Rating: 
Summary: The Movie Pales in Comparison
Review: The biographer's task is to compile the facts, utterances, and experiences of a lifetime and, after a thoughtful sifting and weighing of their importance, to draw conclusions and offer insights about that life. By these and many other criteria, Carlo D' Este's massive Patton: A Genius for War, is an exceptional example of the biographer's task properly executed. Three of his unique insights: By reproducing young Patton's letters home from the Virginia Military Institute, with their glaringly numerous misspellings, transposed letters, and missing punctuation, D 'Este convincingly demonstrates that Patton probably suffered from what is now commonly diagnosed as dyslexia. Second, by chronicling some two dozen instances in which Patton suffered blows to the head after being thrown from a horse or struck playing polo, D' Este theorizes that much of Gen. Patton's eccentricities and volcanic temperment in later life may well have been attributable to brain damage resulting from this repeated trauma. Finally, though he graduated only 25th of 248 at the Army's prestigious General Service School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Patton took exceptionally detailed and copious notes. These notes he later gave to a friend, Major Dwight David Eisenhower, who eventually ranked first in his class of 1925-1926. The rest, as they say, is history... D'Este clearly worships his subject, and his description of Patton's shining moment -- marshalling three Divisions to relieve the 101st Airborne at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge -- is worth the price of the book. There were quite a few typos in the text and footnotes, but they hardly distracted from this, the finest biography I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: This is a very good book
Review: An excellent, in-depth look at George S. Patton, Jr. Beginning with a chapter on Family lineage, it goes into great depth with writings from his own hand and gives an intimate impression of the greatest General of World War II. Fairly lengthy, a little over 800 pages of material reading, but never boring to anyone with an interest in "colorful" Historical figures. The Author dedicates a full chapter to the famous speech given prior to the Normandy Invasion made famous in the movie. I have come away feeling as if I spent time with the man himself. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is very busy but it is an interesting portrait.
Review: All my knowledge of Patton was from the film, I read this biography to learn more about him. I think Mr. D'Este has written a fine book but he jumps all over the place. He introduces facts and people at will and it is sometimes hard to follow. The author gives a balanced view of a very complex man. Patton was born and programmed for greatness. He had many faults, insecurities and excelled at alienating his superiors. He was both a loving and sometimes cruel husband and father. He worshipped his ancestors almost as fervently as he worshipped God. Patton was an accomplished actor who would change his personality and demeanor to suit a situation. Mr. D'Este describes in detail Patton's numerous indiscretions and successes. The book is most informative.
Rating:
Summary: Cutting through the facade
Review: Carlo D'Este is one of the few authors who can extensively research a subject and apply the data in terms and language that anyone can understand. He refuses to allow extraneous side information such as religion and temper to negate Patton's decisive understanding of the dynamics of battle. Reading 900 pages is not an easy task. This task I found I could have continued. History has not been revised, but rather finally illuminated.
Rating:
Summary: Meticulous scholarship and great writing.
Review: Carlo D'Este is a rarity: a superb military scholar who truly writes like a skilled novelist (others include John Toland, Glenn Tucker, Stephen Ambrose and Clay Blair). The first tip-off to the scholarship is that 800 pages of text are backed up by 100 pages of footnotes. As for the writing, just open this book anywhere and start reading; I challenge you to put it down. Tons of fresh material, many myths exposed, and some "saints" (eg, Bradley) defrocked. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Biography
Review: Carlo D'Este, a military historian and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, has written an amazing study of an important American war hero. The reader will not only learn about military developments that led to allied victory, but they will also get a real feel for the amazing personality that was George S. Patton, Jr. Only a few biographies leave you with the feeling that you have personally met the subject. This book is one of them. Anyone considering taking on the work of becoming a biographer should read this book and use it as a model. When most people think of Patton, they think of the 1970 film staring George C. Scott. D'Este knows this and begins his study with a chapter setting up this movie as a straw man. The film was extremely powerful, but it was ultimately a work of fiction and Omar Bradley, a general who despised Patton, played a large role in its production. D'Este also asks the simple but difficult questions of: who was the Patton. and why does he deserves another biography. The answer to these questions takes up 977 pages. We learn that the harsh, profane image he presented to his troops and the public was just that, an image. He was deeply religious, and was willing to take risks that only a man with the sincere believe that providence favored him would chance. He was extremely sensitive, loved poetry, understood what it took to send men into combat and was deeply troubled that soldiers under his command would die because of orders he gave. He was one of the best generals the allied coalition had and it was no accident. He had ability and worked hard at doing an extremely difficult job: killing. The most significant factor in shaping Patton's life was his dyslexia. Not only is dyslexia a learning disorder, it also entails a whole host of emotional and psychological consequences, including: feelings of inferiority, sharp mood swings, and a tendency to boast. Patton had all these traits and more. Given this disability, he had a difficult time as a cadet at West Point. He did well enough, though, to enter the cavalry. His natural talents as an army officer quickly became clear, but he also knew how to play the bureaucratic game. General John Pershing became a mentor of his and he excelled during the First World War, rising to the temporary rank of colonel. He was personally responsible for establishing the organizational table and most of the doctrine of the new tank corps. During these days of experimentation with armor, he made an important friendship with Dwight D. Eisenhower. Both, however, understood enough about service politics to return to their original branches. The interwar period was time of extreme frustration. It was only as the threat of war loomed that his career began to move forward. D'Este covers familiar ground during the war years: the campaign in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the slapping of two enlisted men, the Knutsford incident, exile, and his drive across France, the Battle of the Bulge, and his removal from command. The author shoots down a number of myths. Patton and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery had profound respect for one another and the rivalry that developed between them came late in the war. Bradley never respected the ability of either Patton or his staff. Bradley also had a long feud with Montgomery and was the individual most responsible for advancing the "our blood, his guts" view of Patton. The media helped, though. Patton had horrible relations with the reporters, which contributed to the amount of attention focused on the slapping and Knutsford incidents. His friendship with Eisenhower saved him after he assaulted two soldiers. Patton thought his friend had no backbone and was would sell him out. After Patton's ill considered remarks about the Russians in Knutsford, Ike was ready to send him back to the U.S. It was only the intervention of the General George C. Marshall, the chief of staff of the U.S. Army, that saved him. He did order a chaplain to write a prayer for good weather and later decorated the man with a Bronze Star, but not during the Battle of the Bulge as the film "Patton" suggests. D'Este, however, notes that during this battle Patton was at his best, calling it his finest hour. D'Este has a novelist's touch for details. The circumstance of Patton's death and the services honoring him are moving. Discussions of Patton's cowardly bull terrier, Willie, along with the relationship he had with the officers and enlisted men on his staff enable D'Este to give a full picture. D'Este's own military experiences inform this study. He pays attention to details that might have escaped an author with less expertise: Patton's use of maps, his organizational ability, and how he effectively employed assets such as intelligence. The research is impressive and it will be a long time before this book is ever surpassed.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad
Review: There is some debate about which American general was the most competent during the Second World War. McArthur has been seen by some as the most outstanding, however he fought against isolated Japanese garrisons, short of ammunition and lacking air support. Patton is seen by most as the most outstanding American general as he fought against the Germans who were in the position to put up more resistance than the Japanese. His actual war experience is reasonably limited because of the nature of America's role in Europe. He fought in Africa, Sicily and then in Europe after the Normandy breakout. He has been criticized over his strategy in Sicily. The majority of the defenders in Sicily were Italian. The Germans had approximately two divisions committed to the island. Patton advanced to the north west of Sicily after landing rather than trying to cut of the German retreat to Italy. His finest moments came in France. Following the Normandy break out the American armies suffered from major logistical difficulties. Despite this Patton kept driving his armies southeast from the break out and towards the German border. This was vital in pushing the Germans back to Germany and preventing them from stabilizing a front. A lesser man or a man without his self confidence would have waited for supplies to catch up. In the same way he moved quickly to attack the southern section of the German offensive in the Ardennes in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. It would seem that the German general staff formed the impression that he was the best-allied general in France. The reality is of course that war is only a small portion of a military figure's life. Patton was a person who joined the military when he was young. He wrote books on tactics and designed the saber that was used by the American cavalry. He served on Pershing's expedition against Villa and had a good combat record in the First World War. He also competed in the Olympic games between wars. He is also a person who overcame dyslexia that is not an inconsiderable achievement. As a human he was a person who had his weaknesses and no doubt would have been an absolute pain to live or serve with. Still soldiers are not employed to win niceness tests. The book is of interest to people interested in military history but the book would probably not have a huge appeal to other readers despite some eccentric aspects of Patton's life. Never the less a well written book although the author is a little bit partisan to his subject.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: Patton is one of the figures of World War II, of the 20th Century, who has transcended "historical figure" and has become a mythological figure. Whether heaped with praise, or villified, he is almost always treated as larger than life. In this remarkable biography, Carlo D'Este cuts through all that nonsense and gives us an astonishingly thorough picture of Patton the man. What is revealed, is that Patton was an enormously complex HUMAN BEING. While irrefutably a military genius, he was also a horribly conflicted person. Plagued by dyslexia at a time when it lacked scientific recognition, this shy, horribly self-concious man created a personality to mask his true feelings of self doubt. Perhaps inevitably, this persona eclipsed the man who created it, and left the world with the impression of Patton as a colorful, but unfortunately outrageous and uncouth man. D'Este undoubtably has the utmost respect for Patton, but he is also unflinching in his critiscm when warranted. His research is extremely thorough, and the narrative is remarkably even-handed for a figure who is frequently portraied as Greek hero. "Patton: A Genius for War" is a biography of the highest caliber, and a must read for an serious student of World War II.
Rating:
Summary: Good investigation by D'Este
Review: This book gets into the phsyche and inner working of Patton better than Ladislas Farga's book "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" which was THE book for years. In D'Este's book we learn about Patton and his trouble's with dyslexia and a high pitched squeely voice to his future days with a motor mouth. However, we are also introduced to a very determined man with incomperable drive and genius in studying his opponents. Patton was a man with little in his life outside of war and family. As George C. Scott said in the film playing Patton: "God how I hate the 20th century". I think this describes Patton after reading this biography.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST PATTON BIOGRAPHY YET
Review: I have 6 books on General Patton including The Patton Papers Vols. 1 and 2. Patton: A Genius For War, is far superior to the others. I just couldn't put the book down because it was so interesting and read like a novel. Even though Patton was a brilliant general, he wasn't appreciated by the Allied High Command. The Germans had more respect for him than did his superiors. Eisenhower, Bradley and Bedell Smith didn't credit him for his victories and he didn't recieve one medal from Eisenhower for his great accomplishments. I have a very, very low opinion of Omar Bradley after reading this book and believe that Patton should have been put in charge of the American Group forces that Bradley commanded. The war would of certainly ended a lot sooner if Eisenhower had done so.
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