Question: This American author, known for historical fiction, wrote a novel that vividly depicts the Berlin Airlift near its end.  Who is he?
Sentence (from "A Maggot"): Its title, as the author explains in the prologue, is taken from the archaic sense of the word that means "whim", "quirk", "obsession", or even a snatch of music (see earworm).
Relevant evidence: No