Winston Groom recounts the amazing adventure and danger that Kearny and his troops encountered on the trail. When his expedition ended a year later, the country had doubled in size and now stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific, fulfilling what many saw as the nation’s unique destiny-and at the same time setting the stage for the American Civil War. After Mexico declared war on the United States, Kearny’s Army of the West was sent out, carrying orders to occupy Mexican territory. Polk had lately won the presidency by threatening England over the borders in Oregon, while Congress had just voted, in defiance of the Mexican government, to annex Texas. At the time, the nation was hell-bent on expansion: James K. While Groom wrote a total of 16 novels - both fiction and nonfiction - Forrest Gump was the one that shot him into the spotlight.In June 1846, General Stephen Watts Kearny rode out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with two thousand soldiers, bound for California. He completed his first novel, Better Times Than These, in 1978 and came out with his most popular book, Forrest Gump, in 1986.

He discovered his love for writing at the University of Alabama, where he graduated with an English degree in 1965 before serving in Vietnam, Deadline reported.Īfter returning from the war, Groom worked as a reporter for the Washington Star before turning to a career as a novelist, according to CNN. RELATED: Forrest Gump Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? Our hearts & prayers are extended to his family,' Ivey added. 'While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump, Winston Groom was a talented journalist & noted author of American history. Kay Ivey also shared a statement on Twitter, writing she was 'saddened to learn that Alabama has lost one of our most gifted writers.' Please keep his friends and family in your thoughts and prayers,' Wilson wrote alongside a smiling photo of the author.Īlabama Gov. The City of Fairhope has lost an iconic author today. 'It is with great sadness that I share the passing of our dear friend Winston Groom. Mayor Karin Wilson of Fairhope, Alabama confirmed the news on social media Thursday, sharing that Groom had died in the southern Alabama town. Winston Groom, the writer whose book Forrest Gump inspired the Oscar-winning film of the same name, has died.

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