Customer Reviews

Patton (Great Generals)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This compact biography of an already well-documented life is interesting for its attempt to place Patton in the context of his dramatic effect on the U.S. Army's doctrine, training, and operations long after World War II. No startling revelations about Patton the general or the man, although the author does bluntly describe attitudes and prejudices that at this remove are repugnant but which were entirely expectable for a man of Patton's social class and upbringing. Axelrod, a professional author of well over 30 books, provides readable prose and workmanlike descriptive material. General Wesley Clark's forward adds little. Extensive endnotes, mainly of primary sources. Although not a substitute for the Blumenson or D'Este biographies, it is much more concise and accessible. First in Palgrave's Great Generals Series. Series editor is Clark. A good introduction to Patton.

General Eisenhower once wrote that "Patton was born to be a soldier." Axelrod's biography makes it clear why this was true, while at the same time revealing the weaknesses that sorely cost Patton.

George Patton, plagued by dyslexia throughout life, simply worked harder to overcome it - at first in his studies (requiring a "preparatory" year at VMI, and repeating his first year at West Point), and then reading to keep himself up-to-date on military tactics and history - including Rommel's writings and the Koran (the latter to prepare for battle in largely Muslim North Africa).

Patton was appointed 2nd Corporal his second year at West Point, but eventually was demoted for being a martinet - always quick to upbraid classmates for failings, but failing to praise when appropriate. It was a lesson he kept with him, reminding subordinates later to be both demanding and praising. Lean and fit, he tried football, but injuries prevented his playing for West Point - instead he became a pentathlon athlete - placing 5th in the 1912 Olympics.

Patton always pursued a preference for commanding soldiers in action to staff or stateside duties. This early on brought him into service with General Pershing, where he won acclaim in a small skirmish pursuing Pancho Villa and ultimately to Pershing's staff in WWI. Once in Europe, Patton became aware of the potential of tanks, was appointed to organize officer training in the new field, and took to the battlefield in their command. Their he demonstrated his trademark tactic of leading from the front - immediately resolving problems and motivating the soldiers, and was wounded. Just as importantly, Patton also realized that it was a mistake to limit tanks to supporting infantry - their speed offered much greater potential.

Early postwar duty included helping Gen. McArthur clear the Bonus Marchers from Washington, which Patton found quite distasteful. Later it was strongly rumored that he had a long affair with his niece. Regardless, as WWII approached and Patton was moved to leadership of a large tank command, he took up flying as a means of helping resolve bottlenecks and thinking about methods of avoiding presenting massed tank targets for enemy aircraft.

WWII began without Patton, but after the U.S. suffered a humiliating defeat in a North Africa tank battle, Patton was placed in command, and quickly turned the situation around - beginning with his insistence on strict discipline and providing well for his soldiers. He also became known for encouraging spirited debate among his staff, and then insisting on enthusiastic implementation of decisions.

Slapping Incidents: Involved two soldiers and two occasions. The M.D. in charge notified Eisenhower after the second; Eisenhower managed to keep the incident quiet, asking the press to sit on the story to protect a key commander. Columnist Drew Pearson, however, eventually learned of it and stirred a furor with his story. Patton ended up sidelined for 11 months, primarily serving as a decoy to confuse the Germans about Allied plans. Patton again got into trouble at a reception given opening a new facility for soldiers - there he (various versions) either slighted the Russians, either by omission or directly.

Patton is probably best known for the seemingly impossible task of rushing his large army a long distance in bitter cold to the rescue of U.S. soldiers trapped at Bastogne.

Once more, after the war, Patton again got into trouble - this time for remarks to the effect that many Nazis became party members because it was the only way to get their job, that many were needed to run post-war Germany, and it should not become an absolute bar to utilization. The result was Eisenhower's removing him from command and placing him in charge of compiling WWII history. Tragically, Patton didn't last long - he was fatally injured in a minor accident.

An easy, balanced read about a remarkable leader.

As other reviewers have pointed out, there are a number of excellent biographies out there covering the life of General Patton. This short work though, does a wonderful job of compacting a very large amount of informaton into a short, readable biography. The author is quite concise and the material very well organized. For those readers not wanting to delve into a 1000 plus page work, yet are interested in this great generals life, this quite fills the bill. The technical aspect of war is kept to a minimum, yet the author is able to convey the complexities of war quite well as well as the complexities of George S. Patton. I do hope the rest of the books in this series are as well done. Overall, recommend this one highly.

I feel a bit funny giving a 3 star rating to a book about a 4 star General. Anyway, Patton by Alan Axelrod is a more interesting book than his book on General Omar Bradley. Perhaps the two men are so very different that Axelrod was forced to write a rather dull account of Bradley's life but a much more lively account of Patton's life.

This book was less of a biography and more of a series of diary and letter quotes with respect to the timeline of events in Patton's life. Since much of the book's contents were created by Patton, you are left with a stronger connection to what he was thinking at the time of these events. (The Bradley book was mostly a biography from the "outside" of what was happening)

I was pleased to get a slightly different spin on some of the events of which Patton is so famous. Granted that you are mostly getting Patton's "spin" on things, it is still a valid point of view. I will give credit to Axelrod for presenting a well balanced story with clear distinction between Patton's thoughts and those of others.

I can recommend this book. It is a good study of an important person in our history

To echo the other reviewers: this crisp, easy-to-read biography is an excellent introduction to one of the most legendary commanders in all of military history.

After briefly covering Patton's youth, Axelrod jumps right into his military career, covering Patton's participation in the Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in 1916, his combat experiences with early armor in World War I, and his interwar role in developing American tank doctrine before launching into Patton's famous exploits during World War II, which constitute the bulk of the book. From North Africa to Sicily, from England to Northwest Europe, from the slapping incident to his bold northward dash during the Battle of the Bulge, it's all here.

I can't imagine this book would be very useful to someone who has already read D'Este's or Hirshson's books, but for the newcomer, Axelrod has condensed the essentials of Patton's life, battles, and generalship into a summary that's well worth the couple hours it takes to read.

This concise but authoritative biography of General George S. Patton, Jr. is the perfect text for the person who desires a penetrating biography of this legendary General without the length of some of the more complete biographies out there.

As others have already posted, this is an easy-to-read biography that makes a great introduction to Patton's life, and for many readers this is complete enough to stop here. Alexrod does a great job of capturing the essence of Patton's life and philosophy in such a brief biography.

The book starts out strong with the introduction by General Wesley K. Clark, and I can't help but agree with his sentiment that Patton was a winner, a morale- and team-builder who adapted quickly and sought to master every challenge and that we need leaders like Patton today.

Axelrod has written an excellent concise biography of General Patton. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick overview of his life and desires an introduction to this great general. I also recommend it to those that have read more exhaustive biographies on General Patton as I have. Sure, I was familiar with what was written because I have read the longer texts on his life, but I enjoyed this quick read about one of my favorite generals. If you like Patton or want to know more about him, this is a great little book.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks.

In my humble opinion, this title is one of the best biographies I've read in a long time. While the book contains only about 180 pages, the account is thorough and does not get bogged down in a dry summary of war strategy and tactics that afflicts other books.

Axelrod is able to describe in appropriate detail many aspects of Patton's life:

1. His early childhood in California, time at Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately graduating from West Point.
2. Involvement in the expedition against Pancho Villa and World War 1.
3. Rise to fame in World War 2.
4. Relationship with Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery, and other WW2 officers.
5. Relationship with enlisted men (including the 2 slapping incidents).
6. Tempestuous marriage to his wife Beatrice and his supposed reputation as a ladies' man.
7. The automobile wreck that led to his untimely death.

The part I enjoyed reading the most was probably the author's description of this highly effective general and most complex individual's personality. On the one hand, there is no doubt that while Patton played a significant role in WW2, many people disliked him. However, no one can argue with his point that Russia should have been dealt with much more firmly at the conclusion of WW2. Events from the 1940s - 1980s proved him to be correct.

A highly recommended read. Read and enjoy learning about one of our nation's greatest generals.

For the first book in a series on generals they couldn't have picked a better place to start than Patton. Patton was arguably the first of the modern generals.

It is said that Caesar or Alexander or Napoleon could have led soldier up to about the American Civil War. After the adoption of the internal combustion engine in tanks and aircraft warfare changed so dramatically that it took a new kind of general, and Patton was the American general that put it together best.

In World War I he was the leading American tank officer. Inbetween the wars, the Army wasn't interested in tanks, so he returned to the cavalry and bided his time. When World War II came, he was ready and positioned perfectly for the task ahead.

Patton was a combat general. He headed the 3rd Army. He had great strengths, and great weaknesses. He would not have been even considered for Eisenhowers job. He couldn't have handled the politics. What isn't generally known is that Patton was a very detailed planner. His victories didn't come by accident or just seat of the pants decisions.

This small biography is very well done in the insight that it provides into how Patton thought as well as what he did.

This biography of George Smith Patton (1885-1945) by Alan
Axelrod is a succint and well done account of the life & career
of "Old Blood and Guts." The introduction by General Wesley Clark is a good overview of Patton's theories and career. Patton
believed in advancing on the enemy with well prepared plans; a
disciplined and flexible army team and command presence extraordinaire! Patton was a master of war or as Carlo d'Este
put it in his definite life of the controversial general he was
a "Genius of War."
This short book is the first in a series of great generals in American history which will include the likes of US Grant; Curtis LeMay; Douglas Macarthur and others.
Axelrod shows how Patton became converted to tank warfare in World War I; formed a deep friendship with Dwight Eisenhower (frayed at times during WWII by Patton's boorish and foolish
actions!) and helped saved the day during the Battle of the Bulge with his rapid and skilled 3rd Army.
Patton is a man of contradictions. A snobbish aristocrat who could talk turkey with enlisted men in rousing profane speeches
caring for their health and food; a family man who in all likelihood had an affair with his niece Jean Howard; a hellbent for glory knight of old who was widely read and scholarly in his
pursuits. Unfortunately, Patton was also anti-semetic, racist and his hitting injured troops in two well documented cases in Sicily are inexcusable!
Patton was feared by the Nazis more than any other allied
general. He loved America and his legend and mystery grows as the sands of time pass. No matter what his faults there is something about the man one admires. An endlessly fascinating
general and leader.
If one has not read anything about Patton this is a good
introduction before going on the works of Blumenson and d'Este.
Hats off to Axelrod on a well written and presented book!

This book covers the life and times of George S. Patton from his childhood to death, and the period covering WW2, after taking over in North Africa reads like a script right out of the memorable movie. Scenes and quotations are replicated almost exactly.

Patton is usually compared to Rommel, due to their brief clash in North Africa and by the time Patton was in France, poor Rommel was doomed by the failed Valkrie plot, so his actual counterpart in the Werhmacht should be Guderian. They both championed the newly developed tanks and recognized their potential in attacking instead of simply supporting the infantry. Both drew up plans for blitzkrieg-like strategies, although the US had nothing compared to the fearful, deadly Stukas.

Interestingly,his 11 month suspension for slapping the two soldiers (which had shocked the Germans as well as the Russians), probably costed the US Army many thousands of men, because it can be argued that his aggressiveness was sorely missed and the war might have ended in late 1944.

This is a fair portrayal of the ultimate warrior and military genius, and it also depicts his many weaknesses, including the childhood learning disabilities, which dogged him thru life and how he overcame them by relentlessly driving himself to succeed and fulfill his destiny. This desire to overcome limitations and immense fear of failure was what was behind his harsh treatment of insubordinates and hostile opinion of his superiors.

Another great contribution to US military literature by Mr. Axelrod.