Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

If you had just jumped against the Germans, what book would you want?

If you were Maj. Gen. James Gavin, sleeping on the ground in Holland after Operation Market Garden, it would be this, as described in a letter to his daughter written in October 1944: Would you ask Mommie to get me a copy of the latest volume of ‘Lee’s Lieutenants‘ by Douglas Southall Freeman, I believe ...

If you were Maj. Gen. James Gavin, sleeping on the ground in Holland after Operation Market Garden, it would be this, as described in a letter to his daughter written in October 1944:

If you were Maj. Gen. James Gavin, sleeping on the ground in Holland after Operation Market Garden, it would be this, as described in a letter to his daughter written in October 1944:

Would you ask Mommie to get me a copy of the latest volume of ‘Lee’s Lieutenants‘ by Douglas Southall Freeman, I believe it is Vol. III and has just been published. It may be difficult to obtain. I’ll send you a check along when I can get to my checkbook if you will let me know the cost.

(From: P. 137, Barbara Gavin Fauntleroy, The General and His Daughter: The Wartime Letters of General James M. Gavin to His Daughter Barbara.)

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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