The Patton Mind (West Point Military History) [Paperback]

Roger H. Nye (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

General Patton was an avid reader and left behind an extensive library of military titles, many of which contained his notes and critiques. Nye, a military writer, has studied Patton's personal papers, file cards, and the Patton Collection at the West Point Library and attempts to show how these books influenced the general's thinking about tactics, strategy, and leadership. The reader will be surprised to learn about Patton's late conversion to the military value of tanks and his admiration for German military writers from Frederick the Great to his own contemporaries. The book has great photos, an extensive bibliography, and a list of titles from the West Point collection (for which it can serve as an excellent guide). However, biographical data are minimal (see Martin Blumenson's Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945 , LJ 11/1/85). For Pattonphiles and specialized military collections.
- Richard Nowicki, Emerson Vocational H.S., Buffalo
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Avery (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895294281
• ISBN-13: 978-0895294289
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,306,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone striving for excellence should read this book., November 19, 1999

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"strongbeliever" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Patton Mind (West Point Military History) (Paperback)

O.K., I confess I'm a fan of Patton and read most books on him. But I'm also a professional military historian and analyst who wants my students (both civilians and army officer cadets) to learn the value of reading good books -- and plenty of them.

Patton learned it, as Roger Nye's splendid book makes clear. This carefully researched and very readable volume shows that, throughout his dramatic life, from ambitious boy to four-star general, Patton read and digested almost every military historical and doctrinal book he could get his hands on.

What an example Patton is! When confronted by new tests in combat he was able to draw on an encyclopedic memory of what the 'great captains' of the past had done to achieve success under similar circumstances. And it paid off handsomely.

Nye's book tells us plenty about Patton, and also about the need for us to set goals and prepare and equip ourselves through all-out study to confidently face and overcome the challenges we face as we strive to achieve those goals.