The Ugly American by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick 1963 Crest Vintage Paperback - d365 The Ugly American is a 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer that depicts the failures of the U.S. diplomatic corps in Southeast Asia. The book caused a sensation in diplomatic circles and had major political implications. It was later adapted into a movie starring Marlon Brando as the American ambassador, Harrison MacWhite, who travels to a Southeast Asian country on a peacekeeping mission. Torn between rival factions, the turbulent nation is on the brink of civil war. But, MacWhite's powers of analysis allow him to view the political situation only in the simplest terms: as a struggle between communism and democracy. And, by the time the ambassador is finally able to see the political upheaval as a something more complicated, it may already be too late. Some minor underlining and margin notes. Ownership inscription inside front cover. Minor shelf wear to edges and corners of cover.