Man on Fire: A True Story is a non-fiction book written by Norman Mailer and published in 1993. It chronicles the events surrounding the kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Alfredo “Alfredito” Buenda in Mexico City in 1989.
Mailer’s book provides a detailed account of the investigation into the kidnapping and the subsequent trial of the perpetrators. It also explores the larger context of violence and corruption in Mexico at the time. Man on Fire was a critical and commercial success, and it has been adapted into two films, one in 1987 and one in 2004.