James Clavell - Politics and Later Life

Politics and Later Life

Politically, Clavell was said to have been an ardent individualist and proponent of laissez-faire 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.

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