The Man Behind the Apes

the original Planet of the Apes, with Charlton Heston

The creator of the Planet of the Apes was French. Surprised? He also wrote The Bridge Over the River Kwai, another great book made into a blockbuster film. Wow, right? A scientist by training, he was a rubber planter for a British company in Malaysia before becoming an undercover agent in World War II and spent two years at hard labor in jail in Hanoi before escaping. All told, Pierre Boulle (1912-1994) wrote about 30 novels and short-story collections. And you thought that Dos Equis guy was "the most interesting man in the world"!: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28610124