From John F. Kennedy's assassination to the son of Sam murders, Jimmy Breslin famously

covered the major events of the 20th century as a columnist for the New York Daily News.

Whether working as a copy boy or later winning the Pulitzer Prize for commentary,

Breslin's plain-spoken approach captured the country's attention,

offering readers a poetic and blunt perspective on the issues that mattered most.

Jimmy Breslin, the man who told the truth,

is the first biography of the legendary writer,

and a revealing portrait of a complex newsman.

I spoke recently to author Richard Esposito.

Welcome to the news hour.

Thank you.

It's great to be here.

Jimmy Breslin had such a unique way of telling stories from the perspective of ordinary people,

as some might remember, when he covered the funeral services of

John F. Kennedy he tracked down the man who dug JFK's grave and wrote a column about

him. What influenced his approach?

Anybody can stand next to everybody else and tell that part of a story.

And in fact, when he went down there, he said, I'm not standing with 10,000 people

scribbling down notes and taking pictures, I'll find a story.

So he went to Mr. Pollard's house and watched him eat his breakfast, put on his coveralls,

and go to Arlington Cemetery to dig the grave.

So what does that approach do?

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