Books: Report of a Miracle

STATE OF THE NATION—John Dos Passes—Houghton Mifflln ($3).

John Dos Passes started traveling in his bassinette. Born in Chicago (1896), he was taken to Mexico City by his parents the same year. Since then, he has covered every continent except Australia, on every conveyance from a Volga River steamer to a dromedary—and very often on Shank's mare. Meanwhile he has published 18 books. (Best known: U.S.A., a three-panel novel of U.S. life and character circa World War I.)

Last year Dos Passos took his most important journey. His send-off was a soldier's bitter letter. To...