William Lederer
Encyclopedia
William Julius Lederer, Jr. (March 31, 1912 – December 5, 2009) was an American author.
on the Yangtze River
.
His best selling work, 1958's The Ugly American
, was one of several novels co-written with Eugene Burdick
. Disillusioned with the style and substance of America's diplomatic efforts in Southeast Asia
, Lederer and Burdick openly sought to demonstrate their belief that American officials and civilians could make a substantial difference in Southeast Asian politics if they were willing to learn local languages, follow local customs and employ regional military tactics. However, if American policy makers continued to ignore the logic behind these lessons, Southeast Asia would fall under Soviet
or Chinese
Communist influence.
In A Nation of Sheep, Lederer identified intelligence failures in Asia. In "Government by Misinformation" he investigates the sources he believes lead to American foreign policy:
Other works were intended to be light-hearted and humorous fantasies. His early work, Ensign O'Toole and Me
is both. A children's book, Timothy's Song, with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone
, appeared in 1965.
William Lederer rose to the rank of Navy Captain. The source for this is his own statement in Our Own Worst Enemy discussing being assigned as a Special Assistant to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. (pg 54, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1968).
A piece of history related in Our Own Worst Enemy is the story of Lederer as a young Navy Lieutenant, Junior Grade
, having a chance meeting in 1940 with a Jesuit
priest, Father Pierre Cogny, and his Vietnamese assistant, "Mr. Nguyen", while waiting out a Japanese bombing raid in China. Father Pierre asked Lederer if he had a copy of the United States Declaration of Independence
on his gunboat, and Lederer said that he did and provided them with a copy. "Mr. Nguyen" later became better known as Ho Chi Minh
, the Vietnamese Communist revolutionary and statesman who served as prime minister (1946–1955) and president (1945–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The 1945 Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
, written by Ho Chi Minh, begins by quoting from the American document.
Lederer died December 5, 2009, of respiratory failure
at the age of 97.
Biography
He was a US Naval Academy graduate in 1936. His first appointment was as the junior officer of a river gunboatRiver gunboat
A river gunboat is a type of gunboat adapted for river operations. River gunboats required shallow draft for river navigation. They would be armed with relatively small caliber cannons, or a mix of cannons and machine guns. If they carried more than one cannon, one might be a howitzer, for shore...
on the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
.
His best selling work, 1958's The Ugly American
The Ugly American
The Ugly American is the title of a 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. The novel became a bestseller, was influential at the time, and is still in print...
, was one of several novels co-written with Eugene Burdick
Eugene Burdick
Eugene L. Burdick , was an American political scientist, novelist, and non-fiction writer, co-author of The Ugly American and Fail-Safe and author of The 480 ....
. Disillusioned with the style and substance of America's diplomatic efforts in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Lederer and Burdick openly sought to demonstrate their belief that American officials and civilians could make a substantial difference in Southeast Asian politics if they were willing to learn local languages, follow local customs and employ regional military tactics. However, if American policy makers continued to ignore the logic behind these lessons, Southeast Asia would fall under Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
or Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Communist influence.
In A Nation of Sheep, Lederer identified intelligence failures in Asia. In "Government by Misinformation" he investigates the sources he believes lead to American foreign policy:
- Trusted local officials.
- Local (foreign) newspapers, magazines, books, radio broadcasts, etc.
- Paid local informers.
- Personal observations by U.S. officials.
- American journalists.
Other works were intended to be light-hearted and humorous fantasies. His early work, Ensign O'Toole and Me
Ensign O'Toole and Me
Ensign O'Toole and Me is the title of a semi-autobiographical novel by William Lederer. The book was loosely adapted to television in the 1962—1963 NBC Four Star Television series Ensign O'Toole, starring Dean Jones in the title role and featuring Jack Mullaney, Jay C. Flippen, Harvey...
is both. A children's book, Timothy's Song, with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone
Edward Ardizzone
Edward Jeffrey Irving Ardizzone, CBE, RA was an English artist, writer and illustrator, chiefly of children's books.-Early life:...
, appeared in 1965.
William Lederer rose to the rank of Navy Captain. The source for this is his own statement in Our Own Worst Enemy discussing being assigned as a Special Assistant to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. (pg 54, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1968).
A piece of history related in Our Own Worst Enemy is the story of Lederer as a young Navy Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
, having a chance meeting in 1940 with a Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
priest, Father Pierre Cogny, and his Vietnamese assistant, "Mr. Nguyen", while waiting out a Japanese bombing raid in China. Father Pierre asked Lederer if he had a copy of the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
on his gunboat, and Lederer said that he did and provided them with a copy. "Mr. Nguyen" later became better known as Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
, the Vietnamese Communist revolutionary and statesman who served as prime minister (1946–1955) and president (1945–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The 1945 Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
The Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was written by Hồ Chí Minh, and announced in public at the Ba Đình flower garden on September 2, 1945. It led to the secession of North Vietnam.-History:Vietnam became a colony of France in the late nineteenth century...
, written by Ho Chi Minh, begins by quoting from the American document.
Lederer died December 5, 2009, of respiratory failure
Respiratory failure
The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
at the age of 97.
Eugene Burdick collaborations
- The Ugly AmericanThe Ugly AmericanThe Ugly American is the title of a 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. The novel became a bestseller, was influential at the time, and is still in print...
, 1958 (co-author, with Eugene Burdick) - The Deceptive American, (co-author, with Eugene Burdick)
- Sarkhan: a novel (co-author, with Eugene Burdick)
- The 480The 480The 480 is a political fiction novel by Eugene Burdick .The plot evolves around the political turmoil after John F. Kennedy assassination in 1963. In the novel, a fictitious charismatic character, John Thatch, an engineer, is seeking nomination for the RepublicanParty candidate at 1964 presidential...
, 1965 (co-author, with Eugene Burdick)
Selected works
- All the Ship's at Sea, 1950 (author)
- The Last Cruise; the story of the sinking of the submarine, , 1950 (author)
- Spare-Time Article Writing for Money (1954)
- Ensign O'Toole and MeEnsign O'Toole and MeEnsign O'Toole and Me is the title of a semi-autobiographical novel by William Lederer. The book was loosely adapted to television in the 1962—1963 NBC Four Star Television series Ensign O'Toole, starring Dean Jones in the title role and featuring Jack Mullaney, Jay C. Flippen, Harvey...
, 1957 (author) - A Nation of Sheep, 1961 (author)
- McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force, 1965 (co-screenwriter)
- Timothy's Song, 1965 (author)
- The Story of Pink Jade, 1966 (author)
- Our Own Worst Enemy, 1968 (author)
- The Anguished American, 1968 (author)
- I, Giorghos, 1984 (author)
- Complete Cross-Country Skiing and Ski Touring, 1977 (author)
- Marital Choices: Forecasting, Assessing, and Improving a Relationship, 1981 (author)
- A Happy Book of Happy Stories, 1981 (author)
- New Complete Book of Cross Country Skiing, 1983 (author)
- Creating a Good Relationship, 1984 (author)
- The Mirages of Marriage, 1990 (co-author)
External links
- New York Times Obituary
- Washington Post Obituary
- Answers.com (Author's works)
- Government by Misinformation (Excerpt from Nation of Sheep)