The twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza flew precariously low along the Pacific coastline. Witnesses say it hit a power line, bounced up, skimmed uncontrollably about 75 feet high over the water, and crashed near La Push, Washington. On board was journalist Ed Koterba, father of author Ed Morgret.

In a eulogy the next day, June 28, 1961, John F. Kennedy called Koterba "a most outstanding newspaperman." Koterba was a Capitol Hill reporter, White House correspondent, nationally syndicated columnist, and world traveler. Simply put, he was one of the best journalists of his time, on par with Ernie Pyle, Mary McGrory, and James Reston. His combination of unique, humorous angles and hard-hitting journalism endeared him to more than a million readers.

Compiled here are 363 of Koterba's most memorable articles, including dispatches from Communist Czechoslovakia, India, and Antarctica. Also included are "family" articles providing a fascinating look at everyday life in the 1950s.

This book is the first ever to examine the career of this extraordinary American journalist. It chronicles Koterba's unlikely rise from Omaha copy boy to national DC-based syndicated columnist. It also shares the story of his son, Ed Koterba Morgret, who has compiled this treasure trove of articles fifty-five years after the tragic death of his father.

Students of journalism and fans of the 1950s will delight in the rich details provided here, and will be touched by the lasting love of a son for his father.