John Dos Passos

John Dos Passos was born in Chicago on January 14, 1896 and educated around the world. After graduating from Harvard University in 1916, Dos Passos went to study art and architecture in Spain. This worldly schooling inspired Dos Passos's interest in international social and political activity and led to his voluntary participation as an ambulance driver in France and Italy during World War I. Despite his active role in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps, Dos Passos found time to finish his first novel in 1918, the year he joined the U.S. military. Dos Passos continued to write throughout his military career, and his works, in both theme and character, stand as a testament to his experiences in the war. During World War II, Dos Passos broadened his writing career by working as a journalist.

John Dos Passos wrote The Big Money, the first novel in his "U.S...