Ira D. Gruber

Ira D. Gruber (born January 6, 1934) is a celebrated author, bibliographer, and military historian of the American Revolution.

Personal life
Ira D. Gruber was born January 6, 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He attended Duke University and served in the United States Navy Reserve. From 1955-1957 he held the title of crypto security officer on the USS Wiltsie.

Professional life
Gruber earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Duke University. He became a professor at Duke after earning his Ph.D. in 1961. He later held the positions of fellow at the Institute of Early American History and Culture, assistant professor of history at Occidental College, and Harris Masterson, Jr. Professor Emeritus of History at Rice University.

During his long teaching career, Gruber published several works on the theme of American military history, specifically regarding the American Revolution. His most recent publication, Books and the British Army in the Age of the American Revolution, examines the books read by military officers during the revolution and how these books may have influenced their techniques and decisions. Another book, The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution, discusses the failure of the Howe Brothers to restore the British government in America.

Awards

 * George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching, 1974 and 2001
 * Society for Military History's Samuel Eliot Morison Prize, 2013
 * Edwin H. Simmons, 1998