William Lederer was born on March 31, 1912. He joined the Navy in 1930 and eventually
graduated from the Naval Academy in 1936. He then served during World War II both in China
and in the Atlantic fleet, taking part in the invasion of Sicily in 1943. His first book,
"All the Ships at Sea," was published in 1950 and featured comedic accounts of events that
happened to him or his crewmates during World War II. Lederer continued to serve in the Navy
until 1958, when he became the Far East Correspondent for the Reader's Digest. Also in 1958,
Lederer published "The Ugly American," with co-author Eugene Burdick. This book went on to
be Lederer's most well-known and influential book that arguably influenced the development
of the Peace Corps. Lederer wrote a number of other books having to do with the American
military and foreign policy during his career, as well as on various other topics, such as
cross-country skiing and writing advice. He died on December 5th, 2010.
