WILLIAM LANGEWIESCHE

“William Langewiesche's formidable talent as a journalist … is harnessed to an invigorating moral and intellectual perspective on the world he describes.” — The New York Times Book Review

William Langewiesche (pronounced long-gah-vee-shuh) was a journalist, author, and pilot. His early days as a writer for Flying magazine would forecast a career dedicated to aviation. He served a long tenure with The Atlantic as an acclaimed national correspondent, after which he reported as international correspondent for Vanity Fair and a writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine. He was known and celebrated for his microscopic interrogation of subjects that traversed niche beats such as modern piracy, nuclear proliferation, nation-state degradation, borders and immigration, and the wine industry.

Langewiesche was the sole journalist allowed full access to the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks; his resulting book AMERICAN GROUND was awarded the National Book Critic's Circle Award. He was been nominated for the National Magazine Award 11 times, winning twice, in 2002 and 2007.

Born in Connecticut, Langewiesche was raised by his mother, Priscilla, a computer analyst, and his father, Wolfgang, a German emigre and test pilot, who taught his son to fly as a young boy. Langewiesche earned a degree in anthropology from Stanford University before embarking on his writing career. He died on June 15, 2026.