James Reston Jr., an eclectic historian and novelist who helped the British television host David Frost prod former President Richard M. Nixon into admitting his complicity in the Watergate scandal and apologizing in a wrenching broadcast interview, died on Wednesday at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his wife, Denise Leary. Mr. Reston, whose father was a renowned figure at The New York Times as a columnist, Washington bureau chief and executive editor, largely bypassed daily journalism to focus on timely and historical nonfiction and novels and adapting four of his books into plays. As a result, Mr. Reston was primed when Mr. Frost bought exclusive rights to interview Nixon after the president resigned in 1974 and recruited Mr. Reston as a researcher.

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Persons: James Reston Jr, David Frost, Richard M, Nixon, Denise Leary, Reston, ”, Frost Organizations: The New York Times, Democratic Locations: British, Chevy Chase, Md, Washington, Whittier, Watergate, Reston