The General and His Daughter: The War Time Letters of General James M. Gavin to his Daughter Barbara (World War II: The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension) [Hardcover]

Barbara Gavin Fauntleroy (Author), Gayle Wurst (Editor), Starlyn Jorgensen (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0823226875 | ISBN-13: 978-0823226870 | Edition: 2

James Maurice Gavin left for war in April 1943 as a colonel commanding the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division-America's first airborne division and the first to fight in World War II. In 1944, Slim JimGavin, as he was known to his troops, at the age of thirty-seven became the 82nd's commanding general-the youngest Army officer to become a major general since the Civil War. At war's end, this soldier's soldier had become one of our greatest generals-and the 82nd's most decorated officer.Now James Gavin's letters home to his nine-year-old daughter Barbara provide a revealing portrait of the American experience in World War II through the eyes of one of its most dynamic officers. Written from ship decks, foxholes, and field tents-often just before or after a dangerous jump-they capture the day-to-day realities of combat and Gavin's personal reactions to the war he helped to win. And provide an invaluable self-portrait of a great general, and a great American, in war and peace.The book's more than 200 letters begin at Fort Bragg in 1943 and continue to December 1945, as Gavin came home to lead the 82nd at the head of the Victory parade in New York. This correspondence constitutes the majority of Gavin's private wartime letters, but except for rare appearances in regimental newsletters, it has never before been published. In her Introduction, Epilogue, and Notes, Barbara Gavin Fauntleroy gives a privileged glimpse of the private man. Edited by Gayle Wurst, the book features historical overviews by Starlyn Jorgensen, a preface by noted Gavin biographer Gerard M. Devlin, and a foreword by Rufus Broadaway, Gavin's aide-de-camp.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...portrays the 82nd Airborne Division, the first to fight in WWII." -- Publishers Weekly, January 22, 2007

About the Author

BARBARA GAVIN FAUNTLEROY is the mother of three children, Barbara, Steven, and Jim. She lives with her husband in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Fordham University Press; 2 edition (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823226875
• ISBN-13: 978-0823226870
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important History Brought To Life with Compelling Poignancy, May 6, 2007

By 

James P. Andrews (Port Royal, SC, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The General and His Daughter: The War Time Letters of General James M. Gavin to his Daughter Barbara (World War II: The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension) (Hardcover)

Barbara Gavin Fauntleroy's book, in which she shares her famous father's poignant and compelling wartime letters to her is a generous gift to all history buffs of the Second World War, and to all surviving paratroopers who knew personally, or knew of, "Slim Jim" Gavin. Memories of my own family's experiences of that War came cascading back to me through memory's haze, and I found myself caught up emotionally as each letter unfolded more of the story. Each letter marked Gen. Gavin's own advance in command and combat experience, each letter marked Barbara's growing maturity from a 10-year-old into adolescence. Despite her young age, he never condescends, never talks down. One is taken by his articulateness as a writer. What a remarkable relationship they must have had. Despite his own awareness of the mortal dangers he faced, he speaks reassuringly and courageously to her, but never once descending into either melodrama, or false bravado. This book is "original source" history, but unlike most examples of that genre, there is no anger here, no settling of scores. One comes away wishing for more, especially as the book ends with Slim Jim leading the 82nd Airborne Division up Fifth Avenue in the 1946 Victory Parade. I felt my own chest puff out with vicarious pride, as hers must have with the real thing. One minor quibble: one would have appreciated the occasional map of the various battle sites in Normandy, Holland and the Bulge. Minor quibble indeed, as this is one of the warmest and most pleasurable reads imaginable; you have not read anything like this. I found myself pausing and putting the book down, to savor the thoughts just read, and to slow down the time when the book would end. I'm very grateful to this author's generosity in sharing what must be her dearest memories and possessions.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Couldn't Put it Down" Kind of Book, December 5, 2009

By 

Debra Ruehlman (Cincinnati Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The General and His Daughter: The War Time Letters of General James M. Gavin to his Daughter Barbara (World War II: The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension) (Hardcover)

Barbara Gavin and her father's letters made history and WWII come to life in a way that has never before touched me. The letters are full of insight and a father's love. But what really made it all come to life is the historical background added to the letters that make the book a complete piece. I've personally sent copies of this book to many people I know in the military. Even today, in 2009, I hear young and old soldiers talk fondly of General Gavin. It's now circulating amoung many pilots, former pilots, history buffs, 82nd Airbourne members and friends who all rave about this read.

I think teachers would love to add it to their circulum as an additional resouce for kids to learn about WWII.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Letters from a Father to his Daughter., May 28, 2007

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The General and His Daughter: The War Time Letters of General James M. Gavin to his Daughter Barbara (World War II: The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension) (Hardcover)

There are a lot of books written about World War II and its commanding generals. There are usually written by historians, or participants writing long after the battles. This book is different. There are the wartime letters written by Jim Gavin to his daughter Barbara. They begin in 1943 when Gavin, then a colonel left the states commander of the 505th PIR or the 82nd. At that time Barbara was nine.

There are approximately 200 letters included in the book. They were written on board ships, in foxholes and tents. They do not have the afterthoughts or 'point-proving' of books written later. They are the personal messages of a father to his daughter. They talk about the day to day realities of what Gavin was doing at the time, and about his personal reactions to combat and the war.

The book provides an insight into the man and the times that is rare to find.