David Halberstam, 1934-2007

David Halberstam was a rare breed. He was a master storyteller and one of the best investigative journalists of our times. He was a Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote 21 books on topics as varied as the Vietnam War and baseball. He was among the best and the brightest.

Halberstam died Monday morning in an car crash in Menlo Park, Calif. He was 73. His last public appearance was Saturday night at the University of California, Berkeley, where he spoke to students about molding reportage into works of historical significance. Halberstam's books were indeed significant.

There was the seminal "The Best and the Brightest," which chronicled how the United States became embroiled in the Vietnam War. Considering the current situation in Iraq, the book — now in its 20th edition — is as relevant as ever. My personal favorite, "The Powers That Be," should be required reading for anyone planning a career in the media or with an interest in who is giving us our news.

Of his 21 books, several were about sports. "October 1964" puts the World Series of 1964 between the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals in the context of the civil rights movement, the escalation of the Vietnam War and the hangover from the Kennedy assassination. I'm not sure any other author could have pulled it off.

"The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship" tells the story of four Boston Red Sox players of a bygone era — Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky and Bobby Doerr — and the bond forged by these men that lasted a half-century, right up until Williams' death. "Summer of '49" examined how the game of baseball functioned as a salve for Americans in the aftermath of World War II.

Halberstam's last sports book was "The Education of a Coach," a biography of Bill Belichick, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the New England Patriots. His last book, "The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War," was to have been released in September.

Hopefully, the TV talk shows will repeat interviews with Halberstam for he was one of the most fascinating and intellectual journalists to hear speak. One of his last TV appearances was on the YES Network's "Centerstage," where he was interviewed by Michael Kay, a sportswriter-turned-baseball announcer. Kay told Halberstam that "The Best and the Brightest" was one of the inspirations that led him to journalism. I'm sure there are countless others who would say the same.