General Patton: A Soldier's Life FROM OUR EDITORS
You saw the George C. Scott Patton film and have read a few World War II histories, but if you think that you know General George S. Patton, Jr., think again. Stanley Hirshson's General Patton: A Soldier's Odyssey presents the famed commander in full relief, warts and all. This biography, 11 years in the making, reveals Patton (1885-1945) not only as a tactical genius but also as an extremely complex and sometimes hateful man. Hirshson documents Patton's lifelong anti-Semitism and describes how the general's staff suppressed or spun news of embarrassing incidents. Without minimizing Patton's courage or the brilliance of his battlefield maneuvers, the biographer places this soldier's soldier under intense and often revelatory scrutiny, and his account of Patton's dismissal from the command of the Third Army differs significantly from previous versions.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Utilizing untapped archival materials from the United States and England, Stanley P. Hirshson creates the most balanced portrait of Patton ever written. It 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.
SYNOPSIS
Drawing on previously untapped archival materials in the US and England, government documents, family papers, and oral histories, this biography reveals General George S. Patton as a soldier capable of military brilliance who may have inspired troops to horrendous acts. The biography uncovers new information on civilian massacres in Italy and Patton's relations with top Allied generals, and disputes the usual interpretation of Patton's relief from command of the Third Army. B&w historical photos are included. Hirshson is professor of history at Queens College. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
CUNY history professor Hirshson's exhaustively researched and well-written biography presents a balanced view of Patton's life from every angle, from his performance in the 1912 Olympics to his belief in reincarnation. Of course, most of the book chronicles his career in WWII, and the material is excellent. Besides a first-rate account of Patton's notorious slapping incidents, Hirshson (The White Tecumseh) also reveals American atrocities in Sicily fomented by Patton's oratory to his troops. He examines the strategies and tactics of the American war in Europe, and includes fascinating analyses of the often problematic relationships between Patton and Allied generals. Tracing Patton's advocacy of tank warfare throughout his career, Hirshson offers the surprising revelation that the general voiced doubts about it shortly before the battle for France in 1944. Extensive use of quotations from letters, memoirs, etc., enhance his clear, stimulating prose, and important insights on Patton from his extended family add to Hirshson's complete portrait. Offering an essentially sympathetic view of the general, the book still describes all of Patton's faults though carefully. His extramarital affairs (and those of other generals), for instance, are dealt with tastefully. The best biography of Patton to date, this will most likely become the definitive work on his life. Not only should it appeal to a wide audience, it should also serve to correct certain popular misconceptions that the film Patton encouraged. 16 pages of b&w photos; 8 maps. (Aug.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Many readers will find their impression of Gen. George S. Patton Jr. influenced by George C. Scott's Oscar-winning portrayal of the mercurial and flamboyant World War II soldier in the 1970 film Patton. The movie was in turn influenced by Ladislas Farago's 1964 Patton: Ordeal and Triumph. Since that time, two other major biographical works have appeared: Martin Blumenson's Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945 and Carlo D'Este's massive Patton: A Genius for War. Now Hirshson (history, Queens Coll.), author of the 1997 The White Tecumseh: A Biography of General William T. Sherman, has produced another 800-page doorstopper about the illustrious and cantankerous general. After hundreds of pages of biographical musings, what more could possibly be said? Hirshson argues that his contribution helps to round out the unknown familial aspects of Patton's life and provides an essential context for understanding the enigmatic commander. To his credit, Hirshson has done impressive spadework in previously neglected sources, especially those relating to Patton's family background. Moreover, the book's section on the controversy over Patton's diary and unpublished memoirs also yields some new insights for scholars. Those interested in Patton will find Hirshson's book valuable reading, although for most readers the earlier books will probably suffice. Recommended for larger collections. Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A sprawling life of the brilliant but very nasty American general known by his soldiers as �Old Blood and Guts.� Hirshson (History/Queens Coll.; The White Tecumseh, 1997, etc.) 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. He carefully reconstructs the famed incident in which Patton struck a battle-fatigued soldier in a field hospital in Sicily and reveals that when the combat correspondents on hand reported his abusive behavior, Patton�s circle took it as yet another campaign on the part of Communists and Jews to sabotage their hero�s career. Patton himself was a lifelong anti-Semite, Hirshson reveals, his attitudes inherited from his patrician father; even after the liberation of the Nazi death camps he would insist that Jews �are lower than animals.� His prejudices, remarkable even in the context of the time, coupled with his refusal to remove former Nazis from government posts in occupied Bavaria, led to his removal from command; the 1970 movie starring George C. Scott wrongly attributes his demotion to Patton�s anti-Soviet views, which he indeed held but did not widely air. The chief flaw in this capable book is Hirshson�s tendency to overdetail. It is useful to know that Patton was dyslexic and did not learn to read until early adolescence, for instance, but not so much to know the statistical incidence of dyslexia in the present general population. Still, 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 whoseized more enemy-held territory than any other at tremendous cost to the foe deserves his reputation as a strategist to rival Napoleon . . . or Genghis Khan. Hirshorn�s highly useful reevaluation will be of particular interest to students of modern military history.
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