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The basic expectation in any military history book are expectations of accuracy of dates.
Especially major dates like cracking Enigma codes.
The author doesn't seem to know/care about this basic expectation. The Enigma code was NOT broken in May 1940.
The premise of the author seems to be that whenever Patton was successful it was sheer luck or the enemy was too weak. Where Patton was not successful, it was Patton's fault.
E.g., the Naval bombardment in Sicily that prevented the Germans and Italians from successful counterattacks. The author seems to think this was sheer luck. It is NOT luck when you are calling in the naval bombardment as part of your operational plan.
Any soldier knows you have to use whatever advantages you got, Patton did exactly as a soldier, since the navy was ready, available and specifically tasked for this.
Similarly, in Normandy, the author says Kluge and others ran into headlong retreat because they were worn out constant attacks by air and artillery and that Patton had nothing to do with their retreat. I call this as a bull ! The fact that Patton's Third army attacks were constant and heavy to exploit breakthroughs was mentioned by the author as an afterthought - as if not worth mentioning.
Where the author sticks to facts, he is ruthlessly accurate. Esp when quoting diaries or journals. Where he puts in his opinions, he is decidedly anti-Patton and tries to attribute any success due to luck or other forces.
When reading this, you have to keep in mind of this bias.
- Paperback: 528 pages
- Publisher: Zenith Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0760345929
- ISBN-13: 978-0760345924
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Customer Reviews: 37 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#2,227,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5543 in WWII Biographies
- #23401 in American Military History
- #21513 in World War II History (Books)
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