  We explore parabolic pre-shaping as a means of generating and amplifying
ultrashort pulses. We develop a theoretical framework for modeling the
technique and use its conclusions to design a femtosecond fiber amplifier.
Starting from 9 ps pulses, we obtain 4.3 $\mu$J, nearly transform-limited
pulses 275 fs in duration, simultaneously achieving over 40 dB gain and 33-fold
compression. Finally, we show that this amplification scheme is limited by
Raman scattering, and outline a method by which the pulse duration and energy
may be further improved and tailored for a given application.
