Amazon managed to obtain me an out of print copy, without which I would not be able to write this review. This book is an excellent exposition of George Patton the warrior and General. There is no doubt that had his and Bradley's roles been reversed that the war in Europe would have finished months earlier than it did. The failure to close the Falaise gap and the subsequent german escape is an example of indecision by both Eisenhower and Bradley. I have read three books on Patton and a Soldiers Story by Bradley - Patton was the warrior - Patton was the leader - Patton was the difference. Thanks Amazon for the effort to find me a copy. I appreciate it. Regards, Tom

Who can forget George C. Scott's incredible Oscar winning performance as Patton? Yet few people remember that the movie came mostly from this book and Omar Bradley's input. Patton was one of the most eccentric, brilliant, egotistical generals ever. This fine book takes you through his upbringing to his last days after the war. Farago is outstanding in his research and presentation. This is truly one of the greatest biographies ever written.

If you like war history, you will love this book. From battlefield plans and stratagies to personal thoughts, Patton was fascinating. Some great quotes and some strange tales....I highly recommend this book!

A great expose of a piece of history not widely know.
A great deal of WW II naval warfare is focused on the PTO but very minimal is written about the naval exploits in the Atlantic.
This publication is a real eye opener of the tremendous obstacles that had to be overcome to win the land war in Europe.

Although somewhat long in the tooth, and therefore misses more recent relevations like the exposure of Anthony Blunt, (the edition I read was published 1973), I found this book to be a lengthy (840 pages) but extremely readable account of Nazi Germany's Abwehr intelligence activities before and during the Second World War. Anybody who has enjoyed J. C. Masterman's classic "The Double Cross System", or William Stephenson's "A Man Called Intrepid" should read this well-reasearched and entertaining history.

Outstanding book. I found Waldo on every page. Primo, dude.

True WWII espionage based on the captured archives of the German intelligence agency Abwehr. Not as exciting as "A Man Called Intrepid", but is a good counterpoint to that title. Recommended for military history fans.

I bought and read this book many years ago while I was an active US counterintelligence agent. Soon after obtaining and reading Game of the Foxes, I came across J.C. Masterman's Double-Cross System in Munich, Germany. Masterman's book is an excellent companion read To Game of the Foxes.

Farago wrote this account using captured Abwehr (German Human Intelligence) records in government archives that had been long overlooked. It tells an interesting story of the intelligence operations conducted by Nazi Germany against the Allies from their perspective.

To get the full impact of Farago's book, I suggest reading Masterman's XX book, which is a record of the incredibly successful British Counterintelligence operations working against the German intelligence services. The two books together tell the whole story.

I picked up this book by accident when I purchased a lot of 6 military books on Ebay. I owned it, so I figured that I may as well read it. Luckily, for me, I was not disappointed with Mr. Farago's detailed description of Patton's last days. It reveals the tragic ending to one of American's greatest heroes from WWII.

The book showed me three key lessons about Patton that I did not know before reading it. First, Patton did a pretty horrible job after the fighting was over. He was not well liked outside of the ETO, which prevented him from finding a command in the Pacific Theatre. Therefore, he was selected by default to help run post-WWII Germany. More specifically he was given authority over Bavaria, the original area where Nazism took root. In Farago's analysis, Patton was ill suited for this job, and he did a rather poor job of executing his duties. Farago shows how Patton's professional frustration prevented his ability to get the job done, and also reveals that Patton had some rather disturbing personal beliefs about the Jews. For anyone who views Patton as their personal hero, I recommend that you read this book to get the whole picture, you may not be pleased with what you find.

Secondly, I learned about the tight relationship between Ike and Patton. I have read Ike's "Crusade in Europe" and that book did not really spell out the history between the two men. Their personal relationship played a key role in helping keep Patton "in the game" at several junctions, and was a definite plus for Patton. Farago explains that Patton took advantage of his friendship with Ike one too many times which resulted in his eventual demise.

Lastly, this book goes into great detail about the accident that resulted in Patton's eventual death. It is a tragic tale which is worth reading. It is sad to think that one of our greatest warrior's from WWII died after the war in a rather random traffic accident.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is well written, and an easy read. I recommend it to anyone interested in General Patton, or American leadership during the war. It has some material that you may not find in other books about the ETO.

Farago's biography of the events immediately following the end of World War II and leading up to the auto accident which ultimately claimed the life of General George S. Patton Jr. is a sad read. Those familiar with the blustery general as he has been protrayed in the film and in most historical works (where he is in his prime) will possibly be disheartened by this. Yes, Patton comes off as anti-Semitic and pro-German in points, but there is a telling incident in which he answers the letters of several Jewish fathers whose sons died under his command which I think points to the heart of the man - that he was not at his core a bigot, but that he was manipulated by lesser persons around him into for a time assuming that wretched mantle (just as he was directed into administrational tasks unsuited for him by the military). Patton was obstinately not a politician, some will say to his detriment. Yes it brought about his downfall, but in the end, he was his own man - and that is the legacy which is to be admired. He was an individual who recognized his place in the greater scheme of history, did all he could to fulfill it, and then found himself bewildered after the dream was over (like many of history's great personalities). His singlemindedness and sense of purpose are characteristics which are admirable to this day, but we must remember that he was just a man and prone to the failings of men. The fact is, the greatest warrior of the 20th century didn't know how to deal with peace. An interesting book, but very sad.

The main thing that I learned from this book is that due to his time with the Germans, Patton learned to love them and to despise the Jews. He considered the Jews, along with the Russians, "Mongoloids". I find this very disturbing. It appears as if Patton was not a great diplomat, even though he was a tough warrior. This book also discusses how the press were against him and how he was a detriment to Ike's career. I would definately recommend this one.

This reads like the driest of text books but what it lacks in compelling storytelling, it makes up for with extensive research and thorough accounting. Only recommended for those with a penchant for adding to their Pearl Harbor libraries.