William Langewiesche

William Langewiesche, an American author and journalist, was a professional airplane pilot for many years. He is currently the international correspondent for Vanity Fair, but he made his name as a national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly. He has traveled widely throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa, reporting on such topics as the implementation of the shari'a in Sudan under Hassan al-Tarabi, North Africa's Islamic culture, and the American occupation of Iraq. Other assignments have taken him to Egypt, the Balkans, India, and Central and South America. In 2004, he won a National Magazine Award for excellence in reporting. William is the author of Cutting for Sign, Sahara Unveiled, Inside the Sky, American Ground, The Outlaw Sea, and The Atomic Bazaar.