Richard Bernstein, a former correspondent and critic for The New York Times whose deep knowledge of Asia and Europe illuminated reporting from Tiananmen Square to the Bastille, and who wrote things as he saw them in 10 books driven by intellectual curiosity, died on March 31in Manhattan. He was 80.

In more than two decades at The Times, Mr. Bernstein brought deep historical knowledge, a gracious writing style, and a stubborn contrarian streak to subjects as diverse as the meaning of the French Revolution, the nature of Chinese authoritarianism, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing trial, and the significance of parentheses in the politics of academic language.

Although not religious he joined a Torah study group late in life, intent on exploring the meaning of his Jewishness.