Description

Lieutenant General James Gavin commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII is one of the bestknown 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 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 September 1 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 army operations and the generals personal life Gavin was an officer who led by example on four combat jumps he was the first man out the door

For decades Gavin kept the existence of the journal a secret the generals 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 generals life