William Lederer

William Julius Lederer, Jr. ( born March 31, 1912 in New York City; † December 5, 2009 in Baltimore) was an American writer.

Life

Lederer graduated in 1936 from his training as a naval officer at the United States Naval Academy and was then employed as an officer on a river gunboat on the Yangtze River. Lederer left the military service in the service rank of Captain ( naval ). This is evident from his book Our Own Worst Enemy (1968 ), in which he describes his time as adjutant to the commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet. Lederer died on 5 December 2009 at the age of 97 from respiratory insufficiency.

Work

His biggest-selling work, The Ugly American (1958), was one of several novels, which he co-authored with Eugene Burdick. Disappointed by the style and content of the U.S. diplomatic action in Southeast Asia, Lederer and Burdick tried to make their conviction public that American government officials and expatriates could take much more effective impact on the südoastasiatische policy if they would be willing, the languages ​​of the locals to learn to follow the local customs and apply the tactics of the local military. However, if American policymakers continue to ignore behind these recommendations logic, so the region would fall within the sphere of influence of the Soviet and Chinese Communists.

In A Nation of Sheep (1961 ) Lederer pointed to shortcomings of U.S. intelligence services in Southeast Asia.

Other of his books, such as the early work Ensign O'Toole and Me (1957 ), were created as entertaining and humorous fiction. A children's book, " Timothy 's Song", with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone, appeared in 1965.

In Our Own Worst Enemy (1968 ) Lederer also describes how he junior in 1940 in China as a young Lieutenant degrees while waiting for a Japanese bombing raid the Jesuit priest Pierre Cogny and his Vietnamese assistant "Mr. Nguyen " met. Lederer took on Cognys Please return a copy of the Declaration of Independence of the United States from his gunboat. This handed "Mr. Nguyen " Tong later from Van So, who later became known as Hồ Chí Minh. The written by this declaration of independence in 1945, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam begins with a quote from the American document.

Works

Together with Eugene Burdick

  • The Ugly American, 1958 (English translation 1959: The Ugly American )
  • The Deceptive American
  • Sarkhan: a Novel
  • The 480, 1965

Selected works

  • The Last Cruise. The Story of the Sinking of the Submarine USS Cochino, 1950
  • Ensign O'Toole and Me, 1957
  • A Nation of Sheep, 1961
  • McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force, 1965 ( screenplay, co-writer )
  • Timothy 's Song, 1965
  • The Story of Pink Jade, 1966
  • Our Own Worst Enemy, 1968
  • The Anguished American, 1968
  • Complete Cross - Country Skiing and Ski Touring, 1977
  • Marital Choices: Forecasting, Assessing, and Improving a Relationship, 1981
  • A Happy Book of Happy Stories 1981
  • New Complete Book of Cross Country Skiing, 1983
  • I Giorghos, 1984
  • Creating a Good Relationship, 1984
  • The Mirages of Marriage, 1990 ( co-author )
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