An edition of Patton (1995)

Patton

A Genius for War

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Last edited by ImportBot
February 28, 2022 | History
An edition of Patton (1995)

Patton

A Genius for War

  • 9 Want to read
  • 3 Have read

Fifty years after his death, General George S. Patton Jr. remains one of the most colorful, charismatic, misunderstood, and controversial figures ever to set foot on the battlefields of World War II. And the image of the man has been not a little influenced by the 1970 film Patton, starring George C. Scott, in which he is portrayed as a swashbuckling, brash, profane, impetuous general who wore ivory-handled pistols into battle and slapped two hospitalized soldiers in Sicily.

It is one of the achievements of this riveting biography that it reveals the complex and contradictory personality that lay behind the facade.

With full access to Patton's private and public papers, and the cooperation of the general's family, D'Este shows us not only the extrovert Patton of public perception but also the intensely private Patton - the devoted student of history, the poet, the humble man very unsure of his own abilities - who could burst into tears, be charming or insulting quite unexpectedly, and the Patton who trained himself for greatness with a determination matched by no other general in the twentieth century.

Publish Date
Publisher
Harpercollins
Language
English
Pages
992

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: Patton
Patton: A Genius for War
November 6, 1996, Harper Perennial
Paperback in English
Cover of: Patton
Patton: A Genius for War
November 6, 1996, Harper Perennial
in English
Cover of: Patton
Patton: A Genius for War
November 1995, Harpercollins
Hardcover in English - 1st ed edition
Cover of: Patton
Patton: A Genius for War
1995, HarperCollins Publishers
Hardback in English - 1st ed.
Cover of: Patton
Patton: A Genius for War
November 1995, Harpercollins
in English

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Book Details


First Sentence

"Ask virtually any American born after World War II what immediately comes to mind when the name "Patton" is mentioned, and chances are they will conjure an image of a large, empty stage dominated by an enormous, oversize American flag."

Classifications

Library of Congress
E745.P3 D46 1995, E745.P3D46 1995

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL7275509M
Internet Archive
isbn_9780007327744_2
ISBN 10
0060164557
ISBN 13
9780060164553
LCCN
95038433
OCLC/WorldCat
33047010
Library Thing
251873
Goodreads
3537609

Work Description

Legendary for his tactical speed in war, General George S. Patton (1885-1945) was also notable for drama and style. Unfortunately, this plodding biography is not. The historic image of Patton has been indelibly molded by George C. Scott's 1970 film performance: histrionic, brilliant, bellicose, foul-mouthed--and more than a little insane. Retired US Army lieutenant colonel and military historian D'Este (Fatal Decision: Anzio and the Battle for Rome, 1991, etc.) does not rebut this impression but balances it. The grandson of a Confederate war hero, Patton had an idyllic childhood in turn-of-the-century Southern California (where his Virginia aristocrat family fled after the collapse of the Confederacy), marred only by dyslexia, which held him back in school and very nearly prevented him from getting his coveted appointment to West Point. D'Este emphasizes Patton's romantic attachment to his wife, his love of the army and war, his keen intellect, and the profound religiosity that shaped his view of his military destiny. All of Patton's military training was preparation for his service in WW II. The author shows how in Tunisia, Sicily (where his notorious slapping of two GIs nearly ended his career), and France, Patton became the Allied general most feared by the Germans because of his mobility and aggressiveness, and by his peers and soldiers because of his acid tongue and often erratic behavior. In the end, the man who dreamed of dying gloriously in battle perished, as the war was waning, in a mundane jeep accident. D'Este does not dispel any of the fascinating, repellent features of the Patton story, but his account, ponderous in size and impaired by frequent repetition and uninspired writing (""the silver spoon of Wilson wealth and good living was something that blessed Patton his entire life""), sometimes flags, occasionally bores.

Excerpts

Ask virtually any American born after World War II what immediately comes to mind when the name "Patton" is mentioned, and chances are they will conjure an image of a large, empty stage dominated by an enormous, oversize American flag.
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History

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February 28, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
March 27, 2021 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
August 23, 2020 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
July 12, 2019 Edited by mountainaxe1 Edited without comment.
December 10, 2009 Created by WorkBot add works page