Sarkhan

by William J. Lederer, Eugene Burdick

Like The Ugly American , this new novel is a story of suspense and drama in Southeast Asia. It is an angry exploration of Communist uprisings, Washington politics, intelligence mistakes, and public confusion.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Politics

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1965

About the author

William Julius Lederer, Jr. was an American author.

He was a US Naval Academy graduate in 1936. His first appointment was as the junior officer of a river gunboat 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.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I didn't want to read this book. My aunt gave it to me and said, "I'd like you to read this and tell me what you think of it," so I did. It was VERY hard to get into at first. There are a ton of characters, many with similar names, almost all with titles or positions that are important to the story, so it's really a lot to keep straight. Never mind the number of foreign (perhaps made-up, perhaps Vietnamese or Chinese) words that the authors use.... However, once I began reading the story I was curious to see how it would turn out. I am not all that familiar with US foreign policy but I see through this book that it is a flawed system. From the ambassador who doesn't understand the language or customs of the country in which he serves, to the manipulation of the government both here and abroad, to the manipulation of facts to persuade the people, there is a great deal of corruption which leads to a loss of life. There were several quotations in the book that interested me: "'I'm not sure we have either the faith or the clear vision in America anymore.... Unfortunately only a hungry, scared, motivated nation is efficient today. What America needs is a bad depression. Then we'd have some true believer's [sic] again"' (Lederer and Burdick 137). And, on the next page: "'The most powerful nation on earth is being kicked around out there because back here we're talking and meeting and memo-ing ourselves to death'" (139). What saddens me is that I am sure this is a fairly accurate picture of what is happening in countries around the world even today, and that we are actually FURTHERING communism or what-have-you because we give aid that is unnecessary (although we truly BELIEVE that we are doing good) which is then used by corrupt officials to further their own cause. And when presented with information, most government agents will only accept the information that supports their own agenda as fact.

A tough read but I think worth it, although it doesn't exactly leave the reader feeling very confident in his government!

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, written by the same authors who wrote "The Ugly American", is set in a fictional country in Southeast Asia called "Sarkhan". It was written several years after "The Ugly American", and I thought it was better than the earlier novel. The novel is dark, and traces a stable Southeast Asian nation as it descends into a Communist insurgency and is taken over by a Ho Chi Minh type insurgent who ironically takes over the country with the unwitting support of the United States. Although this novel is a bit predictable, especially if you read "The Ugly American", it is must reading for anyone who is interested in counterinsurgency politics and warfare. I would highly recommend this book for those interested in counterinsurgency, the history of US policy in Southeast Asia and those who like a good political thriller.

[James Voorhees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1965, just as the Vietnam War was winding up, Sarkhan is about American intervention in a fictional neighbor. The heroes are a retired Navy veteran who lives in the country and a professor who has specialized in the country. They endeavor to understand events that lead to the deployment of American troops to the country, then they try to convince policymakers that they have been duped.

The authors were prescient in their depiction of the weaknesses of American policy. The policymakers portrayed in the book embody failures to understand foreign cultures and politics, the tendency to rely too much on technology, and a simplistic view of how the world works. Not all of those who make American policy in the book or in reality have all these flaws, but the choices made in the book show that the the stew these flaws make can lead to disaster. It is clear why the American government was not pleased with the book and may have tried to limit its publication.

Sarkhan is very much a product of the mid-1960s. It shows its age with the depiction of the fervent Communism of the insurgents and the equally fervent anti-communism of some of their antagonists.

It is nonetheless, an exciting tale, well-told with lessons that events in the 21st Century suggest that we still need to learn.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also published as "The Deceptive American." Here is some background from the Amazon page:

"In 1965, the authors of The Ugly American published the novel Sarkhan, a book which they felt had an even more dramatic message than their great best-seller. Sarkhan was greeted with high praise, was a selection of both the Literary Guild and the Reader’s Digest Condensed Book Club.

Many tens of thousands of copies of Sarkhan were in the bookstores on publication day. Suddenly it seemed to vanish. Mr. Lederer and the late Mr. Burdick were convinced that the book had been suppressed by agencies of the government, and certainly it contains much that might make such agencies unhappy. In a highly dramatic narrative, it tells of blundering by our intelligence community in Southeast Asia, of error and incompetence―as well as heroics by Americans who understood Asia."

I found this to book a compelling and deeply disturbing journey into American politics both in this era and our own. It is basically unknown now, unlike The Ugly American, but deserves wide reading by people interested in American history and politics since WWII.

[Paul Horstmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated, but none-the-less an engaging story. Given today's events, one wonders if our governmental leaders have learned anything.

[Richyie Gonzaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Generals were not trained to take orders, no matter how subtly issues, from fish-gutters.”

An intense critique and reminder that in order to kill pigs, one mustn’t become a wild dog.

[Lucas O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthy followup to the Ugly American. Sad story of political failure

[Jordi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's just start with the fact that my level of disappointment after reading this book left me with the feeling that I want the time I spent reading it back! I understand that it would be hard to top the first book, but this was just leagues behind.

For starters, bringing the whole "threat of communism" thing up made me feel like the authors were trying to make up for making Americans look so bad. I could be wrong, but that's how it made me feel. Then there was the beginning and the middle, which were so tedious! I was very glad when the story picked up and there was something interesting to look forward to. I just did not feel like there was something new in the story, which might just be that way because I am reading it now, not when it was first published.

I enjoyed the quality of the writing, as well as Prince Lin's character. The events that take place towards the end of the book are just so eye-opening, especially when you consider when the book was written and compare it to the Bin Ghazi events. It just makes you feel uncertain and unsafe, wondering whether the government EVER learns!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing as hell but it's a worthy sequel to The Ugly American.

In some ways, it will be highly recognizable to any thoughtful student of US foreign policy.

[Meg Merante · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it followed the same themes and warnings regarding foreign policy practice, it was simply not a worthy sequel to "The Ugly American."

[John Crippen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thriller sequel to The Ugly American. Mini-review at http://relaxandhavefun.com/?p=141