In the Footsteps of Time by historical researcher Ralph Buntyn is his second volume on the extraordinary life and times of the 54-year career of Jewish UN correspondent David Horowitz (1903-2002). The first, published in 2018, titled The Book of David: David Horowitz: Dean of United Nations Press Corps and Founder of United Israel World Union (InnerQuest Books: Asheville, 2018), brought to life what might otherwise have faded into the annals of history—the remarkable milestones of Horowitz’s influential and often behind-the-scenes career. David Horowitz was the first accredited Jewish correspondent at the United Nations at its inception in 1945, and he maintained this pivotal role across five decades, forging friendships and earning the trust of kings, prime ministers, presidents, and world leaders, all while standing resolutely for global peace and justice in our fragmented post-WWII world. I was honored to meet David in 1990 and came to know him well on visits to New York and in Israel, until his death at age 99 in 2002. It was surely fitting that Horowitz lived to cross into this second millennium of our 21st century. I wrote this brief retrospective essay on Horowitz’s life if you are not familiar with him, “David Horowitz: A Life Remembered (1903-2002),” and famous veteran UN journalist, Vanni Cappelli, wrote this engaging obituary in the Jewish Press, “He Walked with Kings and Rulers,” which captures a touching personal side of Mr. Horowitz.
This new volume is an enthralling collection of 45 essays, masterfully curated by Mr. Buntyn, is based on his various columns, essays, and blog posts published over the past three decades. Many pieces reflect on the life and work of Mr. Horowitz, while others emerge from Buntyn’s exceptionally keen insight into post-War 20th and 21st-century history, all viewed through a biblical lens.I urge anyone who picks up this book to first scan the titles of these 45 essays. The titles alone are as engaging as they are thought-provoking, each signaling the promise of something fascinating about to unfold. I predict you will find yourself irresistibly drawn to numerous points that capture your interest. Ralph possesses a rare storytelling gift that captivates the reader from the very beginning, with content that enlightens and offers fresh perspectives on a myriad of global, national, and personal issues. I am particularly enamored with the section of the book dedicated to Colonial America, exploring how our founding fathers and mothers were deeply influenced by the biblical vision of an ideal society rooted in reason, justice, and freedom. I know of nothing quite like it and enthusiastically recommend it to the broadest possible audience. Whether you choose to savor it bit-by-bit or dive in all at once, you are in for the kind of insightful enjoyment that only exemplary historical writing can provide.
Ralph Buntyn began his historical research following a distinguished executive career with a Fortune 500 company, retiring as Senior VP of Marketing in 2003. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in Asheville, NC.
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