Alden Whitman (1913–1990)

York Times obituaries of the great and powerful. I’ve had it for a while, was sure I’d read it but apparently not. Whitman wrote obits from 1964 to 1976 and was the first to interview people for their own obituaries. He’s a good writer.
Interesting to read the biographies of people a bit before my time, like Albert Schweitzer and President Eisenhower, one of the first public deaths I remember. My dad explained about the flags at half staff. More information than you'd find on Wikipedia, so a useful reference.… (meer)

This book explores the public life of a remarkable man: Adlai E. Stevenson from 1952 to his death in 1965. The author relies heavily on articles and speeches published in the New York Times which put a damper on the style. Nevertheless, a portrait of a gallant, witty and smart politician and diplomat shines through and puts to shame some of the antics we see in some of today's politicians.Of particular interest to me were the glimpses of Eisenhower, Kennedy and L.B.J. and events like the Cuba Crisis and the early days of the Vietnam War.… (meer)