Rating: 
Summary: The Personal Side of the Patton Story
Review: Unlike his grandson's mea culpa on the dark side of the World War II general, this examination of Patton, a very complex man, is unquestionably the best I have ever encountered. Anyone expecting to read a re-hashed version of the same war stories told in countless other biographies, will be shocked. Patton is shown to be more than the one dimensional warrior. It is indeed interesting to note the histories of the Patton families and how they affected Georgie Patton. It is also interesting to note the way that the Army of the early twentieth century worked politically. Details of his military actions were also well done, and at times surprising in what they revealed. This book will go to the front of my shelf of Patton books, in the place of honor.
Rating: 
Summary: Average
Review: While I'm not as well versed in the historical accuracy of this book, it's clear to me the author was diligent in his research.To me, that makes this book credible on nearly every level which is the most important part of a biography. It truly stinks to spend 2 weeks reading a book only to find out some of the information presented as facts are actually fiction. That is not the case here. The author does paint an unflattering picture of Patton at times, but I think he is justified because let's face it, Patton was flawed. He was an outstanding field general. The author points that out. But he was an egomaniac, a racist, and foul-mouthed even by military standards. Yet Patton was critical of other WWII leaders - especially Montgomery - for many of these same faults... clearly hypocritcal. My one big complaint with this book is a complaint I have with a lot of military history. I need better and more maps to keep track of what is going on. When ever I read military history I get bogged down in the details and lose focus. Including more maps that are easier to read seems like an easy thing to do, but for some reason this book has about 10 maps and they are not very helpful. How about 40 maps that clearly depict advances and detail troop movements the way they are actually described in the writing. I especially like the viewpoints of Patton's PR officer Quirk toward the end of the book. Those were very interesting. I also liked the way he portrayed Patton's dismissal and untimely death. He painted a picture of a man that was used as a scapegoat, then uses evidence to back that up. Patton's supposed lack of denazifying the German government was overblown and the author supports that point by detailing the outrage of the nation when Patton was dismissed. However, when you consider Patton's anti-semitic nature it is clear why the General was dismissed. And, I really like the way the author points out the fitting way that Patton was burried and dispells some of the myths of Patton at the end of this book. I would suggest if you are looking for a book on Patton, you could find a better read and would suggest reading some of the other reviewers who have suggested alternatives. However, I won't downgrade the authors somewhat slanted view of Patton. He credits the General when he deserves it and points out his flaws that were clear for everyone to see.
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