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.

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.

Although a fan of General Patton, I hesitated to purchase this book. The title indicated a daunting book for reference only, rather than one for reading. But one shouldn't judge a book by its cover; I was wrong. "The Patton Papers" is surprisingly readable, and a must for anyone who would seek to understand this American hero. From diary entries to personal letters, Martin Blumenson weaves a fascinating story that makes one feel one is a part of the Seventh and Third Army staff! I recommend that you read a biography first ("Patton: A Genius for War" is excellent) so that you have an overview of Patton's life. A word of caution: reading this book will dampen your enthusiasm for the movie "Patton," as it makes clear the multitude of historical inaccuracies. A really great book!

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...

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.

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.

People say that Patton was a man of action. Ridge manages to draw a perfect parellism between what is needed in warfare and what is needed in business. There is a saying "All is fair in love and war" I think Ridge just added "Business" to that list.

Excellent book. A must read for the management professional

Warren Ridge uses the most prolific military man of the 20th century as a conduit to show us that the business field and the battlefield are in essence the same type of place. He shows us in great detail that applying General Patton's rules of battle to common everyday business situations will give us the edge over the competition.

This book is extremely well written and the Author is truly a scholar of Patton. The jacket of the book calls it the difinitive book on Patton and this comes through "Loud and Clear".

A Must read for the business professional.

Warren Ridge captures the essence of how to expertly manage people and projects. He uses General Patton as a blueprint for excellence in leadership. Ridge applies Patton's methods, experiences, and "words of wisdom" to the modern day corporate world. And it works! This book will help anyone managing people, from middle management all the way to the CEO.

I served in the 2nd Armored Division during MG Patton's tenure. He was an inspiration to many of us. The stories are true and very accurate. I am sure there are a few more that are not in the book! BB

The Generals Patton, father and son, served their country for 79 years, altogether, in careers unsurpassed by any other American military family. General George S. Patton Jr's life, in particular, has been examined microscopically, but the section of this work which recounts his career is enhanced by comments, for the first time, by his son and daughter.
That alone would make the book worthwhile, but the bulk of the work tells the story of Major General George S. Patton (1923 - ), himself a fine fighting general and one of the best trained officers ever to wear the uniform. Like his father, he was a scholar of his trade who understood that skillful audacity accomplishes the mission with minimal casualties.
Very readable, with invaluable comments by Major General Patton interspersed; photos, bibliography, and index. Highly recommended.

(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This recviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

Michael Green's 'George Patton and the Battle of the Bulge' is one creative piece that explains the details of the Battle of the Bulge. Michael Green has been one of the most profound authors on military issues and World War II related books. The book provided in depth information on what Patton and his third army did when the Germans launched a desperate counter-offensive called 'Wacht am Rhein', translated to be Watch the Rhine where the Nazi defenders charged through the Ardennes. Combat maps, quotes from the soldiers, Patton himself and even from accounts of German soldiers gave highlight to strength and weaknesses of both sides of the war. Real photographs and comments from soldiers interviewed at the time, including the American third army, the German Volksgrenadier divisions making Michael Green's 'George Patton and the Battle of the Bulge' a great book for me to read.
Micheal Green is technically one of the most best authors on Patton and World War II related material, with his array of books already published like Patton's Tank Drive: D-Day to Victory and Patton: Operation Cobra and Beyond. All those experience gained from writing these previous books about Patton helped to make 'George Patton and the Battle of the Bulge' better and more comprehensive. Michael's Wife, Gladys also contributed to his works as his co-author and assistant. As we all know, two brains is always better than one.
'George Patton and the Battle of the Bulge' is one meticulously crafted book with details to many fine elements of the war many books overlooked. One hundred sixty pages in font 10 San Serif and pictures describing the war that even tells what weapons the soldiers depicted are using.
'The most important favor that influenced Hitler's decision to attack the Ardennes was the Allied advance across France to the German boarder, between August and September 1944. Hitler Considered this a more pressing danger to Germany than the Soviet advance in the east. The American crew of a .30-calibre (air cooled) machine gun, fires at German positions somewhere in France. National Archives'
Details like this make this book an easy reading for the short time that I am pressed.
The book is divided into 4 large chapters/sections, Opening moves, The German attack and American reaction, The road to Bastogne, Clearing the Bastogne area. This concept of simplicity helps the reader to be not confused with useless details that ruin many great books and chapter titles with known settings (i.e. The road to Bastogne) help the reader to feel easy with what they already knew. A great book about the war has always been awarded for its simplicity and this one is no other. The first chapter, Opening moves starts out like this:
'Many historians and writers have suspected that the idea for the German Ardennes counteroffensive of December 16, 1944. (Know to Americans as the Battle of the Bulge) was first conceived in Adolf Hitler's mind sometime during the last two weeks of July 1944.'
Simplicity and word choice made the book a breeze and without much pain to read. Its like one of the shows from the History channel, the book gives its information in descriptive narratives. 'Despite this lack of confidence, Hitler still retained the respect and admiration of the Army's rank and file in late 1944 till the end of the war.' This kind of writing in my opinion is much easier to read than writing with much high frequency words and have to dig through the dictionary to fully understand what the book is about.
Overall reading this book is a success and I enjoyed reading this book very much. Now I have purchased this book and that is one of the signs of my approval of its '1337ness'. Counted over 190 pictures to help out my reading and that averages out more than one picture per page. Almost a picture book and still provide enough information for me to take the information from the text and process it with efficiency. This book should definitely be published in hardcover and should be a collector's must have for Patton enthusiasts.

Michael Green is hands-down the best author I have ever read on this subject. With his array of military books, I just can't seem to get enough of his well-informed and enlightening books. The pictures in this particular book are just astonishing and greatly complement the articulate and intelligent text. Green has once again taken my breath away with this book! I recommend it highly, as I do all of his books. My wife and I both know that they are at the top of my shelf!

O.K., I confess I'm a fan of Patton and read most books on him. But I'm also a professional military historian and analyst who wants my students (both civilians and army officer cadets) to learn the value of reading good books -- and plenty of them.

Patton learned it, as Roger Nye's splendid book makes clear. This carefully researched and very readable volume shows that, throughout his dramatic life, from ambitious boy to four-star general, Patton read and digested almost every military historical and doctrinal book he could get his hands on.

What an example Patton is! When confronted by new tests in combat he was able to draw on an encyclopedic memory of what the 'great captains' of the past had done to achieve success under similar circumstances. And it paid off handsomely.

Nye's book tells us plenty about Patton, and also about the need for us to set goals and prepare and equip ourselves through all-out study to confidently face and overcome the challenges we face as we strive to achieve those goals.

Michael Green is one of the best authors I have come to read, especially for military subjects. I have been a fan of all types of military/war books simply because politics is interesting for me. Michael Green has written a number of books on this subject all of which are considered my favorite. This book is well-written and gives clear, concise information. It also contains and array of astonishing and breath-taking photographs, liek in all of Green's books. I wish I could meet this wonderful author and congratulate him on his job well done. My wife and I both know that these books are at the top of my shelf!

Initially this book set out to present George S. Patton in a comprehensive way to younger people and the book achieves that goal. A surprising fact I learned was that Patton grew up with the burden of dyslexia. In a day when this condition was not widely understood and instead of letting this get in his way it gave him more determination to become the very best. We then see this man go on to be one of the greatest generals of WWII. You will not find any new or astounding information within the pages of this book because that was not it's intended purpose. What you will find is Patton presented in a way that will help young readers come to know one of the greatest figures of WWII. This book shows what the attributes of self-control, determination and the attitude of never giving up can accomplish even when things look dark. When my son gets older I will pass this book on to him. I hope he becomes as passionate as I am in being a student of WWII history.

A perspective of WWII that I have never read before. Brings the day-to-day experience of the ordinary soldier into brutal reality. Wordy and rambling at times, but still a good book.

On the Way, by Edward Marinello, is a fascinating eyewitness account of the American soldier on European battlefields during World War II. Through the eyes and ears of Edward Marinello, the reader witnesses the fears, challenges, and ingenuity of the men in Battery B. This should be required reading for all American history courses. On the Way gives a powerful insight to the human face of war. It is a reminder of how the courage, integrity, and tenacity of each soldier is crucial on the battlefield. This is a must read book!

I am trying to find out more about the 8th Armored Division, 194

What a truly great reader this book turned out to be. Easy to pick up, difficult to put down, and filled with inspiration. While a small percentage of war techniques do not transfer to the business world; Axelrod pulls concise information and quidance from a library of the General's quotes. Wars are won by making the enemy die for his country. Always move forward. When in doubt, attack. The soldier is the army. Gather accurate information and make decisions quickly. And take the high ground.

My only complaint is with the author's desire to open the book with political-correctness and apologies for Patton's frank language.

This book will spark you up and fill you with pride, boldness, and audacity! I have found my Covey books and Minute Mangers have collected dust where "Patton on Leadership" is starting to look like a well worn Bible.

Frederick the Great may have said it, but George "Blood 'n Guts" Patton lived it. What a remarkable man, and what a remarkable presentation about that man, his life and his leadership skills. One should read this book just for the hell-of-it if not for any other reason. What a great first read for anyone wishing to know more about the General.

First of all, this book reads well and fast, and it's hard to put down. Mr. Axelrod tells a great story, conveys the essence of Patton's Generalship and Management styles, and along the way adds some very good history. Axelrod clears up the legends and myth surrounding the famous slapping incident, and details the campaigns into Bastogne and to Berlin in short, clear and entertaining fashion. It was truly enjoyable to read this book.

To keep the record straight, the format of the book allows for a 3 - 4 hour total read time due to the fact that many of the pages have only 18 - 25 lines of print on them, where as others are in standard layout. The stories will excite, entertain, and cause "out-loud" laughter. The language is harsh sometimes, but perfectly appropriate to the original situation.

I say get the SOB book and read it "...every God damn night", and smile.

Frankly, I had some reservations as I began to read this book. By now I have become weary of so many books with gimmicky concepts (eg Chicken Soup for Dummies, Caligula on Management) and was pleased to find that Axelrod has skillfully correlated Patton's expressed ideas on leadership with key issues in the contemporary business world. Many of those ideas probably reflect the influence of Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz whom Patton no doubt studied while a student at V.M.I. (for one year) and then the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from which he graduated. In any event, this is a well-written book with solid substance. After a Foreword and Introduction, Axelrod organizes 183 "Strategic Lessons" within ten chapters:

1. What He Did and Who He Was (Patton's Achievement and Background)

2. "A Commander Will Command" (On the Dimensions of Leadership)

3. "Always Attack, Never Surrender" (On Developing a Winning Attitude)

4. "How Do We Know That?" (On Fact Finding, Preparation, and Planning)

5. "Speed -- Simplicity -- Boldness" (On Execution and Opportunity)

6. "The Soldier Is the Army" (On Training, Mentoring, Motivating, and Inspiring)

7. "Letters of Instruction" ((On Communication and Coordination)

8. "Only One Direction -- Forward" (On Creating Efficiency)

9. "Success Is How High You Can Bounce When You Hit Bottom" (On Courage and Character)

10. "Audacity" (On Managing the Impossible)

I provide the chapter titles and subtitles to suggest the specific areas in which Axelrod examines Patton's ideas. Patton remains one of the 20th century's best-known and least-understood military leaders. Mention his name and most people immediately conjure an image of George C. Scott whose inspired portrayal provided an accurate but incomplete representation of Patton. It is worth noting that Patton's strategies minimized casualties of his own troops while maximizing destruction of those whom his troops opposed, that he assembled an extraordinarily talented staff to whom he delegated effectively and whose members remained steadfastly loyal to him, and that under his leadership his troops achieved truly stunning results, often with severely limited resources and under political constraints. There is a great deal to learn from this man...and Axelrod has done a brilliant job of suggesting what that is.

Axelrod includes a Recommended Readings section to which I presume to add Puryear's 19 Stars (A Study in Military Character and Leadership). In it, Puryear examines the careers of George S. Patton, Jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George C. Marshall. You may also wish to check out Sun Tzu's The Art of War (Oxford University Press) and von Clausewitz's On War (Penguin).