Pitting the legendary Pancho Villa against 'the Colonel,' a thrill-seeking Bostonian railroad tycoon whose fading fortune is tied up in a colossal ranch in Chihuahua, El Paso opens during a time of dramatic upheaval in Mexico - its government being squeezed on one end by Villa's revolutionaries and on the other by 'filthy' American capitalists.Ĭontent to observe the war from aboard his dazzling yacht, the Ajax, the Colonel is suddenly pulled into this drama when his famous Valle del Sol ranch is raided for nearly 'two million and a half dollars in beef on the hoof.' Oblivious to the realities of war and hoping to salvage his losses, the Colonel whisks his family down to Mexico where they make a disturbing discovery: it was Villa who not only stole the cattle but also murdered their beloved ranch manager. His book “Conversations with the Enemy,” which followed a Marine during the Vietnam War, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction in 1984.Long fascinated with the Mexican Revolution and the vicious border wars of the early twentieth century, best-selling author Winston Groom brings to life a much-forgotten period of history in this episodic saga set in six parts. In addition to his work with “Forrest Gump,” Groom also wrote nonfiction works on various subjects, including on the American Civil War. Our hearts & prayers are extended to his family,” she wrote. “While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump, Winston Groom was a talented journalist & noted author of American history. In 1995, Groom published a sequel titled “Gump and Co.”Īlabama Governor Kay Ivey tweeted about Groom’s death on Thursday, calling him one of the state’s “most gifted writers.” The novel was turned into the 1994 film starring Tom Hanks and won six Academy Awards. After he returned stateside, Groom was a reporter for the Washington Star before he focused on writing novels, according to the university. Groom graduated from the University of Alabama in 1965 and then served four years in the US Army, including a tour in the Vietnam War. “I don’t have any details right now, but he did die (Wednesday) night,” Wilson said. Karin Wilson, mayor of his hometown of Fairhope, Alabama, told CNN that Groom’s family shared the news of the death with her office.

Winston Groom, the American novelist and author of “Forrest Gump,” has died.

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