Featuring a foreword by bestselling novelist Dennis Lehane, Blood in the Desert gathers, for the first time, the finest of English's published essays and reporting alongside new work, including the haunting title piece, which has never before appeared in print.



A former New York City taxi driver turned acclaimed chronicler of crime, corruption, and the American underworld, English has spent four decades practicing a form of literary journalism that remains as vital as ever. The author of classic works such as The Westies, Havana Nocturne, and The Corporation, he has earned a place alongside writers like Jimmy Breslin, Pete Hamill, and Gay Talese.



Spanning subjects as varied as jazz, boxing, police corruption, violence in the desert Southwest, and the comedy of George Carlin, Blood in the Desert showcases a scribe drawn toward the fault lines of American life.