Winston Groom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winston Groom
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Groom in 2014
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| Born | Winston Francis Groom Jr. March 23, 1943 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | September 17, 2020 (aged 77) Fairhope, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | UMS-Wright Preparatory School |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama |
| Children | 1 |
Winston Francis Groom Jr. (March 23, 1943 – September 17, 2020) was an American writer. He wrote both novels and non-fiction books. He is most famous for his novel Forrest Gump (1986).
This book became very popular after it was made into a movie in 1994. The film, also called Forrest Gump, starred Tom Hanks. After the movie came out, it earned a lot of money and won many awards. Groom's novel then sold over a million copies around the world. He later wrote a second book, Gump and Co., in 1995.
Contents
Winston Groom's Early Life and Education
Winston Groom was born in Washington, D.C. on March 23, 1943. His mother, Ruth, was an English teacher. His father, Winston Francis Groom, was a lawyer who worked at The Pentagon.
When Winston was young, his family moved back to Mobile, Alabama. His father continued his law practice there. Winston grew up in Mobile County, Alabama.
School Days and New Dreams
Winston Groom went to a private school called University Military School. It is now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School. At first, he wanted to be a lawyer, just like his dad.
Later, he went to the University of Alabama. There, he joined a group called Delta Tau Delta and the Army ROTC. While working as a literary editor in college, he found a new goal. He decided he wanted to become a writer instead. He graduated with honors in 1965.
Serving in the Army
After college, Groom joined the United States Army. He served from 1965 to 1967. During this time, he was sent to fight in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1967. He spent most of his time in the Army with the Fourth Infantry Division.
Winston Groom's Writing Career
After returning from Vietnam, Winston Groom worked as a reporter. He wrote for The Washington Star newspaper in Washington, D.C. He covered news about the U.S. Department of Justice and federal courts.
Groom soon left his job as a reporter. He moved to New York to focus on writing novels. His first novel was Better Times Than These, published in 1978. This book was about a group of soldiers in the Vietnam War.
Famous Books and Awards
His next novel, As Summers Die (1980), became more well-known. In 1982, he wrote Conversations with the Enemy. This book was about an American soldier who escaped from a prisoner of war (POW) camp in Vietnam. Years later, the soldier was arrested for leaving his post. Conversations with the Enemy was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. This is a very important award for books.
In 1985, Groom moved back to Mobile, Alabama. There, he started writing his most famous novel, Forrest Gump. Years before, his elderly father had told him about a boy he knew who had a mental disability. Groom started writing Forrest Gump that same day. He finished the book in just six weeks, and it was published in 1986.
The Forrest Gump Movie
Several years later, in 1994, Forrest Gump was made into a movie. The film starred Tom Hanks as the main character, Forrest Gump. The movie won six Academy Awards and many other honors. Its huge popularity made the novel a best-seller. The book sold 1.7 million copies worldwide.
Groom later had a disagreement with Paramount Pictures, the company that made the film. He believed they did not pay him fairly for his share of the movie's profits.
Later Non-Fiction Works
In November 2011, Groom published a history book called Kearny's March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846–1847. This book tells the story of Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny. It describes his journey west during a time when the U.S. was expanding.
The book starts in 1846, during the Mexican–American War. Groom included stories of famous people like mountain man Kit Carson and Brigham Young. In 2016, Groom published El Paso, his first novel in almost 20 years.
At the time of his death in 2020, Groom had another book waiting to be published. It was called The Patriots. This book was a biography about American leaders John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson.
Personal Life
Winston Groom was married three times during his life. He had one daughter and three stepchildren.
He passed away on September 17, 2020, at his home in Fairhope, Alabama. He was 77 years old. Doctors believed he died from a heart attack.
Works
Novels
- Better Times Than These (1978)
- As Summers Die (1980)
- Only (1984)
- Forrest Gump (1986)
- Gone the Sun (1988)
- Gump and Co. (1995)
- Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl (1998)
- El Paso (2016)
Nonfiction
- Conversations with the Enemy: the story of P.F.C. Robert Garwood (1982, with Duncan Spencer)
- Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville: The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War (1995)
- The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at the University of Alabama (2002)
- A Storm in Flanders: The Triumph and Tragedy on the Western Front (2002)
- 1942: The Year that Tried Men's Souls (2004)
- Patriotic Fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans (2006)
- Vicksburg, 1863 (April 2010)
- The Crimson Tide: The Official Illustrated History of Alabama Football, National Championship Edition (2010)
- Kearny's March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846-1847 (2011)
- Ronald Reagan: Our 40th President (2012)
- Shiloh, 1862 (2012)
- The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight (2013)
- The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II (2015)
- The Allies: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II (2018)
- The Patriots: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the Making of America (2020)
Images for kids
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Groom in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Winston Groom para niños
- List of people with surname Groom
