Tom Wolfe, the impeccably attired author and early practitioner of groundbreaking "New Journalism" of the 1960s, died in a Manhattan hospital. Wolfe, 87, passed away Monday, according to his agent Lynne Nesbit. The cause of death was not immediately made public. Wolfe, widely regarded as one of the top American journalists of the 20th century, focused his keen eye and explosive writing style on subjects from the Merry Pranksters to the early days of the space race before turning to fiction. His best-selling books included non-fiction like "The Right Stuff," his riveting account of America's first astronauts, and fiction like "The Bonfire of the Vanities" — his scathing satire of New York City in the '80s. Tom Wolfe, ‘New Journalism’ pioneer, dead at 87 - NY Daily News