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Johnny Got His Gun By Dalton Trumbo

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Johnny Got His Gun was written by Dalton Trumbo in 1938 but was not published until late 1939. Johnny Got His Gun won The Most Original Book of 1939 which is a National book award. This book was set during World War I. The book itself is fiction but was based off a Canadian man who lost all of his limbs and senses to a bomb blast. Trumbo first heard about the Canadian man when he read an article over the Prince of Wales arranging a visit to meet the wounded soldier at a Canadian veterans hospital. Trumbo was not only an author of American history but American history himself. Trumbo was born in Montrose, Colorado on December 9, 1905. He was married to Cleo Beth Fincher. He also had three children, two daughters and one son which included, Christopher Trumbo, Mitzi Trumbo, and Nikola Trumbo. Trumbo’s work was greatly influenced by social issues going on in the world. He was a successful author and screenwriter resulting in him being one of the highest paid film writers in the business. Some of his other books and movies include Spartacus, A Man to Remember, Lonely are the Brave, Kitty Foyle, and many others. Trumbo was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and became the most famous member of “The Hollywood Ten”. Unlike many celebrities blacklisted during the McCarthy era Dalton Trumbo was in fact a communist. Trumbo was brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 and refused to answer their questions which resulted in him being jailed. For thirteen

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