Author David Halberstam dies in crash

[FredScuttle]

Source: Yahoo news article

David Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who chronicled the Washington press corps, the Vietnam War generation and baseball, was killed in a car crash early Monday, a coroner said. He was 73.

Halberstam, a New Yorker, was a passenger in a car that was broadsided by another vehicle near in Menlo Park, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said.

"Looking at the accident and examining him at the scene indicated it's most likely internal injuries," Foucrault said.

Three others were injured.




Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070423/ap_en_ce/obit_halberstam_4

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RIP, Mr. Halberstam....your words inspired generations.

[kskiska]

1. Author David Halberstam killed in Menlo Park

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(04-23) 15:59 PDT MENLO PARK -- Author David Halberstam was killed today in a three-car accident in Menlo Park, authorities said.

Halberstam, 73, of New York, was a passenger in one of the cars that crashed at the intersection of the westbound Bayfront Expressway and Willow Road, authorities said. He died at the scene, said Kristine Gamble, San Mateo County senior deputy coroner.

Two drivers were taken to the hospital with injuries and the third driver sought medical attention. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/23/BAGGPPE0TL3.DTL

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Wonderful writer. I loved his book on the 50s.

[FredScuttle]

2. I just posted too

What a tragedy...this man was a titan.

[Hekate]

3. How sad! Another giant passes from us. Condolences to his family. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

4. One of the best and brightest, who chronicled the best and brightest ... RIP. nt

[Faygo Kid]

5. First Vonnegut, now Halberstam. Another truly great writer passes.

"The Best and the Brightest" is one of the most important books of the 20th century, and would it have been heeded by this insane cabal we call the Bush Administration. But Halberstam was (is) a joy to read, too. His book, "The Fifties," chronicles that decade - my first - with style and insight. Not much I can say, but thanks for so much wisdom and so little pretension.

[Justice]

6. Author David Halberstam dies at 73

Source: Boston Globe/AP



David Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who chronicled the Washington press corps, the Vietnam War generation and baseball, was killed in a car crash early Monday, a coroner said. He was 73.




Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/23/author_david_halberstam_dies_at_73/

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Rest In Peace

[WI_DEM]

7. A great writer. His book "The Best and The Brightest" tells how the supposedly

best and brightest of their generation who came with JFK to Washington in 1961 got us involved in a tragic war in Vietnam.

[Psephos]

13. It's an extraordinary, gripping book

As the Proverb says, "Pride goeth before a fall." Halberstam tells an unexpected and deeply revealing story about Vietnam. I stayed up all night to finish it.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. That was very sad news.

And way before his time.

[CBHagman]

9. Look at this quotation regarding war.

Something to contemplate:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/23/author_david_halberstam_dies_at_73/

Speaking to a journalism conference last year in Tennessee, he said government criticism of news reporters in Iraq reminded him of the way he was treated while covering the war in Vietnam. "The crueler the war gets, the crueler the attacks get on anybody who doesn't salute or play the game," he said. "And then one day, the people who are doing the attacking look around, and they've used up their credibility."

God rest his soul.

[wilt the stilt]

10. A very special man

David wrote passionately about everything including great sports books. Don't forget the great reporting on the civil rights movement.

[UTUSN]

11. Oh my. Zeus. n/t

[wildhorses]

12. my condolences to his family

may he rip

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. Survived Ngo Dinh Diem, killed in a car crash

Damn shame.

The Best and the Brightest should be required reading in every American high school, along with Neil Sheehan's A Bright Shining Lie.

[susanna]

15. OMG - how terrible.

Prayers to his family.

I have always loved David Halberstam; I work in the auto industry and "The Best and the Brightest" and "The Reckoning" are required reading for all of us.

His insight, thoroughness and attention to detail were without compare. I read a lot of his stuff based on the fact that I had to read him for my job. In the end, though, I read him for his own abilities - he was just so engrossing. What a loss, and I mean that intensely. I am so shocked to hear this. :-(

Godspeed, Mr. Halberstam, and I loved your works. Peace to you.

[HamdenRice]

16. Not saying anything bad about the dead, but remember how he bitch slapped Marc Maron?

Halberstam was usually a sober, plodding, informative, but at the same time passionate public speaker.

For some reason, however, when he was interviewed on Morning Sedition some years ago he just went off on Marc Maron. Maron had delayed the interview to do one of his schizophrenic Marc-the-Shark bits, and when the interview started, Halberstam said something to the effect that that was the worst thing he had ever heard on radio. It was one of the funniest -- unintentionally funniest -- moments on AAR.

Boy was Halberstam in a grumpy mood that day!

On edit: I found it on an AAR forum vault. The poster has a transcript, but mispelled Maron's name as Marin. The transcript does not give the audio justice, because it was kind of shocking and Halberstam's voice was so filled with contempt.

Not that this in any way defines Halberstam or his career, but this was one of the grumpiest moments I've ever heard on AAR:

http://www.airamericaplace.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=8374


MARIN: Let's not leave our guest hangin' .. uh ..

We're very pleased to have him. He's written many best-selling books, including War in the Time of Peace, Firehouse, The Best and The Brightest. He won the Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the Vietnam War for the New York Times. This new beautiful book that I have in my hand right now, Defining A Nation: Our America And The Sources Of Its Strength, is a collection of essays about America edited by David Halberstam.

Good Morning Sir.

HALBERSTAM: Good morning. What was that noise that preceded us? All that shouting, machine guns... My God, what was that?

MARIN: That was a bit of uh .. satirical comedy on the right-wing radio personality.

HALBERSTAM: Uh, if you say so.

MARIN: Oh man, I'm takin' some shots.

HALBERSTAM: Yeah, well, it was awful. Yeah. It isn't funny and it isn't charming. That stuff's bad enough on its own, but when you mock it you get even more strident than it is.

MARIN: What do you mean by strident?

HALBERSTAM: Well, I mean .. I think the noise level, the lack of civility ... escalates. I mean .. it's not something you can mock without being worse than it is.

MARIN: Uh huh. Now ...

HALBERSTAM: I thought it was odious, to tell you the truth ... I guess .. I guess that's a geezer statement., but I didn't

MARIN: No, no. I mean --

HALBERSTAM: I didn't find any charm in it.

MARIN: Okay. Well, uh... Certainly there are some people that listen to our show that feel that way. But in the transition to the book, you know, in Defining A Nation, it seems like -- 'cause we do a lot of time -- we spend a lot of time talking about many of the negative elements, certainly the negative forces in this country that seem to be undermining what America really stands for and what it was built upon, do you feel that?

[LeighAnn]

17. Summer of '49

My favorite baseball book ever... the gripping real-life drama of the 1949 pennant race between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Most people already know how it's going to turn out, but it's got lots of good Ted Williams stuff. I also shed a tear for Dom diMaggio reading this book, he took the loss pretty hard :(

RIP, Mr. Halberstam, thank you for helping me forget about the Royals back in 1990, and for introducing me to one of the biggest heart-throbs of my 20s, the one and only Teddy Ballgame.

Godspeed :(

[DixieBlue]

18. May he find peace.

One of the finest journalists and writers this country's seen.

There are far too few Halberstams in this world.

[Doctor_J]

19. The 50's - great book. I think his brother died violently too

I may have seen it on American Justice or the like.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

21. Yes, his brother, a doctor and medical writer, was shot by an intruder

Here's one version of the story:

http://www.gasdetection.com/MDS/m082100.html

[Up2Late]

20. Damn, why am I just finding this out?

He was one of the greats.

Go in Peace Mr. Halberstam.

[EFerrari]

22. He was a great American.

[karynnj]

23. Comment from John Kerry, who knew him from Nantucket

"He was a brilliant journalist who set the standard during the war in Vietnam for courageous and accurate reporting," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a Vietnam veteran who knew Halberstam from Nantucket, where both had vacation homes. "He was wonderful company, and I always learned something when I talked with him. I'm very sad to hear we've lost him."

Nice ESPN article that it is from:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2847054