A. J. (Alfred John) Evans

Born on May 1, 1889, Alfred John Evans was an English sportsman, soldier, aviator, and author. He is most closely associated with The Escaping Club, the memoir that grew out of his experiences as a Royal Flying Corps officer during the First World War, when he was captured and made repeated attempts to escape.

Reliable sources also identify him as a distinguished cricketer, usually known as John Evans. He played first-class cricket for Oxford University, Hampshire, and Kent, and also appeared once for England in Test cricket. That mix of athletic achievement and wartime adventure helps explain why his writing still feels vivid and unusual today.

Evans died on September 18, 1960. For audiobook listeners, he stands out as a writer whose most famous work was shaped directly by danger, endurance, and the strange camaraderie of captivity.