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William J. Lederer
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The Ugly American Paperback – January 17, 1999

by Eugene Burdick (Author), William J. Lederer (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 527 ratings
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The multi-million-copy bestseller that coined the phrase for tragic American blunders abroad.

In the episode that lends the book its title, the "ugly American" is Homer Atkins, a plain and plain-spoken man, who has been sent by the U.S. government to advise the Southeast Asian country of Sarkhan on engineering projects. When Atkins finds badly misplaced priorities and bluntly challenges the entrenched interests, he lays bare a foreign policy gone dangerously wrong.

First published in 1958, The Ugly American became a runaway national bestseller for its slashing exposé of American arrogance, incompetence, and corruption in Southeast Asia. In linked stories and vignettes, the book uses gripping storytelling to draw a devastating picture of how the United States was losing the struggle with Communism in Asia.

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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    January 17, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393318672
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393318678
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
527 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an enjoyable read with informative content that is relevant to today's world. They describe it as a timeless narrative story based on true events. Readers appreciate the entertaining delivery with serious content, laughing and crying at some humorous moments. However, some feel the content is somewhat dated in time.

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ReadabilityKnowledgeStorytellingEntertainment valuePacingDated content
53 customers mention "Readability"50 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and informative. They say it's a must-read for Americans to be politically savvy. The book is honest and entertaining, with parts they enjoy and others that drag on.

"...The book is a great read, in part because of the examples of ordinary Americans who actually did go overseas and make a difference, each helping in..." Read more

"There were parts I really enjoyed and parts that seemed to drag on." Read more

"...The book is easy to read through the use of capturing anecdotes and entertaining vignettes, while serving to demonstrate effective and meaningful..." Read more

"...The book appears to be timeless. It is an easy read, but disturbing thesis. It is a real American Tragedy. I would recommend it to anyone. [..." Read more

30 customers mention "Knowledge"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and relevant to today's world. They say it sheds light on our foreign policy and is a must-read for students of political science, especially those wishing to work in that field. The book provides good lessons and meaningful messages about cross-cultural relations and understanding the decade 1955-1964. It also mentions excellent points throughout on political suicides due to decisions and respecting traditions.

"...The theme and message are important. For those who have ears to hear." Read more

"...Meanwhile the Soviet bloc countries are suave, sophisticated, sensitive, and thereby win the hearts and minds of the locals, just as the U.S. is..." Read more

"...vignettes, while serving to demonstrate effective and meaningful messages...." Read more

"...The book was important for the diplomatic corps, but it didn’t seem to make a difference in their behavior...." Read more

11 customers mention "Storytelling"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling in this book. They find it timeless, with anecdotes and entertaining vignettes. The book is based on true events and offers a fictional view of US foreign diplomacy in the 1950s. Readers describe it as a classic and a must-read for Americans.

"...The book is easy to read through the use of capturing anecdotes and entertaining vignettes, while serving to demonstrate effective and meaningful..." Read more

"...It should be required reading for every American. It is timeless." Read more

"...The book appears to be timeless. It is an easy read, but disturbing thesis. It is a real American Tragedy. I would recommend it to anyone. [..." Read more

"While fiction, this work is based on real-life examples of both the very good and the very bad sort of Americans which were working in Asia in the..." Read more

7 customers mention "Entertainment value"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, with humorous anecdotes. They say the authors provide an engaging delivery of serious content.

"...Or a decade _after_ the book was written. You will laugh, you will cry, you will want to shout out at the blind injustice of it all...." Read more

"...is easy to read through the use of capturing anecdotes and entertaining vignettes, while serving to demonstrate effective and meaningful messages...." Read more

"This is an amazing book. It is very entertaining, seriously written, and exposes the flaws in the bureaucracy and foreign policy that once existed..." Read more

"...There are some poignant and sometimes funny anecdotes in this book but it didn't flow for me as a cohesive story and that made it a very slow read." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing. They mention it respects traditions, even if they find them ridiculous. The book provides a dose of humility for American culture through a series of vignettes about Americans working.

"...cultural relations, political suicides per decisions, respecting traditions however ridiculous we may find them, good/terrible leadership, etc......" Read more

"...It provides a dose of humility for American culture through a series of vignettes about Americans working overseas" Read more

"Very bland, archaic & mundane..." Read more

3 customers mention "Dated content"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's content somewhat outdated.

"The Ugly American is a somewhat dated book, in that it is clearly cold war era. Yet it remains timeless...." Read more

"Wonderful book, though somewhat dated in time. Very worthwhile reading!" Read more

"Definitely Not Dated!..." Read more

Disappointed because I need this for a class and don't ...
2 out of 5 stars
Disappointed because I need this for a class and don't ...
Received the book with this sticky paper mix on the front cover and can't get it off entirely. Disappointed because I need this for a class and don't have the time to return it and wait for a new one to arrive
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Have heard about this book for years and seen the old movies somewhat based on it,Finaly got around to reading it.Seems to hit the nail on the head when it gets to american politics and meddling into other peoples affairs.
    Helpful
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  • Makros
    5.0 out of 5 stars eerily prophetic
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Must read now. Go get this. I know, it is hard to imagine a collection of short stories from the 1950's with the unlikely theme of diplomacy during the first IndoChina war. But most of the stories plots could have happened yesterday in the middle East. Or a decade _after_ the book was written. You will laugh, you will cry, you will want to shout out at the blind injustice of it all. After reading the book, I'm curious about the 1963 movie, but fear it cringeworthy.
    Note I said the plots/themes are timeless, But... The writing style and depiction of social structure in America is firmly dated as mid-century. But there is a reason this book has remained in print over the decades. The theme and message are important. For those who have ears to hear.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The Ugly American is a somewhat dated book, in that it is clearly cold war era. Yet it remains timeless. It is a blistering critique of the American foreign diplomatic corp who don't speak the local language, and aren't sensitive to local customs, and remain aloof to the locals and their true needs. Meanwhile the Soviet bloc countries are suave, sophisticated, sensitive, and thereby win the hearts and minds of the locals, just as the U.S. is trying vainly to do.
    According to the Wikipedia article, the book caused a sensation in diplomatic circles, and JFK sent copies to everyone in the Senate.
    The book is a great read, in part because of the examples of ordinary Americans who actually did go overseas and make a difference, each helping in their unspectacular but quiet way, to make a geniune difference.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • S. Burton
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    There were parts I really enjoyed and parts that seemed to drag on.
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  • Spencer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Works as described
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Works as described
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, and a remarkable learning experience
    Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Undoubtedly, the most respectable and enjoyable book I have ever read. The book is easy to read through the use of capturing anecdotes and entertaining vignettes, while serving to demonstrate effective and meaningful messages. This book should be required reading for any individual who will be working or serving in any capacity which involves them representing the United States in a foreign context, or any individual who wants to better understand how we can improve our behavior abroad. This book is truly excellent, and just reading it and learning from it could be considered "a memorable experience." The reader becomes aware of what makes Americans ugly, and develop a nuance for how to effectively and diplomatically engage the world around us. Great read.
    12 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • kathyd
    5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading for Diplomats
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book was required reading by Americans in Viet Nam in 1963. The book was important for the diplomatic corps, but it didn’t seem to make a difference in their behavior. I heard people say that Americans just had to be polite, tuck in their shirts, and not get drunk. It had nothing to do with ignorance of Vietnamese culture or history, but the attitude had everything to do with American culture and courtesy.

    I loved the book and hated the movie. The major parts of the book fall away under the star power of Marlon Brando who didn’t do a very good acting job.

    The Ugly American is just as important now as it was decades ago. We continue to make the same diplomatic and cultural mistakes. How can we justify the invasion of the sovereign state of Iraq, destroy their country, vilify their religion and culture, then proudly proclaim that Operation Iraqi Freedom is over. Wonder what Lederer and Burdick would think of American world-wide policies today.
    32 people found this helpful
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  • John Kershner
    3.0 out of 5 stars Very bland, archaic & mundane
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I had heard about this book many years ago. There was even a movie made about it, starring Marlon Brando. Burdock & Lederer make a mockery of U.S. policy & conduct in SE Asia during the time period covered in this novel, but nothing of any substance occurs in this work to capture the reader’s interest. It was boring and totally superficial. I thought it was a complete waste of time to read.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • katharina henggeler
    5.0 out of 5 stars THIS is the original book.
    Reviewed in Germany on October 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The book is absolutely fantastic. I just wonder why not much has been learned since 1958 when it was first published.

    BE AWARE OF ANOTHER BOOK WITH THIS TITLE. THAT IS ABUSIVE. I'M GLAD TO HAVE RETURNED IT TO AMAZON.
    Report
  • RaulSosa
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best bestseller from it's generation
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 15, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A great Book about the foreign policy of the us in South Asia
    Report
  • 荒木　雄介
    5.0 out of 5 stars It fits to our present time. even it was issued 60 years ago.
    Reviewed in Japan on February 11, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This book was definitely interesting for me! So, I'd forgotten how long time has passed when I was reading this material. What the author insisted on this work is really suitable for our present time,especially politics and economics and communication with nations wide.
    Report
  • MRMLEM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on December 14, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book. Dated but still current. The USA is not about to learn from past mistakes!
    Report
  • M.M.Bhalla
    5.0 out of 5 stars It is perhaps the best political book so near reality
    Reviewed in India on November 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    It is perhaps the best political book so near reality. This is how the policies of the East are much more effective than those of the West.
    Report