Jack El-Hai is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, recently adapted into the major movie Nuremberg, which opened in theaters worldwide in 2025. The film, directed by James Vanderbilt, stars Rami Malek and Russell Crowe.
Jack writes nonfiction books, longform narratives, and the free monthly Damn History newsletter for writers and readers of popular history. He covers history, medicine, science, crime, and anything else that intrigues him and might intrigue you.
Jack's newest book is The Case of the Autographed Corpse: A Medicine Man and a Mystery Writer in Pursuit of Justice (2026; Pegasus Publishers). This true-crime narrative tells the story of the compelling partnership between incarcerated Apache religious leader Silas John Edwards and legendary mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner as they collaborate across prison walls to dismantle a decades-long miscarriage of justice in which Edwards was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. The book is an expansion of an article he published in Smithsonian.
His other published books include Face in the Mirror (winner of the 2026 June Roth Award for medical journalism), The Lost Brothers, 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. His articles have appeared in Smithsonian, The Atlantic, GQ, Wired, Scientific American Mind, The Washington Post Magazine, and many other publications.
The Nazi and the Psychiatrist is just one of several of Jack's nonfiction stories that have been adapted for the screen, stage, and podcasts. Among other adaptations of his work are the documentary American Experience: The Lobotomist, the Long Lost podcast, the stage play Sense of Decency, and the podcast Time Capsule: The Silver Chain. He enjoys the adventure of bringing adaptations of his works to many media.
Jack frequently gives talks and leads workshops on the topics of his books as well as on the craft of nonfiction writing. Please contact Ann Aronson at annaronson4@gmail.com to schedule him for your event and for media information.
The Nazi and the Psychiatrist
In 1945, after his capture at the end of World War II, former Reichsmarshall Hermann Göring arrived at an American-run detention center in war-torn Luxembourg, accompanied by sixteen suitcases and a red hatbox. Joining him later at Nuremberg were twenty-one fellow defendants in the most important and dramatic war-crimes trial ever held.
To ensure that the captives would be fit for their trial, Captain Douglas M. Kelley was called in to evaluate them. The ambitious young Army psychiatrist thought he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to discover a distinguishing trait among these arch criminals that would mark them as psychologically different from the rest of humanity. But evil has its charms…
Order The Nazi and the Psychiatrist
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Articles & Essays
Jack El-Hai has written more than 500 articles and essays for Smithsonian, The Atlantic, Scientific American Mind, Wired, American Heritage, The History Channel Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Minnesota Monthly, and many other publications.
The Sisterly Bonds Forged by Nudism
Three sisters drifted apart after a tough childhood. A nudist club brought them back together.
The ’70s Swingers Club and the Secret Archive It Left Behind
The most unorthodox aspect of this swingers club wasn’t the partner-swapping. It was the notes that two members kept.
Homeland Insecurity
Mystery surrounds the life of alumnus Homer Smith, who spent decades on an international odyssey to find a freedom in a place he could call home.
Blog Posts
Obscured by Smoke
They’re trying to turn me into a novelist!
Origins: How I wrote about three nudist sisters
