<div>“Gavin at War provides a lively self-portrait. His diary is especially notable for its skeptical assessments of his comrades and his Army.” — The New York TimesWinner, 2022 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards, Journals, Memoirs, and Letters "General Gavin was a very brave man who had great faith in his men. The battle or the weather never stopped him from going to check the troops. He would go in the rain or snow. If the battle was severe, he would crawl from foxhole to foxhole to talk to his men to let them know he was with them. Words cannot explain the love and pride I had for General Gavin."—Walter Woods, World War II aide to General Gavin Lieutenant General James Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII, is one of the best-known figures of the war. Beginning as the commander of the 505th Parachute Combat Team that spearheaded the American assault on Sicily in July 1943, Gavin advanced to division command and finally command of US forces in Berlin. Throughout this time he kept a wartime diary that starts in April 1943, as the unit was preparing to go to northern Africa, and continues through to his final entry on 1 September 1945 during the occupation of Berlin. During the war years, Gavin came into close contact with virtually all the leading airborne commanders and many others who would advance to the top levels of Army leadership. His diary includes observations on fellow military and political leaders such as General Dwight Eisenhower and the British Field Marshal Montgomery, army operations, and the general's personal life. Gavin was an officer who led by example: on four combat jumps—into Sicily, at Salerno, then Normandy and the Netherlands—he was the first man out the door. Two Distinguished Service Crosses, two Silver Stars, and the Purple Heart rewarded his service. For decades, Gavin kept the existence of the journal a secret; the general's family discovered it among his belongings after his death. Editor Lewis "Bob" Sorley has worked closely with the Gavin family and the Army Heritage Center to prepare the diary for publication. His edited and annotated version includes a prologue and epilogue to frame the entries within the wider scope of the general's life.</div>

Gavin at War

<div>&ldquo;A comprehensive and long-overdue examination of the immediate post&ndash;Tet offensive years [from a] first-rate historian.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review Neglected by scholars and journalists alike, the years of conflict in Vietnam from 1968 to 1975 offer surprises not only about how the war was fought, but about what was achieved. Drawing from thousands of hours of previously unavailable (and still classified) tape-recorded meetings between the highest levels of the American military command in Vietnam, A Better War is an insightful, factual, and superbly documented history of these final years. Through his exclusive access to authoritative materials, award-winning historian Lewis Sorley highlights the dramatic differences in conception, conduct, and&mdash;at least for a time&mdash;results between the early and later years of the war. Among his most important findings is that while the war was being lost at the peace table and in the U.S. Congress, the soldiers were winning on the ground. Meticulously researched and movingly told, A Better War sheds new light on the Vietnam War.</div>

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A Better War

<div>&ldquo;A terrific book, lively and brisk . . . a must read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War.&rdquo; &mdash;Thomas E. Ricks Is it possible that the riddle of America&rsquo;s military failure in Vietnam has a one-word, one-man answer? Until we understand Gen. William Westmoreland, we will never know what went wrong in the Vietnam War. An Eagle Scout at fifteen, First Captain of his West Point class, Westmoreland fought in two wars and became Superintendent at West Point. Then he was chosen to lead the war effort in Vietnam for four crucial years. He proved a disaster. Unable to think creatively about unconventional warfare, Westmoreland chose an unavailing strategy, stuck to it in the face of all opposition, and stood accused of fudging the results when it mattered most. In this definitive portrait, prize-winning military historian Lewis Sorley makes a plausible case that the war could have been won were it not for General Westmoreland. An authoritative study offering tragic lessons crucial for the future of American leadership, Westmoreland is essential reading. &ldquo;Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley&rsquo;s Westmoreland is not to be missed.&rdquo; &mdash;John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945&ndash;1975</div>

Lewis Sorley
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Books By Lewis Sorley (3 Books)

Gavin at War

A Better War

Westmoreland

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© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Lewis SorleyFollow this author

Books By Lewis Sorley (3 Books)

Gavin at War

A Better War

Westmoreland

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© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

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