For three decades Meyer Berger was perhaps the finest reporter and writer on America's most prestigious newspaper, the New York Times. That he was regarded as such by the management of the Times was evident in the fact he was chosen to write the "official" history of the first 100 years of the newspaper. Berger was also a columnist, and, in addition, he wrote several other books along with numerous articles for the nation's leading magazines. He was widely respected and liked throughout the profession and elsewhere, and it was said that he had hundreds of friends and no known enemies. When he died, there was wide resentment among his fellow employees when the New York Times did not print his obituary on the front page.

After his death, his colleague, the famed drama critic Brooks Atkinson, wrote: "Although his name was Meyer Berger, he was 'Mike' to his...