Winston Groom
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Brief Biography
Winston Groom was born in Washington, D.C., but spent his formative years in Mobile, Alabama. Despite initially intending to pursue a legal career, his passion for writing led him to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Alabama in 1965. Groom's experience serving in the US Army and completing a thirteen-month tour of duty in Vietnam deeply influenced his literary works, including his critically acclaimed novel Better Times Than These and the widely recognized Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a successful film. His nonfiction tends to have military themes as well, including his Pulitzer-nominated book Conversations with the Enemy. Groom was inducted into the Alabama Authors Hall of Fame in 2018 before his death in 2020.
Publications
Better Times Than These: A Novel. New York; Summit Books, 1978.
As Summers Die. New York; Summit Books, 1980.
Conversations With the Enemy: The Story of PFC Robert Garwood. New York; Putnam, 1983.
Only. New York; Putnam, 1984.
Forrest Gump. New York; Doubleday, 1986.
Gone the Sun. New York; Doubleday, 1988.
Gumpisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump. New York; Pocket Books, 1994.
Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville, The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War. Boston; Atlantic Monthly Press, 1994.
Gump and Company. New York; Pocket Books, 1995.
Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl. New York; Random House, 1999.
The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at the University of Alabama. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2000.
A Storm in Flanders: The Triumph and Tragedy on the Western Front. New York; Grove Press, 2002.
1942: The Year that Tried Men's Souls. New York; Grove Press, 2005.
Patriotic Fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans. New York; Vintage, 2006.
Vicksburg, 1863. New York; Knopf, 2009.
The Crimson Tide: The Official Illustrated History of Alabama Football, National Championship Edition. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2010.
Kearny's March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846-1847. New York; Vintage, 2011.
Ronald Reagan: Our 40th President. Washington, D.C.; Regnery Publishing, 2012.
Shiloh, 1862. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2012.
The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2013.
The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2015.
El Paso. New York; Norton, 2016.
The Allies: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2018.
The Patriots: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the Making of America. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2020.
As Summers Die. New York; Summit Books, 1980.
Conversations With the Enemy: The Story of PFC Robert Garwood. New York; Putnam, 1983.
Only. New York; Putnam, 1984.
Forrest Gump. New York; Doubleday, 1986.
Gone the Sun. New York; Doubleday, 1988.
Gumpisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump. New York; Pocket Books, 1994.
Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville, The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War. Boston; Atlantic Monthly Press, 1994.
Gump and Company. New York; Pocket Books, 1995.
Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl. New York; Random House, 1999.
The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at the University of Alabama. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2000.
A Storm in Flanders: The Triumph and Tragedy on the Western Front. New York; Grove Press, 2002.
1942: The Year that Tried Men's Souls. New York; Grove Press, 2005.
Patriotic Fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans. New York; Vintage, 2006.
Vicksburg, 1863. New York; Knopf, 2009.
The Crimson Tide: The Official Illustrated History of Alabama Football, National Championship Edition. Tuscaloosa; University of Alabama Press, 2010.
Kearny's March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846-1847. New York; Vintage, 2011.
Ronald Reagan: Our 40th President. Washington, D.C.; Regnery Publishing, 2012.
Shiloh, 1862. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2012.
The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2013.
The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2015.
El Paso. New York; Norton, 2016.
The Allies: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2018.
The Patriots: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the Making of America. Washington, D.C.; National Geographic, 2020.
Themes
Winston Groom wrote novels and historical nonfiction. Common themes in his novels include the military, the South, and civil rights. He is best known for his novel Forrest Gump.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Groom, Winston, “Winston Groom,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/592.