Edward Hoagland is the author of nearly twenty books, several of which have been nominated for the National Book Award, the American Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Hoagland lives in Bennington, Vermont. Jon Krakauer is the author of Into Thin Air, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and Into the Wild. His work has appeared in many magazines, including Outside, Smithsonian, and National Geographic. He chose the books in this series for their literary merit and historical significance-and because he found them such a pleasure to read.