Eugene Burdick

Eugene Leonard Burdick (December 12, 1918 – July 26, 1965) was an American political scientist, novelist, and non-fiction writer, co-author of The Ugly American, Fail-Safe (1962), and author of The 480 (1965).

Early life He was born in Sheldon, Iowa, the son of Marie Ellerbroek and Jack Dale Burdick. His father was a socialist who named his son after Eugene V. Debs.

Thereafter, he pursued graduate studies at Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar in 1948 and ultimately earned a PhD with a dissertation on the role of modern syndicalism in European politics.

Burdick spent much of his career as a professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he oversaw an integrated course in the social sciences (encompassing elements of political science, economics, sociology and philosophy) and served as a consultant to the university's administration. While on leave from 1950 to 1952, he served as assistant to the president of the Naval War College. Among other professional activities, he was a member of the governing board of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions and a member of the Indonesian-American Society, the Polynesian Research Society and the Migratory Labor Association.

Writing career He first gained national attention as a writer of fiction in 1947 when "Rest Camp on Maui," a short story derived from his wartime experiences that was published by Harper's Magazine, received the O. Henry Award second prize. In 1956 his first novel, The Ninth Wave, was published, and was a Book of the Month Club selection. At the close of the 1950s, he was among the first members of the Society for General Systems Research. After his death, it was reported that he was a diabetic who struggled with chronic heart disease. He was survived by his wife Carol and three children.

Works The Ninth Wave, 1956 (winner, Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship) The Ugly American, 1958, with William Lederer The Blue of Capricorn, 1961 Fail-Safe, 1962, with Harvey Wheeler The 480, 1965 Nina's Book, 1965 Sarkhan: A Novel, 1966, with William Lederer Republished under the title The Deceptive American in 1977.