General Patton - by Stanley Hirshson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"The most complete biography of [Patton] yet produced." -Chicago
Tribune

Utilizing untapped archival materials from
the United States and England, Stanley P. Hirshson creates the most balanced
portrait of Patton ever written.

General Patton: A Soldier's Life reveals
Patton as a complex soldier capable of brilliant military maneuvers but also of
inspiring horrendous acts with fiery speeches. It explains Patton's belief in a
soldier's Valhalla, connects the family's wealth to one of America's bitterest
labor strikes, and disputes the usual interpretation of Patton's relief from
command of the Third Army.

While investigating this complex man, Hirshson has
uncovered surprising material about a series of civilian and military massacres
in Sicily, attempts to exploit Patton's diary after his death, and Patton's
relations with top Allied generals. In this meticulously documented volume,
Patton comes to life.

From the Back Cover

General George S. Patton Jr, an inspirational leader and outstanding tactician, has intrigued and confounded his biographers. Utilising untapped archival materials in both the USA and UK, government documents, family papers, and oral histories, Hirshson creates the most balanced portrait of Patton ever written. It reveals Patton as a complex soldier capable of brilliant military manoeuvres but also of inspiring his troops with fiery speeches that resulted in horrendous acts, such as the massacres of Italian civilians. It explains Patton′s belief in a soldier′s Valhalla, connects the family′s wealth to one of America′s bitterest labour strikes, and disputes the usual interpretation of Patton′s relief from command of the Third Army. In investigating this complex man, Hirshson has uncovered surprising material about a series of civilian massacres in Sicily, about the two slapping incidents, about attempts to exploit Patton′s diary after his death, and about Patton′s relations with top Allied generals. Patton emerges as a soldier of great imagination and courage, and his military campaigns make for edge-of-the-seat reading. All the drama of Patton′s life comes alive in this meticulously documented volume.

Review Quotes

"Hirshson does a fine job of capturing George S. Patton's contradictions and the decidedly unpleasant aspects of his character, both correcting and amplifying the work of earlier, often worshipful biographers. . . . Readers who keep at this long, dense biography will see that Hirshson treats Patton's very real accomplishments on the battlefield with great respect. After all, the general who seized more enemy-held territory than any other at tremendous cost to the foe deserves his reputation as a strategist to rival Napolean. . .or Genghis Kahn." - Kirkus Reviews

"A fuller, more detailed study of Patton than what has come before, thanks in part to Hirshson's exhaustive research of overlooked, forgotten archival material and newly available Patton family papers." - Joseph L. Galloway, Los Angeles Times

"[Hirshson] gives new perspective to Patton's abundant contradictions--his unique mix of bluster and brilliance, hubris and kindness, fierce loyalties and fiercer prejudices....Exhaustively researched and cleanly written, this should become the definitive Patton biography." - Navy Times

"Hirshson skillfully intertwines the Patton family story with that of the general's professional life." - Washington Post Book World

"The most complete biography of [Patton] yet produced." - Chicago Tribune

"Using new archival evidence, Hirshson offers the most complete look yet at the enigmatic warrior-poet." - U.S. News & World Report

"Of all the World War II generals, "Blood and Guts Patton" was the most controversial and remains so to this day, hated by some and loved by others." - New York Newsday

"Hirshson's exhaustively researched and well-written biography presents a balanced view of Patton's life from every angle. . . .The best biography of Patton to date, this will most likely become the definitive work on his life." - Publishers Weekly