📖 Overview
Donald Goddard is an American author and journalist known for his non-fiction works spanning military history, art, and organized crime. He served as an editor at The New York Times and has written extensively for publications including Esquire, The Nation, and The New York Times Magazine.
His most widely recognized book is "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" (1974), which details the World War II Battle off Samar in the Philippines. Goddard's other notable military works include "Trail to Wounded Knee" (1972), examining the 1890 massacre of Lakota Indians.
Goddard demonstrated versatility in his subject matter through books like "Joey" (1974), a biography of mob informant Joseph Cantalupo, and "Saving Wildlife: A Century of Conservation" (1995), exploring the history of wildlife preservation. His art-focused works include collaborations with artists like Roy Lichtenstein and several books on American painters.
Throughout his career, Goddard maintained a commitment to thorough research and documentary-style reporting, combining journalistic precision with narrative storytelling. His work frequently explored themes of conflict, power dynamics, and American history.
👀 Reviews
There appears to be limited reader review data available online for Donald Goddard's books. His works like "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and "Joey" have only a handful of reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.
Readers noted his thorough research and ability to bring historical events to life through personal accounts and details. Several reviewers mentioned appreciating his straightforward writing style and focus on individual stories within larger historical narratives.
Some readers found his books moved slowly at times and included too many technical details about ships and military operations that could be hard to follow.
On Goodreads:
"The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" - 4.1/5 (12 ratings)
"Joey" - 3.8/5 (5 ratings)
Amazon ratings show similar patterns but with very small sample sizes of 2-3 reviews per book.
Note: The limited review data makes it difficult to draw broad conclusions about reader reception of his work.
📚 Books by Donald Goddard
The Last Stand of Fox Company (2009)
A historical account of Fox Company's actions during the Korean War, specifically their defense of the Toktong Pass in late 1950.
The Making of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (2000) A detailed documentation of the production process, creative decisions, and technical challenges involved in creating Kubrick's landmark science fiction film.
Last Days of the American Republic (1976) Analysis of American political and social changes during the Vietnam War era and their implications for democracy.
Joey (1976) Biography of Joey Maxim, the light heavyweight boxing champion who famously fought Sugar Ray Robinson.
Trail of the Fox (1971) Biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, focusing on his military campaigns and final years.
The Pentagon Papers and the Courts (1972) Examination of the legal battle over the publication of classified Defense Department documents about the Vietnam War.
The Making of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (2000) A detailed documentation of the production process, creative decisions, and technical challenges involved in creating Kubrick's landmark science fiction film.
Last Days of the American Republic (1976) Analysis of American political and social changes during the Vietnam War era and their implications for democracy.
Joey (1976) Biography of Joey Maxim, the light heavyweight boxing champion who famously fought Sugar Ray Robinson.
Trail of the Fox (1971) Biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, focusing on his military campaigns and final years.
The Pentagon Papers and the Courts (1972) Examination of the legal battle over the publication of classified Defense Department documents about the Vietnam War.