Annals of the Former World

John Angus McPhee (born March 8, 1931) is an American author widely regarded as a pioneer of creative nonfiction, best known for his 30+ books that originated as articles in The New Yorker on diverse topics including geology, sports, environment, and transportation, such as Annals of the Former World, Coming into the Country, Oranges, and Encounters with the Archdruid. He won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1999 for Annals of the Former World (after three prior finalist nods), the 2008 George Polk Career Award, the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, and numerous other honors including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.