Caleb Carr was born in Manhattan and grew up on the Lower East Side, where he still lives. He attended Kenyon College and New York University, earning a degree in history. In addition to fiction, Mr. Carr writes frequently on military and political affairs and is a contributing editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History. His previous books include The Alienist (published in April 1994, the book spent twenty-four weeks on The New York Times bestseller list in hardcover and reached number one in paperback with sales of over one and a half million copies) and The Devil Soldier. He has also worked in television, film, and theater.