William F. Buckley Jr, a pioneer of the modern American conservative movement and founder of the influential National Review, died today aged 82.

The author and commentator, a major intellectual force of the American right for over half a century, died while working in his study in Stamford, Connecticut, after a year of illness. Linda Bridges, his assistant, said he had recently been battling emphysema and was found dead by his cook.

Mr Buckley, who until his death remained Editor-at-Large of the magazine he founded in 1955, had authored over 40 books including a series of CIA spy novels and works on history, politics and even trans-oceanic sailing.

However he was perhaps best known as the host for over three decades years of the television show “Firing Line,” where he became famous for his ability to demolish his liberal opponents with a witty, adroit flourish.

A tireless writer, he produced at least one book every year while his newspaper column, “On the Right,” was syndicated to hundreds of newspapers. Credited as one of the foremost proponents of the conservative rebirth which laid the ground for the Reagan White House, in 1965 he also found time to launch his own bid for high office, running, ultimately unsuccessfully, for mayor of New York City.

“Bill was incontestably the principal founder of the modern American conservative movement and had therefore a tremendous influence on the whole second half of the 20th century in the United States and in the world,” William Rusher, publisher of National Review from 1957 to 1988, said.

“He was in personal terms an utterly charming person (with) an infectious love of life,” Mr Rusher said.

According to Mr Rusher, Mr Buckley “did finally take the position that the war in Iraq was a mistake, that we should not have gone in ... but that did not turn him against (President George W.) Bush or the conservative movement”. In recent years, however, he did criticise the policies of the current president, who he regarded as having strayed from true conservative ideology and lacking an effective governing strategy.

Mr Buckley graduated with honours from Yale University in 1950 with degrees in political science, economics and history after a rather eccentric childhood in France, Venezuela, the United States and Britain.

He received numerous awards for his work including Best Columnist of the Year in 1967 and a television Emmy for outstanding achievement in 1969.

His wife Pat Buckley, a doyenne of New York’s social and fashion scene, died last year after a marriage spanning 57 years. His son, Christopher Buckley is a well-known political satirist and comic writer whose book, Thank You for Smoking, was made into a successful movie in 2006.

Mr Rusher said Mr Buckley had in the last year been grappling with pneumonia and kidney problems but remained in good spirits.

Born November 24, 1925, in New York City, William Frank Buckley Jr. was the sixth of 10 children.

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