A Lying Source Causes Expensive Headaches for a Writer and His Publisher

Only days ago, Charles Pellegrino was enjoying the sort of success that even an author with several books under his belt can only fantasize about. Pellegrino's Last Train to Hiroshima, published by Macmillan imprint Henry Holt, was published in January to rapturous reviews: The New York Times called it "sober and authoritative," and Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review. And James Cameron, who consulted Pellegrino (pictured) and his earlier books in the making of Avatar, has just bought the film rights. But the writer's glory has soured since news emerged that a key source had burned him by fabricating details.