Reston is the author of 18 books, four plays, and numerous articles in national magazines. His works of both fiction and non-fiction cover a wide range of historical and political topics. He was awarded the Prix Italia and the Dupont–Columbia Award for his 1983 90-minute radio documentary on National Public Radio, "Father Cares: the Last of Jonestown". In a column in the New York Times, April 23, 1983,Anthony Lewis said of the NPR program: "It is quite simply one of the great achievements in the history of broadcasting."