William Langewiesche is an author and journalist. He is currently Vanity Fair's international correspondent, having made his name writing for Atlantic Monthly. His strong, evocative prose is used to devastating effect on a range of issues. Before embarking on a writing career he worked as a pilot for fifteen years from the age of 18. He has been termed one of the leading writers of The New New Journalism, a group of writers who have secured a place at the centre of contemporary American literature, as Tom Wolfe and The New Journalism did in the sixties.John Banville's novels include The Book of Evidence, The Sea, and The Infinities. The Infinities will be publlished next month.