TD Allman from Glen Mills, a reporter and author who covered news from more than 80 countries, wrote stories that appeared in Harper’s, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, National Geographic and more, writes Adam Nossiter for The New York Times.

The journalist who combined close observation with sharp conclusions about US misdeeds or abuse of power, died May 12. He was 79.

The free-spirited journalist challenged American mythmaking over five decades, covering events that ranged from the Vietnam War to contemporary Florida.

Mr. Allman covered Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, Russian president Boris Yeltsin, and Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi, among others.

He was with farm laborers avoiding death squads in El Salvador and in April 1989, witnessed the Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing.

“Tim was good on the ground in dodgy republics as he covered their leaders like Arafat, Sihanouk and Qaddafi,” stated former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter in an email.

Regardless of the hardships, he always came back with rich, memorable epics.

Mr. Allman also wrote books on American foreign policy and on Florida, where he was born.

Read more about the life of TD Allman, including his childhood and teen years in Glen Mills in The New York Times.