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Obituaries

Thomas Berger | Versatile writer, 89

Thomas Berger, 89, the witty and eclectic novelist who reimagined the American West in the historical yarn Little Big Man and mastered genres ranging from detective stories to domestic farce, died July 13 in Nyack, N.Y. He had been in failing health, said his literary agent, Cristina Concepcion.

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Thomas Berger, 89, the witty and eclectic novelist who reimagined the American West in the historical yarn

Little Big Man

and mastered genres ranging from detective stories to domestic farce, died July 13 in Nyack, N.Y. He had been in failing health, said his literary agent, Cristina Concepcion.

Mr. Berger wrote more than 20 books, including the autobiographical Rinehart series, a Little Big Man sequel, and The Feud, about warring families in a 1930s Midwest community.

Mr. Berger's biggest mainstream success was Little Big Man, an ultra-wry tale of 111-year-old Jack Crabb, who alleges that he was abducted by Indians as a young boy and later fought with the Cheyenne in the Battle of Little Big Horn. The novel was adapted into a 1970 movie of the same name, starring Dustin Hoffman.

Mr. Berger served in the Army from 1943 to 1946 and used some of his experiences in Germany for his debut novel, Crazy in Berlin. - AP

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