Gustav Hasford
Image
Brief Biography
Gustav Hasford was raised in Russellville, Alabama, and displayed an early passion for literature and journalism. He gained experience in writing and editing through his school newspaper and part-time work at local papers. After leaving high school, Hasford enlisted in the United States Marines and served as a military journalist in Vietnam. Upon his discharge, he moved to Longview, Washington, where he pursued a variety of jobs while dedicating time to writing. He relocated to southern California in the early 1970s and began working on a novel about his Vietnam experience. This novel, The Short-Timers, was published in 1979 and later adapted into the film Full Metal Jacket. Even after experiencing legal troubles and spending a few months in jail, Hasford continued writing and published two more novels before he passed away in Greece in 1993.
Publications
The Short-Timers. New York; Harper, 1979.
The Phantom Blooper. New York; Bantam Books, 1990.
A Gypsy Good Time. New York; Washington Square Press, 1992.
Joint Publication:
Full Metal Jacket: The Screenplay. New York; Knopf, 1987.
The Phantom Blooper. New York; Bantam Books, 1990.
A Gypsy Good Time. New York; Washington Square Press, 1992.
Joint Publication:
Full Metal Jacket: The Screenplay. New York; Knopf, 1987.
Themes
Gustav Hasford was the author of two Vietnam War novels and one satirical detective novel. The film Full Metal Jacket was an adaptation of Hasford's first Vietnam War novel.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Hasford, Gustav, “Gustav Hasford,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/596.