Author Guide · Narrative Nonfiction
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In 1944 Herman Perry, a young Black soldier building a road through the jungles of Burma, shot an officer and fled into the hills, where he lived among a tribe of headhunters while the army hunted him. In 1972 a Vietnam veteran and a young woman from Coos Bay, Oregon, hijacked a plane from Los Angeles to Algeria, in the middle of an epidemic of hijackings that saw planes seized almost every week. Brendan I. Koerner, a contributing editor at Wired, has written both stories. This guide covers his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 3 books · Narrative nonfiction · 2008–2013 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Brendan I. Koerner has published three books: Now the Hell Will Start (2008), about a soldier's flight through the Burmese jungle; Piano Demon (2011), a short e-book about a jazz pianist; and The Skies Belong to Us (2013), about the golden age of hijacking, a New York Times notable book.
Where to Start with Brendan I. Koerner
If you want the famous one
→ The Skies Belong to Us (2013).
If you want the war
→ Now the Hell Will Start (2008).
All 3 Brendan I. Koerner Books, in Order
Now the Hell Will Start
Herman Perry, an African-American soldier building the Ledo Road in Burma, shot a white lieutenant in 1944 and escaped into the jungle, where he lived among the Naga people while the army searched for him. Koerner has adapted it for the filmmaker Spike Lee.
Piano Demon
A short e-book about Teddy Weatherford, an American jazz pianist who made his career in Asia between the wars.
The Skies Belong to Us
Between 1968 and 1972 American planes were hijacked almost every week. Koerner follows Roger Holder and Cathy Kerkow, who hijacked a flight in 1972 and escaped to Algeria, and the airline industry's reluctance to introduce security screening. It was a New York Times notable book.
How Many Books Did Brendan I. Koerner Write?
Three books between 2008 and 2013, one of them a short e-book.
- History — Now the Hell Will Start and The Skies Belong to Us. Read the entries →
- E-book — Piano Demon (2011). Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Brendan I. Koerner
His books stand alone. The Skies Belong to Us is the one most readers start with.
A reading path
1. The Skies Belong to Us (2013)
2. Now the Hell Will Start (2008)
Quick facts about Brendan I. Koerner
- Born
- September 21, 1974
- Works for
- Wired, contributing editor
- Also
- Former fellow at the New America Foundation; teaches at New York University
- Books
- 3, from 2008 to 2013
How Brendan I. Koerner Writes: Lost Stories, Found
Koerner digs strange, forgotten episodes out of archives and court records and tells them with the pace of a thriller.
He sets each story in its wider context: race in the wartime army, or the politics and economics of airline security.
Frequently asked questions about Brendan I. Koerner's books
How many books has Brendan I. Koerner written?
Brendan I. Koerner has published three books: Now the Hell Will Start (2008), Piano Demon (2011) and The Skies Belong to Us (2013).
What is The Skies Belong to Us about?
It tells the story of a 1972 hijacking to Algeria and the era when American planes were hijacked almost weekly.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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