The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family [Paperback]

Robert H. Patton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

"A compelling narrative...full of delicious characters in a prose style that is equal to their vigor."--New York Times

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Written by the legendary general's grandson, this account of George Patton and his family makes use of previously unavailable material.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Gen. George B. Patton had his share of personality foibles, but the man himself will always remain obscure. Ostensibly a history of the entire warrior clan, this family reminiscence dwells almost exclusively upon its most famous member. It is embarrassingly personal in tone, heavily anecdotal but yielding nothing new about the general except family gossip. The author never knew his grandfather but insists upon calling him "Georgie" throughout as he attempts to reconcile the drama of this fey family with his own orderly existence. The bottom line is that the general had a delightfully inconsistent personality, but no one (save his wife) ever really knew him very well. Not a necessary choice for most libraries.
- Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's Inc; 1st Brassey's five-star paperback ed edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574881272
• ISBN-13: 978-1574881271
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,827,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kudos to the author's beautiful literary style and wit, September 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family (Paperback)

I am myself admittedly a Patton aficionado, and I must say, this book reveals an even more complicated man and colorful family history than I realized. But what in my view truly distinguishes this book from other recent studies of General Patton is that its fascinating subject matter does not obscure the author's smooth, beautiful, often funny - but always precise and deliberate - literary style. Unlike so many of our more popular modern historians: this guy can actually write!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for any Patton Fan, April 21, 2006

By 

Mira (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family (The Warriors) (Paperback)

Robert Patton has written a great work not only for general readership but a lasting legacy to the Patton descendants. He delves into family history & writes about more than just names & dates. This book tells the story of the Patton ancestors that shaped the life of General George S. Patton Jr.

After reading this book you can clearly see the values & mindsets that drove 'Old Blood & Guts' & made him a legendary figure. It would be inappropriate to just read the military career of Patton & try to form an opinion of him without understanding the inner workings of the family & circumstances that shaped him. This book fills in so many gaps that are left out by other authors & extends past the general's death by following up with other family members.

Robert Patton should be commended for telling the whole story without leaving out the negative incidents. He tells the story, good & bad. To leave out negative incidents would be to ignore the occurences that were as much a part of Patton as were his glorious successes on the battlefield. It has been said that "We are the sum total of all our experiences". This clearly explains the man behind the legend & Robert Patton has done him justice.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pattons, December 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family (Paperback)

A truly inspiring work -- when I heard that Jonathan Yardley had dubbed it on the best books of that year, I had to read it... And it is. Should be required reading for anyone interested in history, especially their own.