Publishing legend Oscar Dystel, an early pioneer of mass market paperbacks and one-time CEO of Bantam Books, passed away at the age of 101.
During his time at Bantam's helm in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, Dystel oversaw the publication of some of the most successful paperbacks of the age, including Exodus, Valley of the Dolls, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution, Jaws, and the many novels of Louis L'Amour.
In a statement from Random House, the publisher called Dystel "one of the great architects of modern trade publishing...a giant, who shaped our potential and our legacy."
Dystel is survived by his daughter, literary agent Jane Dystel. Donations can be sent to the John Dystel Multiple Sclerosis Research Fund at the National MS Society, P.O. Box 4527, New York, N.Y. 10163.
