LONDON, Sept. 2 (AP) — Michael Jackson, a leading beer critic who helped start a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide in the 1970s, was found dead on Thursday at his home in West London. He was 65.

The cause was a heart attack, said Paddy Gunningham, his partner. She said that despite having Parkinson’s disease he had continued writing and traveling, and that he had planned to write a book about the disease.

Mr. Jackson especially loved Belgian brews, which his books “The Great Beers of Belgium” and “The World Guide to Beer” introduced to many export markets, including the United States.

By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, he also gave impetus to the North American microbrewery movement.