A 2017 Reading List

10 Great Books From Local Authors This Year

Page 4 of 10

Kill the Gringo

By Jack Vaughn

Rare Bird Books

Before he retired to Tucson, diplomat Jack Vaughn had a colorful life: A college boxer; U.S. Marine in WWII; ambassador to Panama and Colombia; and second director the Peace Corps, to name just a few. His journals form the basis for this biography, which was assembled by his daughter, Jane Constantineau. It's an engrossing read about a remarkable man who was nicknamed "the Peasant Ambassador." Journalist Tom Brokaw's review: "Before there was Indiana Jones there was Jack Vaughn, the fearless Peace Corps executive plunging into some of the most dangerous territory on earth to spread the story of American values. Jack's life story is at once inspirational and terrifying, such a compelling combination for this modest man who looked like a country doctor and lived like a poster for a Harrison Ford movie."