The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

by Max Boot

In December 1955, the eminent English writer published The Quiet American, a novel featuring a character named Alden Pyle, the “quiet American” of the title, who was an undercover intelligence operative, a supporter of Trinh Minh Thé’s, the owner of a black dog, and an enthusiast for promoting a “third force”—that is, a democratic alternative to communism and colonialism. For understandable reasons, the widespread assumption, held not least by Lansdale himself, was that he was the model for the protagonist, who was hardly painted in flattering hues: Graham depicted Pyle as a naïve young interloper who supplied Trinh Minh Thé with explosives that maimed innocent Vietnamese. “I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused,” sighed Thomas Fowler, the world-weary English correspondent who is the novel’s narrator. In retribution, he would arrange for Pyle to be murdered by the Vietminh.50 Lansdale first heard of the new book at a diplomatic party early in 1956. As he reported to his wife, At the reception, the Embassy staff were teasing me about my love life. Seems that Graham Greene has written a new novel, supposedly based upon me. Called the “Quiet Man” or maybe it’s the “Quiet American.” Anyhow, a naïve American, me, makes friends with a murderous Vietnamese called General The (Trinh Minh The, I suppose) who fools him and leads him astray, but the American finally wakes up and finds he has been sucked in by a very despicable guy. Meanwhile the story...