Patton: Ordeal and Triumph

This is a great book. Must have for any military history enthusiast

Perhaps the best account of America's greatest general and his battles with the the Germans, the high command, and himself.

This book is a wonderful and instructive biography as well as a fine reference of the war in Europe written by a very good writer.Farago has nailed it right on the head.His description of one of America's greatest generals ever to command our forces was a joy to read.Patton is the model,the archetype, albeit a man with many faults but a man you would want to be on your side not theirs if you ever had to go into battle.A book visited by Francis Ford Coppola when hired to write the screenplay for the movie of the same name.You remember that one don't you.Many scenes and dialog were practically taken and used verbatum.The book traces him from his beginnings to his untimely death with just about everything in between.How his early days of struggle went on to shape and hone his adult personality, what drove him despite being considered an oddball primadonna by his peers.Yet all who knew him, worked for him or served under him grew to respect the man and what he tried to accomplish even at the expense of having to deal with his persona.I wish I could have met him just once.When given a job to do he did it with effectiveness and flair.The fight with Germany may have gone on longer than it did if Patton was never there.True, he did have many flubs some of which could have ended his career and nearly did several times.George had a big mouth and a short fuse which often got him into trouble with his superiors but as a military tactician he was brilliant and they knew it.The Germans feared him and in his many battles with them he usually came out on top.We need more men like him in the field today not these politically correct yes men who prance around trying to win hearts and minds.Look where that tact has gotten us, nowhere fast as more American soldiers come home in coffins.This book,nearly 900 pages long takes some time to get through but it is worth it.It will leave you with a complete and accurate picture of the man,his trials and tribulations and the battles he faced on the field and in the office.A more inspiring leader of men you will never find in modern times.He did believe that he was at many battle fields in the long forgotten past which may have helped him to find his destiny.A writer of poetry,a lover of fine wine,horses,discipline, an aristocrat in many ways yet war was what he was made for and this book will fill you in on all the details of his life and of some of the most difficult and famous battles in WWII Europe.There are many other biographies you could read about him perhaps too many, you need to narrow your search to just a few.If you value your time and want to get to the nuts and bolts of the man known as "old blood and guts" then look no further. Sure you could watch the movie but that just scratches the surface of the man.If you want to know what kind of leader we need today defending us at home and abroad or just want to get to know Patton himself, then this book should be your first choice for doing just that.

This book is a great study of an individual personality, and the mindset and dynamics of the brass calling the plays in WWII. It took the author a dozen years to finish this book. He worked on it between 1952 and 1964. This is important in that he had access to people who were there, who could tell their version of the stories. Many tlmes throughout the book I found myself wondering how the author knew the information he was presenting. It is clear that he did his homework, very thoroughly.Now, more than a half-century later, this book offers many lessons about both about the evolution of WWII, and how military strategists work overall.While there is a lot of detail that may not be memorable, such as about particular divisions doing things at any one time, the big picture is extremely valuable. Seeing inside the group of people who are sending young men off to die is both compelling and repugnant. While it is common knowledge that the egos of the generals played a part in the war, this book shoves that layer of the war into the reader's face. It is not a pretty picture. To see the obvious folly of nineteen year old men dying because one Allied general was playing a poker hand with another Allied general is a part of war that is more graphically illustrated in this book than in any other of the many books I've read about WWII. While war is always hell, and all death in war is random, many deaths could probably have been prevented with a different dynamic among the top brass. That lesson is undoubtedly as true today as it was then.The author takes a very even handed view of Patton. It is clear that he is generally favorable to him, but he is quite clear about detailing Patton's personal failings, and his personal biases. Patton was not liked by many of his peers. It is not clear how likeable he would be to many people. But others found him a compelling, charismatic character. I wondered whether George C. Scott's version of Patton was actually more likeable than the real man.One final note. Amazon has a January 2015 date listed for publication of this book. Clearly that is wrong. Perhaps that is when the kindle version appeared. The earlier publication date is, to me, a strength of the book. It came from a time when more sources were still alive. This book was published prior to the era when maps were easily created and published by computers, so the maps available are primitive, and totally impossible to use on a kindle. A new edition of this book could be greatly enhanced with photos and newly created maps.Overall, this book is highly recommended.

This morning I finished this fantastic book on the train to work and have to take my hat off to Ladislas Farago for an intelligent, well constructed and even handed portrait of one of the 20th Centurys greatest Generals.The book is an illuminating portrait of George S Patton Jnr, looking first at his family background then taking you through the events of his life from birth to death. It looks at both his high points, of which there were many, and his low points, which were spectacular. The book elicits all sorts of emotions from you as you read it, whether you agree with him or not. The author also ensures that his faults and his mistakes are not brushed over, but considered within the context of the period. If there were mitigating circumstances for the decision or action taken this is looked at too, but not to the detriment of the narrative as a whole.I am a big fan of Gen. Patton and think that his achievements will always greatly outweight any mistakes he made, but even I raised an eyebrow at some of the shenanigans of one of my military heroes! So please read this book and be amazed.I have read one other book on Patton by Alan Axelrod, which I have reviewed previously and given 1 star to (and only because I had to give it something!) and I can honestly say this book stands miles above Axelrod's account. At some 831 pages it does fall into the category of hefty tome, but please do not be put off by its size (or indeed weight!). This book is a fantastic insight into one of the most gifted military men of the 20th Century and deserves to be read as widely as possible. Please make the effort - you will not be disappointed.

For students of history, biography buffs or even movie fans who want to see the truth behind the classic film, this is a must read. It presents a complex, sometimes difficult and sometimes compassionate, man in a balanced, well-researched and readable way. I finished the book feeling I not only knew this giant of a man more, but I understood his faults, his greatness and his place in history. I loved every page.

Well written- entertaining profile of one of the most inspiring characters in history. Long but engaging story of the man.

not easy to take in all the facts, every page is full of so much detail. But the measure of the man is laid down for those who wish to read about this amazingly complex and brilliant soldier. We will probably never see his like again.

I've had a long time interest in Patton ever since seeing the film as a kid, so I was delighted when I discovered that this was available as an ebook.It's a decent tilt at the biography of a very complex character, jumps about a bit early on, but soon settles down when it gets into the period immediately before and during WW2.A thoroughly engaging read for people with an interest in the subject