J ames Cross Giblin was born on July 8, 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio. Edward Kelley and Anna Cross, a lawyer and a teacher respectively, made sure their son was surrounded by good reading material, and his love for books began at a very young age. Giblin remained shy and bookish throughout his childhood until a high school teacher insisted he work on the school newspaper. Coming up with new ideas for articles challenged Giblin, and he found he enjoyed working with other staff members. He also discovered the joy of acting during these high school years, which brought him further out of his shell.

Giblin graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954. He received a Masters of Fine Arts degree in 1955 from Columbia University. While in college he focused on writing plays Charles A. Lindbergh: A Human Hero, 1997and acting...