He has written for
The New York Times,
National Geographic,
Smithsonian,
Science,
Archaeology,
Scientific American and other publications. Lawler investigated the looting of the
National Museum of Iraq in
Baghdad as well as ancient sites during the American-led 2003
Iraq invasion. He also reported on cultural heritage destruction in
Afghanistan from the
Taliban’s 2001 fall from power until their return in 2021. Lawler has written four books, including the national bestseller
The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke. "Mr. Lawler is an intrepid guide to this treacherous territory," noted
The Economist, which called
The Secret Token "lively and engaging," though
The Wall Street Journal chided the author for giving a "social justice" spin to the tale. His third book is
Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City, which
The Washington Post called "a sweeping tale of archaeological exploits and their cultural and political consequences told with a historian's penchant for detail and a journalist's flair for narration." The book received the 2024 Felicia A. Holton Award from the
Archaeological Institute of America, with the award committee praising "Mr. Lawler’s skillful use of prose" that highlighted "archaeology’s impact on the modern world." His fourth book,
A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis that Spurred the American Revolution was published in 2025.
The New York Times wrote that "the absorbing result of his meticulous research" is "a sharp-eyed look at the messy, sometimes absurd, often cruel birth pangs of a nation."
The Wall Street Journal called it a "compelling, impeccably researched account." ==Works==