William Manchester: Portrait of a Writer, will celebrate the life of the noted author and historian on Feb. 5. Events, open to the public, start at 7 p.m. Manchester died in 2004 at his home in Middletown. He is best known for 'The Death of a President, published in 1967. The book detailed the events of Nov. 22, 1963. His wartime experience helped produced Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War. He wrote of World War II in several other books, and published two volumes of his planned three-part biography of Winston Churchill.
Leith Johnson, project archivist, and Jenny Miglus, archival assistant for the William Manchester Papers, will speak about the writer's process. A short reception follows.
Claire Potter, Wesleyan professor of history and American studies, speaks at 8 p.m. Highlights from the Manchester Collection will be on exhibit at Olin Library through March 15.
Admission is free. Event is at the Smith Reading Room located on the first floor of Olin Memorial Library, 252 Church St., Middletown; sponsored by a bequest of William Manchester and the Friends of the Wesleyan Library. For details call the Friends of the Library at (860) 685-3897.
