John Dos Passos, 1896-1970, was an American writer of the post-World War I "Lost Generation." He was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 14, 1896 as the illegitimate son of John Randolph Dos Passos (1844–1917) and Lucy Addison Sprigg Madison. He attended Harvard College from 1912-1916, where he developed an interest in writing. During World War I, he worked as an ambulance driver in France before joining the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He based his first novel, One Man's Initiation: 1917 (published in 1920) on his experiences during the war. In 1921, he published another anti-war novel: Three Soldiers. However, Dos Passos is most famous for his U.S.A trilogy. Published as three separate novels, The 42nd Parallel (1930), 1919 (1932), and The Big Money (1936), the trilogy explores the culture of early 20th century America using experimental techniques. In addition to writing novels, Dos Passos was also an avid traveler, artist, and political writer, though his political views shifted dramatically over the course of his life. He died in Baltimore, Maryland on September 28, 1970.