Clavell novels yet to be adapted as films or miniseries; although at various times media have reported that such productions are planned, to date nothing has emerged. Shogun was adapted into a computer Interactive Fiction game." Shōgun (TV miniseries)!!! MAJOR INACURACY FIX PLX KTHXBAI. --124.40.47.100 00:17, 7 October 2007 (UTC)
- Whatever you're complaing about (unclear), you can fix yourself. Chris 00:21, 7 October 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Hero?
What distinguishes Clavell as a "hero" as opposed to being simply a veteran? If he was commended or awarded for particular feats, then this should be stated explicitly! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.70.123.185 (talk • contribs)
[edit] Biography
Is there a published biography of the man? Chris (クリス) (talk) 16:34, 6 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Early life and World War II
The statements about Changi prison are directly contradicted by the information provided in the Wikipedia article on "King Rat", which are supported by citation from the "Journal of the Australian War Memorial".
Contrary to the statements that "over 90% of the prisoners who entered Changi never walked out" which is attributed to the introduction to King Rat, written by Clavell's daughter Michaela, the Wikipedia article on "King Rat" states that "Despite its fearsome reputation, Changi was historically among the better-run Japanese camps, with only 850 deaths among the 87,000 prisoners who passed through", which is supported by reference to the atricle by Kevin Blackburn (2000). "Commemorating and commodifying the prisoner of war experience in south-east Asia: The creation of Changi Prison Museum". Journal of the Australian War Memorial (33). Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
Lionel De Rosario, a Eurasian POW who was imprisoned at Changi and worked on the Burma-Thailand Railway, concluded: "when compared with the life and working conditions on the Siam-Burma railway work camps and other camps in the East Indies, Changi Camp was more like a low budget holiday camp". Writing fifty years after the POWs were freed, De Rosario looked at the reputation that Changi had gained in the public imagination and assessed it in light of his own experience as a POW:
Changi became known as the most notorious camp in Asia, and in the minds of many people in England, Australia, and America, the Changi prisoner-of-war camp would invoke visions of atrocities, starvation, bad living conditions and emaciated men. It was the place where prisoners-of-war were reduced to a physical state more looking like living skeletons. As a prisoner-of-war, not only in the Changi Camp but in various camps in Singapore and Siam [Thailand], I cannot understand how Changi had earned such a reputation. My memories of Changi have never been unpleasant. Prisoners-of-war in Changi did suffer deprivation and loss of self-esteem, but conditions were not appalling. Although food was rationed, it was provided every day. The camp was also provided with amenities, such as electric lights and piped water, which contributed to our cleanliness and good healthy conditions. "Nippon Slaves", London, Janus, 1995, p. 45.
James Clavell may very well have "suffered greatly at the hands of his Japanese captors"; however, Changi was anything but "notorious for its poor living conditions". Instead, based the reports of other POWs under the Japanese, the living conditions in Changi were severe but not appalling, and imprisonment in Changi was to be preferred over other POW camps in Asia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hglong (talk • contribs) 18:28, 24 February 2008 (UTC)
