He Rode Up Front for Patton [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Albin F. Irzyk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996

As a young tank battalion commander in World War II, Brigadier General Irzyk witnessed the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of a concentration camp and encounters with General George Patton. The author's vivid descriptions and somber insights paint a striking portrait of life on the European front.

Editorial Reviews

Review

He Rode Up Front For Patton is the intimate and true story of a young tank commander whose own tanks were often the lead elements of General Patton's famed Third Army. This autobiographical account describes the detailed adventures of how American men lived and worked in their tanks during the arduous push from England, across Europe to Czechoslovakia. Irzyk's intuitive glimpses into the lives of the men around him provide an insightful portrayal of the daily struggles they faced. He Rode Up Front For Patton is a personalized chronicle about the constant fight to wrest ground and defeat the Germans while endeavoring to spare the men he had the honor to lead unnecessary hardships and useless losses during one of the most momentous times of World War II. It provides a rare, unique, first hand account of life during combat, culminating in Irzyk's final and unprecedented encounter with General Patton. He Rode Up Front For Patton is a terrific insider's account of the horrors and heroics and mechanized combat in the European theatre. No World War II collection is complete without He Rode Up Front For Patton. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 388 pages
• Publisher: Ivy House Pub Group; illustrated edition edition (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157197007X
• ISBN-13: 978-1571970077
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > History > Military > Life & Institutions

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent first person account, February 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: He Rode Up Front for Patton (Hardcover)

Albin Irzyk's book on his experiences in WW II is a must for any student of armored combat. As commander of the 8th tank battalion of the 4th AD in WW II he has great insights into both how the war was executed and what it was like to fight from the tank. Serving on both the M-3 Stuart, and the M-4 Sherman, he gives accounts of how these vehicles were operated in combat. This book includes excellent accounts of the tank breakout in France in 44, as well as the German counterattack in the Ardennes. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the European theater of WW II or in armored combat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Have" for students of Armored Warfare, November 24, 2003

By 

Don M. Fox (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He Rode Up Front for Patton (Hardcover)

(ret) Brigadier General Al Irzyk's account of his experience in WWII is one of the best accounts of armored warfare on the Western Front you are ever likely to read.

Irzyk tells his story from within the Fourth Armorerd Division's 8th Tank Battlion. As the S-3, and later the battalion's commanding officer, Irzyk often had the unique perspective of having his command tank "up front" in the thick of things. When combined with his knowledge of the "big picture" at the division, combat command, and task force levels, you will find that his insight knows no literary rival. His narrative captures virtually every aspect of the life of a tank battalion, and the tankers who comprise it.

No matter the cost, this is a book that every WWII enthusiast would be fortunate to have on their shelf.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just couldn't get into it., May 5, 2011

By 

D. Garner "Fatfenders" (Folsom, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He Rode Up Front for Patton (Hardcover)

First, this is a biography, not an autobiography(my favorite) like I was expecting. Second, I found the author to be one of those that deifies his subject to the point that it gets in the way of the story telling. Kinda like J. Alfred Phelp's biography of Daniel James Jr "Chappie". Try as I might, I just couldn't get into it.