Rating: 
Summary: The Old Army Style
Review: George Patton, a veteran of the Pershing expedition to Mexico in 1916 (where he killed three of Pancho Villas men, one a key subordinate, in a man to man gunfight), World War I (where he commanded the fledgling US Tank Brigade and was wounded and decorated for valor), and World War II, is one of the most misjudged and underrated combat commanders in American military history.An expert tactician, strategist, and trainer, he was proud, profance, outspoken, a soldier's soldier, led from the front, shared his men's hardships, led was was undoubtedly the best American field army of the war, and was the only American general the Germans feared. Carlo D'Este has written the definitive biography of this soldier and general, warts and all. He covers Patton's life from muzzle to buttplate, pulls no punches, and provides a human picture of a man that has definitely risen to legend. The descendant and father of soldiers, Patton led his troops and units in the old army way. An experienced combat officer, he had more experience than either Eisenhower or Bradley, and was a better general than both as well as Montgomery. This book has presented more information on Patton the man than any other. It is well-written, and riveting-you can't put it down. A moody, morose, devoted family man and dedicated soldier, Patton deserves more study, as do his campaigns. This book gets past the hype and delivers a solid punch as good, solid military history, and delivers the total picture of a man driven to be an aggressive, talented combat commander who knew his profession and contributed mightily to the final victory in World War II.
Rating:
Summary: Captures Patton the Man and the Warrior
Review: D'Este's biography of General Patton is as thorough and balanced a treatment of this great man as I have ever seen. I re-read my old (now long out of print) copy of Farago's "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" afterward and discovered just how different the two accounts are. Both books are essential reading as they give you different (but not disparate) views of General Patton. Both are unashamedly pro-Patton while acknowledging his human flaws. "Genius For War" attempts to delve more deeply into Patton the man than any previous biography. It also helps to detach the General's story from the image portrayed in the fine 1970 film "Patton." Ultimately there is far more to General Patton than the movie could ever convey. However, "Genius For War" conveys this depth quite well. One comes away from "Genius" feeling that Patton's story has finally been told with far more accuracy. I had only one quibble with the account, and it is of minor consequence. I felt D'Este was too invested in portraying Patton as dyslexic; perhaps his information sources were biased on this matter. While the author quickly dismisses the possiblity that the General may have suffered mild traumatic brain injury (perhaps from numerous falls from horses), his descriptions of the General's behavior actually raise this as a credible possibility. While it raises an interesting question, I doubt if 60+ years after the General's passing that anyone will be able to definitively answer that question. This is unquestionably one of the most engrossing, readable biographies I have ever experienced. I give it my strongest recommendation, and thank the author for his efforts. I can think of few books I have enjoyed so much.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Biography of a Very Complex Man
Review: In terms of the biographies that one comes across this one is by far the most comprehensive and non judgemental towards its main character. Patton's life is depicted through the book very vividly and covers a lot more about the man than most people know. It covers his life through his triumphs and disasters very distinctly without making the reader hate or love Patton more or less than he ought to be. Patton's life is more than just the last three years of his life through which he is most known among the world - His Glory Years - World War II. And those years are very beautifully covered in the book. Infact they show more about him, his nature and his character than the three years of the WWII. Even though i have always admired him I still felt moved by the book. Not because he is idolised by the author in the book but more because through the book D'Este has shown that even the great Patton was just a human being full of doubts and fallings. Patton's greatness does not lie in his swashbuckling nature, his outbursts, his abusive language but in the fact that he was more confident in the training that he made his armies go through, the discipline he ensured among his soldiers and in his utter confidence in his them. Yes! you hate him a number of times during the book. But you come to admire what he did for his men in the field. In my belief inspite of the fact that it was his nature to try to test his fate whenever he went to the front but merely seeing their general among themselves inspired the men who served under him to do their best for him. I have never ever enjoyed any biography more than this one. It made me laugh many times, it made me cry many times and it makes me sad that such a man wasnt given the respect he deserved - more than any other general who served in the army. In my view he was truly the Greatest General who served during World War II at least the Greatest American General. And he deserved the 5 Stars I have given this Book.
Rating:
Summary: Superb! A Rich and balanced portrait of a great leader.
Review: "Patton" A Genius for War " is an outstanding biography of General George S. Patton. After seeing some less than glowing critical reviews of this book, I was hesitant to read it, expecting it to be over-long, somewhat disjointed and unorganized. But, I plunged ahead anyway, and found the book to be a genuinely pleasant surprise - superbly written, richly detailed, balanced, and obviously well researched and organized. The portrait of Patton which emerges is that of a man destined for greatness on the field of battle from the beginning. Here is seen the scion of a Virginia family steeped in military tradition since the Civil War (two ancestors died as heroes to the Confederacy during that conflict). Here is the young man with a tremendous intellect and drive to succeed; suffering from, and successfully compensating for, dyslexia and feelings of inadequacy brought on by this disability. And, here is the army officer who believed he was destined for greatness, demonstrating a natural genius for war throughout his long military career; a highly patriotic, proud, and profane general, capable of quickly moving an entire army across Europe; yet afflicted with the hubris which ultimately led to his firing as Third Army commander at the end of World War II. "Patton: A Genius of War" is a wonderful biography of a highly complex and yet deeply flawed man. For readers interested in getting beyond the image of Patton presented by the movie, this book is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Biography
Review: First of all, I'd like to thank the author for this magnificent biographical work. When you read a book that moves you the way this one does....the author deserves our highest praise. From the first page on....you'll quickly realize how well D'Este writes. Select a passage from any page in the book, and you'll be hard pressed not to continue reading from that point forward. Even the 100 or so pages of footnotes at the end are the most informative and interesting that I've ever perused. D'Este didn't hurt his cause either by selecting George S. Patton as his biographical subject. This mammoth offering chronicles the life one of America's greatest heroes of the 20th century....and perhaps the most controversial as well. Patton's life was complex, intense, and full of controversy at every turn. A very determined and goal oriented person from youth, Patton's call to military life continued a long standing family tradition of outstanding military service dating back to the Revolutionary War. An excellent military strategist, Patton could move an army like no other general before him, but personal conflicts and difficulties with his superiors and the press alike....proved to be his Achilles heel. This book is very detailed, yet easy to read. As an added bonus.....you'll find 2 sections filled with superb photography, plus numerous campaign maps scattered throughout the text. As an avid reader....I consider this to be one of my all time favorite biographies. J.B. Kruz
KruzKontrol
Rating:
Summary: Patton in all his glory, vanity, and daring
Review: Let me start out by saying that this this book is, first and foremost, very readable; I say that because, even though I am an avid reader of military history, too often these sorts of biographies can be very dense. I found Patton's early years fascinating - grandson of a Confederate war hero, Patton was raised with stories of his family's military legacy as a core part of his being, leading him to believe in his destiny to do great things. From his academic struggles to get through VMI and West Point, his early military experiences in Mexico and WWI, the tedious interwar years - all form a great foundation for the Patton's entrance on to the WWII stage. Patton's leadership style was what fascinated me the most. Action oriented with his troops, Patton made sure his troops kney were being LED, and made them believe they could win. Pompous and a stickler for military decorum, he could be seen as a bit of buffoon. But he led by example - out with the troops constantly - and he delegated heavily to his staff even as he demanded the best of them. About what other leader do veterans say things like, "I was with Patton" when describing their war experiences? Like all WWII military leaders, Patton is controversial, and some readers may want to understand other perspectives on Patton's run-ins with folks like Montgomery, Ike, and Bradley. D'Este's trump card seems to be that the Germans feared Patton the most of all the Allied generals. The book covers all facets of Patton's military life, his relations with family, and goes into details on all his campaigns. With the Berlin Wall now gone, the import of Patton's concern about the Russians may seem less important now, but he was certainly right on. As biographies of military figures go, this one is a winner. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Captures Patton the Man and the Warrior
Review: D'Este's biography of General Patton is as thorough and balanced a treatment of this great man as I have ever seen. I re-read my old (now long out of print) copy of Farago's "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" afterward and discovered just how different the two accounts are. Both books are essential reading as they give you different (but not disparate) views of General Patton. Both are unashamedly pro-Patton while acknowledging his human flaws. "Genius For War" attempts to delve more deeply into Patton the man than any previous biography. It also helps to detach the General's story from the image portrayed in the fine 1970 film "Patton." Ultimately there is far more to General Patton than the movie could ever convey. However, "Genius For War" conveys this depth quite well. One comes away from "Genius" feeling that Patton's story has finally been told with far more accuracy. I had only one quibble with the account, and it is of minor consequence. I felt D'Este was too invested in portraying Patton as dyslexic; perhaps his information sources were biased on this matter. While the author quickly dismisses the possiblity that the General may have suffered mild traumatic brain injury (perhaps from numerous falls from horses), his descriptions of the General's behavior actually raise this as a credible possibility. While it raises an interesting question, I doubt if 60+ years after the General's passing that anyone will be able to definitively answer that question. This is unquestionably one of the most engrossing, readable biographies I have ever experienced. I give it my strongest recommendation, and thank the author for his efforts. I can think of few books I have enjoyed so much.
Rating:
Summary: The best Patton biography
Review: Carlo does it again with this excellent biography of Patton. Recently a number of bios of this great american figure have appeared but this one remains the classic account and the neccesary text for any study of Patton. It regalls us with pattons early life, his aristocratic heritage and the many quirks that made him stand out in the american army prior to WWII. Then it details Pattons succesful armored column command during the Lousiana Manuevors. Next the author takes on a coup de' main of Pattons role in WWII from North Africa, to Sicily and finally the race across France. An excellent account, highly readable and wonderfully written.
Rating:
Summary: D'este: A genious for Biography
Review: A superior biography! In Patton, D'Este has much to work with as Patton apparently left an exhaustive supply of personal letters where he revealed both historical fact and his most personal thoughts. One gets the idea that Patton might all along have been "documenting" his life for future biographers just in case. In addition, Patton's life was lived in such a way that all who knew him, and many who didn't, were impelled to have and express their opinion of him, usually strongly positive or strongly negative. There seems to be little disagreement that to all Patton was larger than life, a military man absolutely cut from a cloth different even from that of his comtemporaries. A pure warrior who would have been at home in any army, at any critical time in the world's history (and who are we to say he wasn't there). Patton was that most interesting kind of biographical subject, a self destructive genius whose live was scrupulously well documented by a life time of recordkeeping by the army, by a skeptical press, by his comtemporaries who we also know well, and by his family. All seemed compelled to keep a record of their impressions of Patton.
One can only imagine D'Estes' joy as he discovered and read for the first time, letter after letter after letter.
D'Este is clearly a fan of Pattons, but nevertheless reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly. One example is the revealing look D'Este gives us into Patton's anti-semitism, revealed in his letters immediately after the war. Others offer an opinion as to medical causes for such statements, but D'Este rejects that thesis outright. Absolutely superior.
Rating:
Summary: Great reading
Review: While Patton had flaws, and they are clearly presented in this excellently-written biography, I found his story full of high interest and one could not help but feel glad that Patton was present when he was on the battlefields where he served. This is an excellent work, well matching the other D'Este works I have read: Decision in Normandy (read 5 July 1992) and Fatal Decision (read 29 June 2003). Patton did heroic things but there is no need to admire his flaws--and that includes his belief that crude and foul language somehow made him a better man and general, and that he thought he knew more about mental damage than doctors. But this is a great and enjoyable book to read and I revelled in it.
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