James Bassett (author) facts for kids

James Elias Bassett Jr. (born October 18, 1912 – died September 26, 1978) was an American newspaper editor and writer. He was famous for his best-selling novel Harm's Way. This book was later made into a movie called In Harm's Way.

About James Bassett

James Bassett Jr. was born in Glendale, California. His parents were James E. and Lucille R. Bassett. From 1914, he grew up in Mamaroneck, New York.

In 1934, he graduated with honors from Bowdoin College in Maine. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, which is a special honor society for smart students.

Journalism Career

After college, James Bassett moved back to Los Angeles. He started working as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. He later became an aviation writer, which means he wrote about airplanes and flying. He also worked as a political analyst and helped manage the newspaper's opinion pages. In 1971, he became an associate editor.

He also worked for the Mirror, which was a sister newspaper to the Times. There, he was a political editor, feature editor, and city editor.

Military Service in World War II

In February 1941, Bassett joined the United States Navy as a lieutenant junior grade. He and his wife were in Hawaii when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened. Bassett was working with Admiral Husband E. Kimmel on public relations.

Later, Bassett became the public relations officer for Fleet Admiral William F. (Bull) Halsey. He earned the Bronze Star with a combat "V" for his brave actions. Bassett eventually retired from the Navy as a captain. After his military service, he returned to work at the Los Angeles Times.

Work in Politics

James Bassett took breaks from his newspaper job to help with Richard Nixon's political campaigns. He worked on Nixon's vice presidential and presidential campaigns in 1952, 1956, and 1960. In 1954, he was the public relations director for the Republican National Committee. This group helps the Republican Party.

Author and Later Life

Bassett used his experiences from World War II to write his novel Harm's Way. This book became a bestseller after it was published in 1962. It was then made into a movie called In Harm's Way. Famous actors like John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Henry Fonda starred in the film. It was directed by Otto Preminger.

He also wrote other books. Commander Prince, USN was published in 1971. It was a novel about events around the Battle of the Java Sea. Another book, The Sky Suspended, came out in 1968.

James Bassett retired in October 1977 after working for 43 years at the Los Angeles Times and Mirror. He was working on two more books when he passed away. One was about his own life, and the other was about great sea admirals he had met during the Pacific Theater of World War II. He died in Malibu, California. His wife and daughter survived him. His ashes were scattered at sea.