Book Description
Illustrated by Patton's decisive moves and distinctive style, executives and managers will learn straightforward, practical lessons in dynamic, results-oriented management. Illuminated by actual statements the general made, chapters cover how to develop a leadership attitude and image, communicate effectively, set goals, establish clear priorities, inspire others, instill loyalty, build a team, coach and mentor, resolve conflict, know the “enemy,” and sustain optimum performance.
Customer Reviews:
Great book on Patton "and" leadership.......2007-05-30
Notwithstanding the devotion of only one part (out of ten) on the background/history of Patton leaving nine on 183 quotations (and elaborations) by or about him, this book made me understand more about this controversially one of the greatest generals/military leaders ever than the few biographies I read of him comibined. That's no exaggeration. Thanks to the author's intelligent pick and insightful analysis. A very helpful management book indeed. In short, highly recommended.
Below please find some of the quotations I like the most for your reference.
51. Never Assume: One day a colonel was under attack by Patton for a decision based on the weather. The colonel explained, "General, we cannot predict the weather. We must assume average weather conditions and plan accordingly." "We never assume anything is average," patton Said. "If we do any assumng, we will assume the worst weather."
52. Learn from the Facts: We passed the scen of the tank battle during the initial German breakthrough. I counted over a hundred American armored fighting vehicles along the road, and, as a result, issued an order, subsequently carried out, that every tank should be examined and the direction, caliber, and type of hit which put it out made of record, so that we would have data from which to construct a better tank.
131. Personal Best: Patton's wife, Beatrice, found her husband kneeling in prayer before a polo match. "Afterward she asked what he'd beeen praying for. 'For help in the pol game,' he replied.'Were you praying for a win?' she inquired. 'Hell no,' he said. 'I was praying to do my best.'"
170. Cultivate Independence: Lack of orders is no excuse for inaction.
*the ultimate warrior*.......2007-05-06
Books on military leadership can be complicated, long and full of ambiguity. Not so with this book. No dry theory. No long explanation. Straight to the point with examples based on integrity and focus on effectiveness. In its kind, it must be the best book ever.
General Patton is my hero!.......2006-06-18
I luv, luv, luv this book. If you are a Patton fan and you love leadership you get two for the price of one. Great history as well as great leadership principles. Down to earth, short, wonderfully written vignettes that capture the essence of General Patton and "real" leadership.
If you love wimpy leadership principles this book IS NOT for you.
Mick Hager
Mick Hager
Author of MONKEY BUSINESS, 7 Laws of the Jungle for Becoming the Best of the Bunch! A Short Tale of a Company That Gets It!
Gibbs Smith Publisher, March 2007
Quick and Dirty.......2005-10-10
Axelrod boils down Patton's leadership principles to a quick hitter that proves valuable to any leader. The book is filled with examples of Patton being hard on his men, knowing that it will ultimately save their lives in combat down the road. Easy to read and nicely chopped up; so the reader can pick it up and put it down when the opportunity presents itself.
Like Nick Lowe sang, "You gotta be cruel to be kind..."
Patton on Toast.......2005-08-30
Leadership depends upon dynamism (action). "Go forward." (p. 53) It means application using past battles as lessons. The author was clear that Patton believed in direct action based on facts. The center of the book stresses Patton's action orientation ad nauseum. The three maxums are speed, simplicity and boldness. In presentation, Patton has the sound of genius and the subtext tells a story of impulsive foolishness, high drama and overcompensation. It is unclear if the author intended to impliy that or if it is misreading in the Paul de Man sense. Pattion was a show and, perhaps, a rebel though that is not clear in the book either. He said "Army regulations are written by those who have never been in battle." (p 248) The author suggests it has something to say about corporate management. What, the author doesn't say. Using polite military terms, the book is S.O.S.(on toast) Go figure. Eric J. Lindblom PhD Harvard
Average customer rating:
- How to Win War
- Bow down.
- Old blood-n-guts in his own words
- A General's General.
- Patton - I imagine
|
War As I Knew It
George S. Patton
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
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A Soldier's Story (Modern Library War)
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Patton: A Genius for War
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Patton: A Biography (Great Generals)
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The Rommel Papers (Da Capo Paperback)
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Patton on Leadership
ASIN: 0395735297 |
Book Description
Adored by many, loathed by some, General George S. Patton, Jr., was one of the most brilliant military strategists in history. War As I Knew It is the personal and candid account of his celebrated, relentless crusade across western Europe during World War II. First published in 1947, this absorbing narrative draws on Patton's vivid memories of battle and his detailed diaries, from the moment the Third Army exploded onto the Brittany Peninsula to the final Allied casualty report. The result is not only a grueling, human account of daily combat and heroic feats - including a riveting look at the Battle of the Bulge - but a valuable chronicle of the strategies and fiery personality of a legendary warrior. Patton's letters from earlier military campaigns in North Africa and Sicily, complemented by a powerful retrospective of his guiding philosophies, further reveal a man of uncompromising will and uncommon character, which made "Georgie" a household name in mid-century America. With a new introduction.
Customer Reviews:
How to Win War.......2007-08-14
The brilliant military leader and strategist General George S. Patton, Jr., presents his World War 2 autobiography with "War As I Knew It". First published in 1947, this remarkable 425-page book has often been republished (including this review's 1995 paperback).
This extraordinary study recalls the Allies' efforts from its Morocco landing (1942) to victory in Germany (1945) from the Major General's eyewitness 3rd American Army command. General Patton's gives considerable advice through many memorable epigrams:
* "If I do my full duty, the rest will take care of itself."
* "...the fatalistic teaching of Mohammed and the utter degradation of women is the out standing cause for the arrested development of the Arab."
* "One look is worth a hundred reports."
* "...throughout history, wars had been lost by not crossing rivers..."
* "It is useless to capture an easy place that you can't move from."
* "...one does not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. One tries to make plans fit the circumstances."
* "...when the American Army had once put its hand to the plow, it should not let go."
* "...as long as you attack them they cannot find the time to plan how to attack you."
* "...every time I had been bitterly disappointed, it worked out for the best."
Patton reveled in attack and "killing Germans". He was determined for Allied victory by mean of his command. He fought battles, argued strategy with fellow generals, toured corpse ridden shell falling battlefields, and pressed his army to victory. He disliked British General Montgomery, had immense respect for Eisenhower, and had profound sympathy for all fallen Allied soldiers. This book presents war-winning strategy.
This book is recommended for all students World War 2 and those interested in the life of General Patton.
Bow down........2007-01-14
Patton was fine man. he cursed like hell, and roared with delight when his children did the same. I love the guy.
Last chapters are the best.
Old blood-n-guts in his own words.......2007-01-03
A wonderful resource to see how the great general viewed the wars in which he took part. A great study in his personality and his ambition that will be enjoyed by all who admired the man.
A General's General........2006-09-03
This has to be one of those always-at-hand reference books that modern day military leaders pick up and consult. Not so much for the academic and technical resource because it of course, is a bit dated in that regard, but simply to understand and hopefully learn what leadership in it's ultimate pure form really is. Patton had it. It goes without saying that World War II would have been finished much different if it was not for his style and drive. Certainly the most quotable allied general of the war. Todays business leaders and managers (myself included) read books like "War as I knew it" and come away with a renewed confidence in the human potential. Patton pulled every ounce of self worth out of his men to achieve the final victory. It was his standing order. This book discusses in detail how he did that and why. All explained very clearly. His style was unorthodox, his demeanor sometimes in question, his spirituality vivid and some battlefield decisions nearly cost him his career. "War as I knew it" will read at times like a dull teacher giving a lecture. Stick with it and breath it in. This is full-on George Patton. It all still works in the 21st century.
Patton - I imagine.......2006-08-30
This book is an excellent account of General Patton's battles in WWII. In his own words he describes some moments of the campaigns in the European Thater of Operations including North Africa. But this book is not only account of the battles, but it also contains events telling us stories about Patton's personal experineces and showing us that a war is not just battles, but also many other things.
Book Description
Patton: A Genius for War is a full-fledged portrait of an extraordinary American that reveals the complex and contradictory personality that lay behind the swashbuckling and brash facade. According to Publishers Weekly, the result is "a major biography of a major American military figure."
"This massive work is biography at its very best. Literate and meaty, incisive and balanced, detailed without being pedantic. Mr. D'Este's Patton takes its rightful place as the definitive biography of this American warrior."
--Calvin L. Christman, Dallas Morning News
"D'Este tells this story well, and gives us a new understanding of this great and troubled man."-The Wall Street Journal
"An instant classic." --Douglas Brinkley, director, Eisenhower Center
Customer Reviews:
The natural and other lessons.......2007-09-25
Patton is often described as "controversial". To those who have never fought in war, or perhaps even just engaged in competitive sports, or who otherwise have only a sort of normal, everyday idea about how people ought to act, I suppose he is: Arrogant, sometimes outwardly cruel, demanding, competitive, a taskmaster, single-minded, agressive, angry, all the rest. I've never fought in war, but I've played my share of competitive sports (a paltry parallel, but the best I can do). In sports, everyone (if they're lucky) had a coach like this somewhere along the way, and they most likely took more lessons away from that man or woman than all the colorless middle-of-the-roaders combined. They most likely achieved things under that person's direction that they didn't know they had the capacity to do. They most likely recall details about that person many years later, after they've forgotten most of the others. When the old team-mates get together, that's who most of the stories are about (many told as being funny, now - not so at the time).
To me, that's Patton: An American original who just barely escaped being a bombastic buffoon. He avoided that fate and scaled the heights of history because he was a born leader of men - one who either broke them (rarely), or got the best out of them (much more often); because he knew his business inside-out; because he worked at it day and night; and most of all, because finally, he WON.
I think that this intensely personal essence is what is most completely captured in this book. It fills in many of the overlooked or understated details from the well-known George C. Scott movie, and adds much new material besides. An excellent book, worthy not only as a war biography, but as a study of what it honestly takes to do REALLY well at any endeavor in life.
Detailed and nuanced biography of a legendary warrior general.......2007-04-01
This is a massive biography of General George Patton (820 pages of text, and more pages of footnotes, references, etc.). It begins with the roots of his predecessors in the New World. The first Patton, Robert, emigrated to Virginia from Scotland about 1770. The first chapter outlines the development of the family from that point to the Civil War. Many of the men in the Patton family (including the Mercers) were actively involved in the Confederate Army, fighting in many major battles of the war--with two in the family dying at Gettysburg and again at Winchester. The second chapter follows the family to California, where George S. Patton III was born in 1885.
The book traces his childhood and then his entry into West Point, after a brief time at VMI, early in the 20th century. One of his challenges academically was his affliction--dyslexia. During his time at West Point, he began to see his future wife, Beatrice Banning Ayer. It is interesting to note a change in his persona at the military school, closer to what he thought a military man ought to be like (profaner, tough, ruthless, and aristocratic). As the author puts it (page 77): ". . .while he succeeded beyond measure, in so doing, `he killed much of his sensitivity and warmth and thereby turned a sweet-tempered and affectionate child into a seemingly hard-eyed and choleric adult."
His military career, after graduation, began with the cavalry. He was selected, after doing his own lobbying, to serve as an aide to Black Jack Pershing on the punitive expedition to Mexico, thus securing the patronage of an important leader. He behaved with courage during this expedition. And when the Americans entered World War I, Patton journeyed to Europe to take part. When he saw the opportunity, he joined the brand new Tanks Corps. He was an innovator in development of a doctrine of tank warfare; he also led tanks in combat. In the interwar years, Dwight Eisenhower joined Patton with the tank corps. However, with demobilization, the army declined in number and tanks became downgraded. Patton returned to the cavalry.
As World War II drew Americans into the conflict, Patton headed to North Africa, where he was to gain his first glory as commander of II Corps, energizing that body and leading it to considerable success. He also would find himself in disagreement with fellow allied commanders. He was a key player in the Sicilian campaign, which ended with his regrettable slapping of an American soldier. This put a hiatus on his active combat leadership for awhile, as Eisenhower "sat him down."
However, as we all know, he was destined to command the Third Army after the Normandy invasion. The book portrays his lightning movements, his feuds with other commanders, his urinating in the Rhine, and so on. And, finally, his lingering death (having cheated death many times after bad accidents, it seems almost inevitable that a final accident would take his life).
For those wanting to learn in depth about Patton's background and his leadership in the way years, this is a valuable book. There is a useful postscript on Patton's legacy, including a nuanced assessment of his strengths and weaknesses. Most fair-minded readers would see this as a valuable volume, capturing reasonably well a complex person, who exhibited some pretty poor behaviors and who was at the same time capable of bursts of greatness.
One of the best PAtton bio's I have read.......2007-03-29
Excellent. Complete, and insightful. I would read this for pleasure. It flows well, contains many historical nuggets, and provides insight into the psyche of one of America's greatest Generals.
The book is long, but it is COMPLETE. One stop shop for anything you wanted to know about G.S. Patton Jr.
Well-Research, Insightful, and Hilarious.......2007-02-25
Absolutely fascinating biography of Patton, filled with stories about him that will have you laughing on almost every page (and weeping on some others as he slaps soldiers and especially as he lies in a hospital paralyzed in 1945). The writing is superb and the research impeccable.
The greatest strength of the book is the author's encyclopedic knowledge of Patton and his thoughtful analysis. He doesn't take the public image of Patton as gospel but has interviewed many people who knew him and read Patton's diary and other papers. The author does a great job communicating his main theme, the complexity of the kind and compassionate private Patton contrasted with the public Patton who was profane and brash, yet one of the greatest generals of all history.
Yet the book has one major weakness. Although it is subtitled "Genius for War," the author fails to explain his genius. He does a great job of communicating Patton's marvelous leadership skills, his sense of destiny, and his ability to motivate men to kill and to die; yet he fails to describe Patton's operational genius. What made Patton one of the greatest armor commanders ever? Sure Patton paid great attention to detail and drove his troops harder than almost anyone else, but he knew how to use armor and infantry better than almost anyone else. But D'Este misses his opportunity to tell us how Patton fought his battles.
Nonetheless, the book is an excellent and informative read, whether you are just looking for a good book or want to learn more about Patton or the European Theater in World War II.
Patton: A Study in Contradiction.......2007-01-17
In this biography of legendary General, George S. Patton, Carlo D'Este chronicles his life from birth, Nov. 11, 1885 to his untimely death Dec. 21, 1945. More than a recitation of battlefield successes, D'Este records candid impressions from friends and foes alike and gives the reader a good look at the man behind the "war face" he wore.
The book begins with Patton's early life in California and the influence of his Confederate ancestors. Young George was even schooled by legendary Confederate guerilla leader, John Mosby himself. At critical times he stated he felt his ancestors were watching to see if he would measure up. He struggled academically at the Virginia Military Institute and at West Point primarily due to dyslexia, an ailment unknown at the time. Still, he overcame this obstacle as he would so many others, by sheer determination and plain hard work.
Patton's marriage to Beatrice Ayer provided social status and financial backing for his ambitions. In the class conscious officer corps of the turn of the century, Patton's ability to entertain the social elite of society greatly aided his career. Beatrice was a full partner in achieving her husband's dreams. They were a formidable team!
All the major military campaigns are here: The Punitive Expedition into Mexico and World War I both serving under John J. "Blackjack" Pershing where he learned the art of command; "Torch, in Africa, "Husky" in Sicily; "D-Day," "Cobra," "The Battle of the Bulge" including "Bastogne" which many consider his finest hour, military successes unsurpassed before or since. However, D'Este also documents the birth of political correctness. Patton's career had to be saved repeatedly by Eisenhower himself for incidents that would have gone unnoticed in most armies: the slapping an enlisted man and an unfortunate slip of the tongue at Knutsford. The American army is truly unique!
D'Este records candid impressions of Patton from the men who knew him best. No one was neutral. They either loved or despised the man. Some described him as, "Ike's (Eisenhower's) pit-bull." When there was a fight to win, Ike would tell him, "Sic-um" only to have to muzzle the "attack-dog" later. Other's called him a show-off and a self server. Eisenhower described him best: "He was one of those men born to be a soldier."
This work shows he reader the many faces of Patton. He was a man's man who swore violently yet retired to pray before each battle. A man who reportedly loved war, yet cried unashamedly at the sight of severely wounded men. He could be loud, profane, boisterous, yet humble, contrite, and compassionate all seemingly at the same time. Undoubtedly the most effective of all allied Generals in World War II, he died believing he had not full-filled his destiny. These portraits, so vividly painted by the author make this work unique among Patton's numerous biographies. I whole-heartedly recommend it to any serious student of the war and the man.
Harold Y. Grooms
Book Description
Succeed by applying the combat-tested principles of one of America's most successful battlefield leaders.
Customer Reviews:
Should be taught at universities.......2007-01-11
It is hard/cold/ethical/no-nonsense leadership principles.
There is a difference between being a leader and being a manager.
I wish colleges (all arenas including masters in business) taught a class that had this information in it. It is my observation that leadership training of this nature is only taught at high $$ seminars and at Military War Colleges. This book is a high $$ seminar for pennies on the dollar. I keep it on my desk beside my computer monitor and read a page every day then reread the previous day's page. Two minutes in the morning and I now find myself unconsciously following the ideas/concepts I read earlier in the week.
I found myself wanting more meat with every page. . . that is not the design of this book. I am sending a copy to my nephew who just graduated the Naval Academy.
Tactical Leadership for Business Mamagers.......2000-05-07
Through this book Charles M. Province has complied the very best there is in leadership. Read and learn....... This collection of George S. Patton's pithy one liners shows how business managers can successed by applying the combat-tested principles of one of America's most famous battlefield leaders. General Patton was a professional soldier who spent his life inspiring people to accomplish the seemingly impossible. A brief bio & photos of the General help readers visualize one of the great military leaders of all time. The inspirational content will make this book an indispensable companion for busy executives everywhere.
READ AXELROD. This book is terrible in comparison.......2000-03-20
If you read the Axelrod book on Patton it relates to management much better than this attempt. For a man who worships Patton like Province, the connection to business should have been easy, but he was not objective. And relating Patton to Deming? Ridiculous.
Read Ladislas Farago to really learn about Patton.......1999-12-19
This book is taken almost word for word in the intro from the movie "Patton" based on Ladislas' book. It contains typos such as 'D Day' and also does not give any insight into the man. Connecting Patton to Deming seems a bit ridiculous to someone with knowledge of the two men.
Patton did not consider war 'great', per se', and should not be idolized. He enjoyed it and was excellent at it, however he agonized over the men he lost. Perhaps that is the analogy that businessmen should make today.
Management, Patton Style.......1999-11-25
Charles Province did an excellent job of compiling Patton's thoughts on leadership and how it applies to business. It brings a contrast between leadership and management concepts. He also linked the thoughts of Charles Deming to some of the messages. I have used selected points in sharing practical leadership and management principles with my business associates.
Like any book, read it with a critical eye. Management and leadership studies are an evolutionary process. We should never stop learning.
As an officer in the Army, I appreciate the candor of Patton and the book's focus on application. The messages are motivational. I would highly recommend the book as required reading and a forum for discussion.
Customer Reviews:
History at its Finest.......2007-03-24
I was so dissapointed at how quickly I read half of an 800+ page book. I did not want this book to end due to the fact it is such a marvelous read. If this is not the authoritative book on Patton it should be. This book is a window into the mind and thoughts of Patton in the heat of battle and I can think of no other book that comes close in bringing this to light. Based on the way Martin Blumenson pieced together all of Patton's personal communications and diary entries in chronological order makes this a very unique biography. I read volume I of the Patton Papers and although it is very fascinating it does not come close to volume II. This is because volume II deals exclusively with Patton's WW II exploits and his infamous incidents. Although Patton had his imperfections and despite some of his views being distasteful, I can think of no other military leader in modern times I would want leading our troops into battle. If you love American history and WW II in particular this book on an American legend definitely belongs on your shelf. Martin Blumenson did a masterful job putting this book together.
Patton: The Legend!!.......2005-12-03
This second volume of his memoirs deals with World War II and the battles that made Patton a legend. Author Martin Blumenson lets, "Ol Blood and Guts," tell his own story through letters and official correspondence giving the reader an intimate view of the public and private man that captivated the world's attention for four years.
All of the big battles are here: "Torch" in North Africa; "Husky" in Sicily; "Cobra" in France and Bastogne which some call, "his finest hour." Patton played a key role in each of them. His tactics, featuring rapidly moving armor and mechanized infantry forces supported by mobile artillery and air wrote the book used for decades to come. However, he never overlooked the human element. Machines could never replace well trained and highly motivated soldiers personally led by competent commanders. His success was undeniable but he often proved to be his own worst enemy.
Patton's well known slapping of a shell shocked soldier followed by his unintended slight of our Soviet allies made headlines. Newsmen jumped at the opportunity to sell papers by printing anything controversial about a man whose name evoked emotional responses from friends and enemies alike. This was an "enemy" Patton couldn't comprehend. It was the one "fight" he was destined to lose.
General of the Army, Omar N. Bradley said in his book, A General's Life, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1983) ". . .I believe it was better for George Patton and his professional reputation to die when he did. . . . He was not a good peacetime soldier. . . In time he probably would have become a boring parody of himself-a decrepit, bitter, pitiful figure, unwittingly debasing the legend."
An unknown poet said it best:
"In times of danger, not before, God and soldiers all men adore. Danger's past and all is righted. God's forgotten, the soldier slighted."
No truer words could describe Patton's career. Relegated to a desk job; his primary function was to serve as grist for political and journalistic mills, a truly sad ending for an outstanding military career.
This work is an outstanding history of World War II and of the man himself. You can't call yourself a serious student of WWII unless you have read both volumes. A GREAT read. 5 stars!!
Harold Y. Grooms
Patton deserved a fifth star, and so did this book.......2005-09-20
When I saw what a project of a book this was at 857 pages, I wondered if I would ever get through it. It took no more than 15 or 20 pages to convince me that I would enjoy every page of it. This is a great read, especially if you are already a Patton fan. His diary entries and letters are honest and blunt, and offer great insights into Patton's winning style and strategy, his distaste for putting allied considerations over American interests, his frustrations with the press and his superiors, and his deep distrust of the Russians. Blumenson weaves these innumerable entries and letters into a seamless and easy-to-read narrative of Patton and his heroic exploits. Fans of the movie will love seeing lines taken word for word from his diary entries. I truly loved this book -- one of my favorite reads of all time.
Exciting Fast Paced Biography That Reads Like A Novel.......2003-04-25
Martin Blumenson's has created a fascinating and surprisingly readable biography of the World War II hero, General George Patton. Blumenson has taken the General's diaries, personal and official letters and combined them with letters written to him and newspaper articles written about him. These are arranged in chronological order.
The period covered by this book was the most active of Patton's lifetime. In the last three years of his life, Patton had adventures enough for several lifetimes. After playing a major part in the conquest of North Africa, then Sicily, Patton was sidelined for nearly a year after the slapping incidents. During this time a disinformation campaign was put forth to convince the Nazis that Patton would command a non-existent army group that was to invade the south of France. A month after D Day Patton took command of the recently formed Third Army and drove across Europe, playing a pivotal role in the Battle of the Bulge.
In this book, Blumenson splices together the actual documents written by and about Patton as the actual events unfolded. Despite being an amalgamation of material from so many different sources, the book reads like a novel. Blumenson very rarely adds his own editorial commentary. This is done in a way that enhances the flow of the narrrative. My only complaint is that it frequently is difficult to determine where these asides begin and end. This readability is what makes the book great and unique. Having read many other biographies that over-analyze and inject the authors' personal opinion into the narrative it is refreshing to simply have the facts laid out in front of you.
Patton had an amusing tendency to give sarcastic nicknames to his rivals and adversaries. Omar Bradley is "the tentmaker," both for his Arab name and his tendency towards caution, Eisenhower is "divine destiny" for his political ambitions. General W. Bedell Smith, Eisenhower's hated chief of staff, is variously referred to as Beadle and Beetle. At the same time he is privately mocking these people, Patton takes great pains to praise and flatter them publicly. He even admits to himself in his diary that he is a shameless bootlicker and rear-end kisser when necessary. Patton justifies his actions because he feels he must be a sycophant to fulfill his destiny of leading men in battle. Patton even advises his son (who was a West Point Cadet at the time) that the way to advancement at the Academy is to seek out the Commandant and Superintendent and suck-up to them and their wives as much as possible.
I had low expectations for this book. Every other collection of the letters of famous men I have read has been interesting in spots but unreadable as a whole.Even the famous collected letters of Pliny the Younger are mostly dreary reports to the emperor and uninteresting notes to friends. For Blumenson to have created such an entertaining and informative document from similar material is a remarkable achievement.
A highly effective intellectual reference instrument........2001-12-21
I used this book while writing a paper for my Graduate level International Relations class. Although it is not considered a classic, it possess and delivers enormously relevant information regarding one of the greatest and most controversial master of war acknowledged in modern history. I commend this book as an pleasurable read, as well as an highly effective intellectual reference instrument.
Average customer rating:
- Pretty good
- Great Read on Patton
- Great Intro
- excellent introduction
- GREAT SHORT OVERVIEW - WELL DONE - A GOOD READ
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Patton: A Biography (Great Generals)
Alan Axelrod
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1403971390
Release Date: 2006-02-02 |
Book Description
This distinguished new series will feature the lives of eminent military leaders who changed history in the United States and abroad. Top military historians will write concise but comprehensive biographies including the personal lives, battles, strategies, and legacies of these great generals, aiming to provide background and insight into todays armies and wars. These books will be of interest to the military history buff, and, thanks to fast-paced narratives and references to current affairs, they will be accessible to the general reader. Palgrave is delighted to launch this new series with a terrific title from the bestselling author of Patton on Leadership. Alan Axelrod succeeds in looking beyond the contextualization and analysis of Pattons military innovations and leadership strategies to reveal his legacy and influence on warfare today. Patton was a great tactician who single-handedly created Americas first generation of desert warriors, but he was also the most controversial general in U.S. history. Pattons life and methods still evoke passionate debate and in this concise volume, Alan Axelrod provides a new perspective on this great mans legacy.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good.......2007-08-12
I generally thought that this book was not particularly well written, I spotted a typo in the first of the book that could have been corrected with some editing. The writing was certainly not complex: more like a middle school text. However, I found the facts of Patton's life extrodinary.
Great Read on Patton.......2007-02-10
In my humble opinion, this title is one of the best biographies I've read in a long time. While the book contains only about 180 pages, the account is thorough and does not get bogged down in a dry summary of war strategy and tactics that afflicts other books.
Axelrod is able to describe in appropriate detail many aspects of Patton's life:
1. His early childhood in California, time at Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately graduating from West Point.
2. Involvement in the expedition against Pancho Villa and World War 1.
3. Rise to fame in World War 2.
4. Relationship with Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery, and other WW2 officers.
5. Relationship with enlisted men (including the 2 slapping incidents).
6. Tempestuous marriage to his wife Beatrice and his supposed reputation as a ladies' man.
7. The automobile wreck that led to his untimely death.
The part I enjoyed reading the most was probably the author's description of this highly effective general and most complex individual's personality. On the one hand, there is no doubt that while Patton played a significant role in WW2, many people disliked him. However, no one can argue with his point that Russia should have been dealt with much more firmly at the conclusion of WW2. Events from the 1940s - 1980s proved him to be correct.
A highly recommended read. Read and enjoy learning about one of our nation's greatest generals.
Great Intro.......2006-10-25
Axelrod has written a great intro. to Patton's life and career. Axelrod does a wonderful job portraying Patton the man- his leadership stlye, his sense of purpose, and most interestingly his willingness and desire to pass on glory and accolades to others in the armed service. Patton read heavily, wrote on militaty affairs and worked hard to create new tank doctrine.
This book is a must for those who are interested in learning more about Patton. Axeolrond had written a great intro.
excellent introduction.......2006-07-27
To echo the other reviewers: this crisp, easy-to-read biography is an excellent introduction to one of the most legendary commanders in all of military history.
After briefly covering Patton's youth, Axelrod jumps right into his military career, covering Patton's participation in the Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in 1916, his combat experiences with early armor in World War I, and his interwar role in developing American tank doctrine before launching into Patton's famous exploits during World War II, which constitute the bulk of the book. From North Africa to Sicily, from England to Northwest Europe, from the slapping incident to his bold northward dash during the Battle of the Bulge, it's all here.
I can't imagine this book would be very useful to someone who has already read D'Este's or Hirshson's books, but for the newcomer, Axelrod has condensed the essentials of Patton's life, battles, and generalship into a summary that's well worth the couple hours it takes to read.
GREAT SHORT OVERVIEW - WELL DONE - A GOOD READ.......2006-05-16
As other reviewers have pointed out, there are a number of excellent biographies out there covering the life of General Patton. This short work though, does a wonderful job of compacting a very large amount of informaton into a short, readable biography. The author is quite concise and the material very well organized. For those readers not wanting to delve into a 1000 plus page work, yet are interested in this great generals life, this quite fills the bill. The technical aspect of war is kept to a minimum, yet the author is able to convey the complexities of war quite well as well as the complexities of George S. Patton. I do hope the rest of the books in this series are as well done. Overall, recommend this one highly.
Amazon.com
On first glance, The Soul of Battle appears to be three different books: biographies of two well-known generals--Sherman and Patton--and one who is virtually unknown today, the ancient Greek leader Epaminondas. Yet Victor Davis Hanson, a classics professor and author of The Western Way of War, makes a compelling connection between these three men. They were "eccentrics, considered unbalanced or worse by their own superiors" who led democratic armies on missions of freedom. Epaminondas crushed Sparta's military dominance of Greece in a single winter, Sherman delivered a deathblow to the slaveholding South in the U.S. Civil War, and Patton was the general most feared by his Nazi enemies in the Second World War. Hanson disputes the conventional notion that soldiers fight only for their buddies, rather than abstract ideals. He writes: "Theban hoplites, Union troops, and American GIs were ideological armies foremost, composed of citizen-soldiers who burst into their enemies' heartland because they believed it was a just and very necessary thing to do. The commanders who led them encouraged that ethical zeal, made them believe there was a real moral difference" between what they and their opponents stood for. Epaminondas, Sherman, and Patton each became extremely controversial for his success, but Hanson argues persuasively that their efforts demonstrate "that on rare occasions throughout the ages there can be a soul, not merely a spirit, in the way men battle." With this idiosyncratic approach, Hanson makes a unique contribution to our understanding of not only these three men and their troops, but also the role of the military in a democratic society. --John J. Miller
Book Description
A SELECTION OF THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB AND THE HISTORY BOOK CLUB
Why do men fight? What motivates an ordinary citizen to burn and kill? What, in the end, motivates an army to win?
In The Soul of Battle, Victor Davis Hanson, bestselling author of The Western Way of War, answers these questions in a new and startling way. Hanson offers three incredible stories -- the sagas of history's greatest marches -- that coalesce into a single powerful theory of men and war. Each story involves a democratic army pulled together on short notice, which marched deep into enemy territory to overthrow a government whose morality was fundamentally repugnant to its own. Each army stunned the world by covering many miles and capturing huge numbers of its demoralized foes. In all three cases, Hanson argues, conviction (more than firepower) made the difference against long odds. Hanson's conclusion has far-reaching consequences in our convictionless times: right makes might.
Hanson's three armies were led by controversial figures: George S. Patton, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Epaminondas, a brilliant general from ancient Greece. Hanson describes all three in stunning detail. With only runners to communicate and his men's feet to carry them, Epaminondas's Thebans marched against the Spartan empire in columns up to twenty-five miles long. At the cost of a few hundred casualties, Epaminondas freed thousands of Messenians from Spartan domination. Sherman's famed march to the sea, Hanson says, was equally successful and has been misinterpreted as a destructive, almost criminal campaign. In fact, Sherman's men killed very few Southerners, instead wreaking enormous psychological damage while liberating thousands of slaves. Last, in Patton's breakneck race to the Rhine, American GIs willingly followed their flamboyant leader to hell itself to purge the world of the evil of the Nazis.
What made these marches so successful? In these men and their stories, there are timeless absolutes -- a cause and true leaders. The leaders shared certain characteristics: grim asceticism, an audacity born of moral certainty, and the courage to lead from the front. They have been decried by their enemies as warmongers, yet are better seen as misunderstood geniuses -- humanists whose unorthodox approaches to warfare actually saved thousands of lives. The perfect combination of men and cause is uncommon in history and possible only in democracies. When it happens, the force unleashed cannot be stopped. "No country," warned Patton, "can stand against such an army."
The Soul of Battle identifies a universal truth about war. Hanson shows that under the right conditions, democratic soldiers "can make war brutally and lethally beyond the wildest nightmares of the brutal military culture they seek to destroy." The reverse is equally true. Halfhearted wars are rarely won. Men kill best for a good cause -- and they are right to do so.
Customer Reviews:
WHERE DOES FREEDOM COME FROM?.......2007-06-14
In The Soul of Battle, Victor Davis Hanson traces the historical development of Western methods of battle and also of the free Western societies from which great democratic armies have arisen, starting with the Greeks. If you are interested in the sources freedom and prosperity in a society, and the way wars have been fought, and won, by free democratic armies since the Greeks, this book is illuminating and essential.
In The Soul of Battle, VDH describes the military campaigns of three commanders who led the army of a Western democracy: Epaminondas in ancient Greece, William Tecumseh Sherman in the American Civil War, and George S. Patton in World War II. VDH describes the military tactics and strategies in fascinating detail. He describes how each commander led an army of free, independent individuals, well-trained to act with consummate levels of discipline and camaraderie, to destroy their opponent's ability to wage war, thus to end each war sooner, and thus actually to save lives. He describes that they fought with ingenuity and discipline because they wanted to preserve the freedom they had at home, and to make it safe for their freedom-based way of life to continue.
But perhaps more importantly, VDH describes the social conditions that allow the creation of this kind of democratic army: freedom, self-reliance, property ownership, individualism, civilian control of the military, ability to innovate, freedom of self-expression and inquiry, and equal protection of private property, to name just a few. VDH describes how these conditions created societies of strong, individualistic, freedom-loving citizens, who, when stirred by great urgency, became soldiers, who came together only for the purpose of winning a war as quickly and completely as possible, then disbursed immediately thereafter to their homes to go on with their lives.
This book reveals the line of civic freedom that started with the Greeks and runs through Rome, to Europe, to America and all the western-style democracies we have in the current day all over the world. This book shows how war and battle have fit into the picture through the centuries. Perhaps most importantly, this book helps the reader to see which parts of our laws and customs help to ensure freedom for the future, and thus must be cherished and protected.
All Victor Davis Hanson's books about battle and society are excellent. His thesis that freedom in a society and the ability to win wars are inextricably linked to traditions of liberty, independence and free inquiry, is illustrated by different battles and different adversaries in each book. VDH argues convincingly that these keys to freedom and liberty also account for the prosperity, commitment and know-how that create the ability to win wars in societies that inherited or adopted the traditions of Western culture. In his books, he traces the development of the traditions of freedom, self-expression and individual innovation from ancient Greece through the development of battle techniques and civic traditions in Europe and then to the United States and the rest of the world.
The Soul of Battle is an awesome book, wonderfully interesting, about fascinating events, told so that the reader can see what is important to preserve freedom in our current times. I highly, highly recommend it. Read it. It is simply outstanding. Then read Carnage and Culture, another VDH book. I think you will love it.
Outstanding.......2007-03-10
I openly profess a lack of any military history, but in recent years, since 9/11, I've been drawn to questions regarding leadership in battle. George S. Patton consistently ranks at the top of my list of individuals I wish to study. Coming across "Soul of Battle" has now added William Tecomseh Sherman and Epiminondas to that list.
Hanson does an excellent job painting a comprehensive historical picture of these 3 military leaders for those of my ilk who do not possess the depth of knowledge of history's finer nuances. For those of us who did not study Ancient Greece and dedicated our lives to other trades, Hanson's work is a welcome friend.
What is most impressive about how Hanson portrays these leaders is that he not only spends time talking about the battle itself and the campaign but the more global reasons of how and why the battles were brought about. What forces a group of free men to bear arms and attack with such force a tyrannical government or an enslaving society??? This is the tapestry that is the back drop to why we go to battle and why we fight today. We must know and learn why our preceding generations would pick up a weapon and willingly die. I highly recommend this book.
A timely history lesson in the use of force.......2007-02-04
Hanson's treatise is superb. He offers three examples, spanning 2500 years, of how democratic war craft snatches freedom from tyranny.
The premise is that when a free society is threatened at it's core, when it's been attacked, when it's citizenry understand that the enemy is at odds with a society of freedom, the democracy can be unstoppable when forced to fight. When a genius at war leads that unstoppable force and if the leader is given the latitude to do what has to be done ... the necessary force will gather and fight, and bring home to the tyrant society a disaster that will terminate the threat. The tyrant states Hanson discusses ceased to exist forever after free men took the initiative to the tyrant.
Epaminondas, long forgotten, eradicated the insufferable warmongering slave society of Sparta. Within a season ... the 300 years of absolute Spartan domination of free men would never rise again. No accolades for Epaminondas, only a new society of freed helots. Epaminondas and his army of farmers disappears into the obscurity of citizenry and history.
No union general was more hated in the south than Sherman. Sherman's march of total destruction insured that never would the South be able to rise again or be able to rationalize the 300 year old institution of slavery. The march to the sea was all of 5 weeks but remains in memory like it was interminable. Sherman and his Army of the West disappeared into the citizenry within days of the marches end. With no friend in politics, Sherman fades into society.
We know the Patton story ... fired for misbehavior numerous times, generally hated by contemporaries, his death only days after again being fired with orders to go home was perhaps the ironic outcome for the legacy of the man. The legacy of Patton's 3rd Army lives on. Patton and his 3rd moved further, faster and with the deadliest efficiency of any Army in history. The 3rd Army was in a position to save more lives, but not given the permission. Historians seem to be increasingly suggesting that victory in Europe was a Russian thing, beginning at Stalingrad, that allied airpower destroyed the Reich's ability to keep it's army in the field, that German collapse was days away. The German record of industrial output, army moral and citizen support on the post-Bulge western front is far more revealing as Patton neared the Fatherland. Records and writings indicate production and the highest German moral of the war was shunted to the west in the protection of the fatherland in hopes of a negotiated peace to save occuption. Some in diplomacy appear to have viewed negotiations as an acceptable alternative. Patton alone forced the Nazi eye from the ball and tore through the material and sprit of a defective society. His domination of the European battlefield and destruction of German psyche was absolute. The need for diplomacy was overcome by events and the planning for a winter of 1946 campaign shelved. Patton's elimination of 2 army groups and 1,000,000 prisoners would insure that Germany would never rise again to military dominance. Patton's politics could have precluded the coming Cold War. The 30,000,000 victims of Stalin's and Mao's communistic lunacy were largely still alive when Patton slammed into the diplomatic solution.
Hanson has done good work. These 3 men standout out as the executors of apocalyptic horrors that terminate an enemy forever. This book gives pause to consider the legacy of politics, diplomacy and war craft. Peace proponents today will do anything for peace except perhaps read a book like Hanson's with history's documented lessons
An Excellent Book.......2006-09-24
Victor David Hanson identifies two qualities that in combat are especially lethal when combined: speed and a higher moral purpose. Written before 9-11, this book raises for me facinating and highly relevant questions about our current efforts in the Middle East (e.g., the establishment of democracy and the correlation between our lack of military movement within Iraq and the explosion of terrorism in the country).
This is not reason, it is ideology.......2006-06-07
The underlying premise of this book (democracy = good, tyranny and slavery = bad) is obviously sympathetic. You can't go wrong with that these days, on a fundamental level.
What Hanson has done with this, though, is utterly inexcusable. He's taken every fact and twisted and tortured it until it fits so that each of the people surveyed can be painted in pure black and white, as unambiguous heroes and titans among men. It doesn't matter that Patton took over an army already on the verge of breaking a badly-battered German army, or that the reason Sherman was able to burn his away across the South was because Grant was going toe-to-toe with the only dangerous Confederate army in Virginia. No, in each case, Hanson's favorite guy was entirely responsible for victory, and he manages to twist the contributions of others into proof of their incompetance. It's like, you know, Grant was completely stalled out by Lee! He couldn't get anything done at all! Meanwhile Sherman was doing all the real damage! That Grant guy was a total loser. Or ... before Patton showed up, all the British and Americans were doing was uselessly battering themselves against the Germans! It took Patton's genius to achieve the breakout where those losers were just getting people killed and wasting time!
This stuff is beyond the pale, really. It's intellectually dishonest. It's not history. It's history twisted and tortured to support an ideological bias.
The shame of it is that this is a really interesting topic. Sherman and Patton anyway were real people, ambiguous and conflicted. Patton in fact was probably a nut (and even many of his fans would probably not disagree on this point), but he was a nut who could motivate troops. And I personally always do feel conflicted about what we've done and what has happened in fighting some nasty wars: the fireboming of Dresden, the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Sherman's march to the sea, the genocide of the Native Americans, My Lai, and Abu Grahib. What I want is someone to really look into these things and tell my why free and democratic nations which claim to have strong principles do these things. I don't need someone telling me "it's OK, our society is great, it was all in rightous anger, it had to be done, and anyway, they were all bad guys."
Average customer rating:
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Patton's Gap
Rohmer
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0825300622 |
Customer Reviews:
Good Priciples For Leadership.......2007-03-27
When i was in high-school, i read bits and pieces of this book. Now that i have grown, i have a greater appreciation, and am enjoying the book much more. I would recommend the book to anyone wanting to learn to be a leader.
Kicked in the butt.......2004-02-02
Gen. Patton often proudly stated that "you have to take the enemy by the nose and kick them in the butt". This book is Gen. Patton's Kick in the butt. Most readers know Gen. Patton as "Ole Blood and Guts" or as the general that slapped a soldier. These and other myths about one of America's greatest leaders are dispelled by a soldier who was there! Gen. Patton loved his men and his leadership style revolved around keeping them alive. Learn how Gen. Patton was fourty years ahead and shoulders above by reading this simple account of his philosphies in story that makes you wish you were there.
Leader? Read this!.......1999-10-15
General Patton is here for the next generation of managers and CEO's. Wonderfully written in a style that made me feel I was there. I lived the experiences Mr Williamson lived with Patton, and I have learned. One of the best 'how to' mgt books available. I only wish I had found it sooner...
The Essential Guide for Leadership.......1999-02-13
General George S. Patton, Jr. was one of the greatest heroes this country has ever produced. In addition, he was also one of the most misunderstood. Many thought he was hated by his men, but the truth is that his men loved him. Porter B. Williamson served with General Patton in the I Armored Corps in 1942. Although he did not follow Patton across the Atlantic, Williamson had instilled in him the principles that would follow him for the rest of his life. This book is the best collection of the leadership principles and philosophies of General George S. Patton. Minus the profanity that Patton made famous, this book uses many speeches and talks to the troops that exemplify the leadership principles that helped Patton lead his men to victory. This book is highly recommended for anyone in a position of leadership, and is must reading for anyone seeking a management position.
A Great Lesson.......1998-12-22
As a Naval Officer I have read this book well over ten times. It's lessons show the importance of such leadership qualities as honesty, integrity, care for your men, and the importance of being fair. An excellent book for anyone wanting leadership advice.
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