Garry Wills

Date of Birth: May 22, 1934

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Biography

Garry Wills is a distinguished American author, historian, and journalist, known for his profound insights into American culture, politics, and religion. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Wills grew up in a Catholic household and was deeply influenced by his faith, which later became a central theme in many of his works. He graduated from Saint Louis University and earned a Ph.D. in classics from Yale University. Wills began his career as a writer for National Review, a conservative magazine, but he later distanced himself from conservative ideology. Over the decades, he has authored numerous books, essays, and articles, winning several prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1993 for his book “Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America.” Wills has taught history at Northwestern University and is a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books. His works often challenge conventional wisdom, providing fresh perspectives on historical events and figures, particularly focusing on American history and the role of religion in public life.

5 Interesting Facts about Garry Wills

1. Garry Wills won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1993.

2. He has authored over 50 books, covering a wide range of topics from politics to religion.

3. Wills was a contributing editor for the conservative magazine National Review before becoming more liberal in his views.

4. He has received the National Humanities Medal and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

5. Wills has taught at Northwestern University and has been a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Garry Wills

1. “The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leader and followers… Leaders, followers, and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership.”

2. “The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.”

3. “A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it… gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want.”

4. “The genius of you Americans is that you never make clear-cut stupid moves, only complicated stupid moves which make us wonder at the possibility that there may be something to them which we are missing.”

5. “Where there is a strong desire for the truth, it is sooner or later perceived.”