"Halberstam was working on a new book, "The Game," about the 1958 NFL championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, often called the greatest game ever played, said his wife, Jean Halberstam."

http://tinyurl.com/2t2sxf

And all seemed plausible.

"Lord Palmerston!"

But he seems to be well liked here, so I will look for one of his books.

Halberstam was one of the select few writers who was so good that he could write about where his heart led him to. We should all be as lucky to have lived as full of a life as David Halberstam.

I believe that those two books did as much to shape the late Ted Williams' image as anything Ted did on the field.

How did you like Wicked?

He was a tough-minded reporter when he began in 'Nam and he never quit being one.

He'll be missed.

All in all, it was a very good read. I felt a little guilty about reading it before my dad did, but I blamed (rationalized) it on the forefathers.

Looking back on it, it was a decent read about a couple of very good guys. I feel sort of ashamed that the only Halberstam books I've read are "The Teammates" and "October 1964".

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Halberstam won the Pulitzer in 1964, a time when most Americans still hadn't heard of Vietnam. Neil Sheehan's Bright ands Shining Lie - one of my most favorite books and a must read for anyone who wants to understand that war - describes that time in the early war and includes much discussion of Halberstam. It it just amazing watching these straight arrow, basically conservative reporters - kids of the forties and fifties - come to terms with the fact that there govmn't, and esp. the military that they revered, was lying to them about such important issues of life and death. And worse, was lying to itself. jurgen Prochnau's Distant Sound of Thunder also describes this period, and focuses directly on the community of reporters trying to get the story out.

And I hope this doesn't violate Rule 5 - but I think the campaign's discourse would be much higher if all the '08 candidates read War in a Time of Peace.

For those who haven't read any Halberstam and want to now, don't expect to be dazzled by his style. He's just a very good, thorough reporter who is comfortable handling large themes and can tell a good story. His style almost disappears behind the story -- which is an art in itself. His smooth, easy style probably accounts for why he was so prolific. You don't get the sense that he agonized about his writing nearly as much as he did about his reporting.