Jack El-Hai

I write books, essays, and articles on history, medicine, science, and crime. In addition to my newest book The Lost Brothers, I have written The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, Non-Stop: A Turbulent History of Northwest Airlines, and The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness. My articles have appeared in The Atlantic, GQ, Wired, Scientific American Mind, Topic, Longreads, The Washington Post Magazine, and many other publications.

Several of my nonfiction stories have been optioned for the screen and stage. If things go right, look for performed versions of my researched tales in the months to come. I frequently give talks and lead workshops on the topics of my books as well as on the craft of nonfiction writing.

Just Published: The Lost Brothers

The dread, the drama, and the hope of a break in one of the country’s oldest active missing-child investigations

This is the story of one of the oldest known active missing-child investigations: the 1951 disappearance of the three Klein brothers in Minneapolis. An intimate portrait of a parent’s worst nightmare and its terrible toll on a family, the book is also a genuine mystery, spinning out suspense at every missed turn or potential lead, along with its hope for resolution.

Listen to Jack's interview about the book with the Garage Logic podcast. Or read about the book's background in an article written by Curt Brown of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Order The Lost Brothers

See More of Jack's Books

Damn History

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Articles & Essays

Jack El-Hai has written more than 500 articles and essays for The Atlantic, Scientific American Mind, Wired, American Heritage, The History Channel Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Minnesota Monthly, and many other publications.