喬納森·哈爾(Jonathan Harr)齣生於美國威斯康星州貝洛伊特市，現居馬薩諸塞州的北安普頓。他曾任《新英格蘭月刊》（New England Monthly）的特約撰稿人，現為《紐約時報雜誌》（The New York Times Magazine）和《紐約客》撰稿，同時在史密斯學院教授非虛構類作品的寫作。他曾多次獲得文學類和報道類奬項，包括美國調查記者編輯協會奬。

哈爾曆時8年調查寫齣的作品《漫長的訴訟》（A Civil Action）在1995年齣版後被提名美國國傢圖書奬，並最終獲得瞭美國國傢書評人協會奬（非虛構類）和美國律師協會最高奬銀錘奬，該書還被哈佛大學、耶魯大學等五十多所知名大學的法學院列為必讀圖書。該書改編的同名電影由約翰·屈伏塔和羅伯特·杜瓦爾主演，於1998年上映並獲得瞭兩項奧斯卡奬提名。2005年，哈爾撰寫瞭暢銷書《消失的畫》（The Lost Painting）。

Two of the nation's largest corporations stand accused of causing the deaths of children. Representing the bereaved parents, the unlikeliest of heroes emerges: a young, flamboyant Porsche-driving lawyer who hopes to win millions of dollars and ends up nearly losing everything -- including his sanity.

A Civil Action is the searing, compelling tale of a legal system gone awry -- one in which greed and power fight an unending struggle against justice. Yet it is also the story of how one man can ultimately make a difference. With an unstoppable narrative power reminiscent of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood , A Civil Action is an unforgettable reading experience that leaves the reader both shocked and enlightened.

From the Hardcover edition.