From the Inside Flap
He was the most controversial American general in World War II—and also one of the most successful, courageous, and audacious. As a postwar administrator of defeated Germany, he sounded alarm bells about the dangers of Soviet encroachment into Europe. Politically, he was a lightning rod—an outspoken conservative who continually embarrassed his superiors with his uncensored, undiplomatic, and unrestrained comments to the press. He was General George S. Patton Jr., old Blood and Guts.
In 1945, shortly before he was to fly home to the states as a conquering hero, he was involved in a mysterious car crash that left him partially paralyzed.
Two weeks later, just as his doctors were about to send him home to finish his recovery, he was dead.
The army ruled the car crash an accident, his death natural. Yet witness testimony on the crash conflicted, key players in the incident disappeared, official reports vanished, soldiers were ordered to keep silent, and there was no autopsy performed on the body.
Investigative and military reporter Robert Wilcox, author of Black Aces High and Wings of Fury, has spent more than ten years investigating these mysteries, and in Target: Patton he has written an electrifying account of the shocking circumstances—long hidden from the public—surrounding the death of America's most famous general. In Target: Patton, you'll discover:
The extraordinary war hero, artist, and mercenary who said he was ordered by U.S. intelligence to assassinate Patton
The OSS agent who knew Patton was in danger and tried to save him
New evidence from recently declassified documents revealing doubts about the official version of Patton's death
The final stories of those involved in the accident, including those who were thought to have disappeared—until now
Provocative, shocking, and compelling, Target: Patton takes you through the maze of denials, contradictions, and treacheries behind one of the great unsolved mysteries of World War II.
From the Back Cover
"Robert Wilcox's
Target: Patton has enough twists and turns to satisfy the most demanding murder-mystery fan with the added bonus of historical possibility. Populated with legendary real-life characters, Wilcox introduces the world to Douglas Bazata: a man of action as improbably true as Lawrence of Arabia. With a screenwriter's gift for picture images and a military historian's discipline for detail, Wilcox peels back the decades to the chaotic fi nal chords of WW II and the opening act of the Cold War by asking the heretofore unanswered question: was General George S. Patton murdered?"
--Doug McIntyre, KABC Radio/
Los Angeles Daily News "Target: Patton is a terrific book investigating the mysterious death of one of America's greatest military heroes: General George S. Patton, Jr. Reporter Robert Wilcox takes the reader into the mystery: from Patton's suspicious car crash in Occupied Germany in 1945 to his unexpected death two weeks later, bringing to light new evidence and raising serious questions, all of which makes for a fascinating read."
--Paul E. Vallely, Major General, U.S. Army (Ret.) Chairman, Stand Up America USA, Co-author of Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror
"I am most surprised to learn in Robert Wilcox's highly readable book that there is a reasonable doubt and more that George Patton's death in Germany in December 1945 was not the result of a car crash but possibly foul play by hired assassins. Certainly there was motive and opportunity, but was there method? Over the years, I had heard a version of this tale based upon German villainy, but never with the detail and matter-of-fact persuasion in
Target: Patton. I don't know if he was murdered, but I am no longer sure he wasn't. Exhume the corpse. End the debate."
--John Batchelor, host WABC, WMAL, KSFO, KFI
About the Author
Robert K. Wilcox is an author, journalist, and screenwriter who has written extensively on military subjects. He is the author of, among other books, Scream of Eagles, Japan's Secret War, Wings of Fury, Black Aces High, and First Blue. He has appeared on the History Channel, Oliver North's War Stories, and many other television and radio shows. He lives in Los Angeles.
