Excellent ( )

A brief biography of one of WWIIs most significant commanders. The author starts off very complimentary and defensive about some of the negative light that Patton was shown in with the popular movie about him. However, while he defends him he is clear about his mistakes and his shortcomings.

He points out that he was a son of whom much was expected. His father was disappointed that he was not able to make a career in the military so he raised his son from the beginning to live the life he did not have. In addition to that pressure his father and grandfather had an outstanding military record and he was expected to live up to them.

The author makes it clear that though he came from a wealthy family he earned his success and worked very hard to be the best he could be in the Army.

He learned to read at a late age and though he loved reading struggled academically (the author notes he never learned to spell well) though he authored many papers on tactics and new developments in warfare over the years.

Patton was also an Olympian competing in a five event challenge as the only American and acquitting himself well.

This volume is very approachable and easily readable. Highly recommend for someone wanting a quick read on a controversial and significant WWII commander. ( )

On a hilltop in France during World War One two men, possessors of gigantic egos, stood chatting casually as enemy shells burst around them. Neither one wanted to be the first to leave and be seen as the less courageous of the two. One of these men was Douglas MacArthur, who went on to distinguish himself as commander of the Pacific theater during the second world war.

The other was George S. Patton.

Perhaps no other military figure in American history is shrouded in as much legend as Patton. In their book Patton, The Pursuit of Destiny, authors Agostino von Hassell and Ed Breslin attempt to separate fact from fiction. The resultant biography is no where near as complete as, say, Manchester's tome on Macarthur. Still, it is helpful in sorting out the real Patton from the Hollywood version.

And according to the authors, the real Patton was a man of contrasts. He was a highly disciplined man whose mouth consistently got him in trouble. He demonstrated great personal courage and had an obsessive fear of death. He gave profanity laden speeches while at the same time writing tender missives to his wife back home. He went beyond the call of duty in his personal care of wounded soldiers, and yet almost lost his career because he slapped on one but two of them.

The authors do a skillful job of bringing out these complexities and analyzing their roots. The first chapters explore his family history (Confederate war heroes, Virginia aristocrats) and early influences. The rest of the biography deals with the major events of his life.

As a side-note, there is an aspect of authors' style that frustrated me. On not a few occasions the authors relate the result of a conflict, then go back and rehash the details, giving the result again at the end. Other than that annoying detail, the writing was crisp and well-paced.

I would recommend this book to all who are interested in the life of this American hero, as well as to any who study the principles of leadership. The best and the worst of said principles can be found in Patton. ( )