Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945

by Martin Blumenson

An incisive study of General George Patton probes the sensitivity, emotionality, and insecurities that were concealed behind the public facade of a macho military man and that also produced one of the world's greatest generals

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Military History, World War II, Military Fiction, American History

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Martin Blumenson was a soldier in the US army, and a military historian, and a recognised authority on the life of Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

Blumenson received a Bachelors and Masters degree from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He received a second master's degree in history from Harvard University. He also was an exellent pianist, performing at Carnegie Hall as a young man.

He served as a U.S. Army officer in northwestern Europe during World War II.
After the war he lived in France for a number of years, where he met his wife of 55 years, Genevieve Adelbert Blumenson, who died in 2000.

Blumenson again served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and later worked in the Office of the Chief of Military History until 1967. After this he became an adviser on civil disorders for the Johnson administration.

Reviews

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read many books on WWII, so naturally I’ve read about Patton before, but this is the first biography I’ve read about him (well, listened to—I had the audiobook version). I enjoyed it. A lot of the material was familiar, either from other books or from the 1970 film, but I learned some new things too. I hadn’t known much about his life prior to WWII, and found it interesting that he had dyslexia and had such a challenging time in school (he had to repeat a year at West Point). Patton had his moments—great ones, and not-so-great ones. Sometimes he was brilliant, and sometimes he was petty and driven by a large, insecure ego. (I’d really love to see what would have happened if Third Army had gotten the gasoline and other supplies instead of Market Garden in 1944.) Overall, his life’s ambition was to be a great military legend, and he achieved that despite setbacks and challenges. I think he would look back and be satisfied with his life.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading nonfiction. I don't spend enough time reading it. I liked this book. General Patton earned quite a reputation during WWII. He came back a hero in the eyes of the US. Even though the things he did and said seemed harsh (not to mention controversial) at times, he is what was needed to get the war moving in the right direction. So so so many lives had been lost before he was given substantial command.

I enjoyed the part about his family history, but mostly the part about his career. It was factual and the excerpts from his own writings added great insight. I guess my only real negative is when the opinion of the author comes into play. When reading biographies, I like a reporter approach the best, not an editorial.

[Carlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book fulfills its purpose of providing the biography of General Patton (1885-1945) and his historical context in a sufficient level of detail for me.

[Morgan Westbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a story where the good guys win and the bad guys lose. And really what is there to say about this particular subject other than- Patton was THE man! A fearless soldier and admired general, George Patton will forever reign as one of America's great heroes. Rest easy, General.

[Richard Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A balanced view of a military genius, but a flawed man whose portrait will always figure amongst the great generals of the 20th century.

[Kyle Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, more a summary of Patton's life and not much storytelling.

[Kislay Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpts from my review at SolomonSays:

Patton is the definitive chronicle of the man hailed (arguably) as the greatest military commander of the modern age. It is tight paced and captivating. Even when describing the mundane (to some people) matters of family history or the years in between the two great wars, you feel no temptation to skip a few pages. The author makes you eager to know what happened during these less eventful times because you are convinced of its relevance to the upcoming flare-up. Like its subject, the very cadence and language of the book is focussed on the battles to come.

The book can be broadly divided into two parts. The first half is devoted to the making of the man. Backed by excerpts from Patton’s extensive correspondence with his family and friends, and photographs from the family archive, this section of the book lays out the man George Patton was born as and his transition to “Old blood and guts”, as he later came be called.

The second half describes General Patton’s great campaigns in the Second World War – The North African Campaign, the blitzkrieg in Europe and relief of Bastogne. These are very exciting pages, describing in great detail the battle fields of Europe...The interplay of the famous personalities in the Allied high-command and Patton’s relationship with them forms a very interesting backdrop to the historical facts of the war.

[Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am writing this review 80% through the book, so I am not complete but I feel comfortable in sharing my opinion by now as I have read to the point after the Battle of the Bulge.

This was a very intense read for me. In order to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the book, there is a requirement of knowledge of North African and Western European geography, as well as military science, particularly in the United States Army.

As someone who has researched Patton for some time, I must say this book was excellent. It covered all of the knowledge I had already acquired, and filled in the gaps on many things that I missed. It gave thorough insight to the tactical sides of Patton’s work, as well as a personal side to it through documentation of many letters Patton wrote to his wife, friends, and peers.

This book paints General Patton as the hero he should be pictured as, do not expect to gain an understanding of why the other General’s did not like him, in fact it only makes you wonder why Patton didn’t have more authority.

[Frank Cavanaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the end Patton was the right person for his time in history. He knew what he wanted to be from an early age and kept focused. He had significant personal obstacles such as dyslexia and wild emotional swings but neither deterred him. He saw subordinates promoted over him and he preserved. This book helped me understand how driven he was and how he could succeed through his inner drive, a created persona and hard won knowledge. Simply put, in WW II he was a little older, more knowledgeable and worked harder than his contemporaries. He repeatedly found ways to train and inspire large groups of soldiers. He formed and was the first commander of a US tank battalion and took it into battle in WW I. His flaws kept him from the top military positions but his successes kept him in command of fighting units and earned him four stars and legendary status among his soldiers and the public. We probably won’t see his like again. Worth the read if you have an interest in military history.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book and right after finishing Patton, Montgomery, Rommel and this biography was very consistent with that book.

This book was shorter and really covered the highlights of Patton’s career with a little more emphasis on his accomplishments than say on his marital infidelities.

If you are a fan of WWII history I highly recommend this book, if you aren’t a huge fan you may not enjoy this book much.

I plan to listen to the audio book about Patton at The Battle of the Bulge soon.

[C. G. Telcontar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a bare-bones biography, featuring a lot of he went here and did this and he went there and did that. The early chapters spent a lot of time on his heredity and the circumstances of his parents and grandparents which makes it kind of an old-school biography by today's standards. While solidly pointing out out all his head injuries and the possible trauma suffered and the effect on his behavior afterwards until the end of his life it is quite shallow in other regards as the military campaigns are treated with a very light touch and always featuring Patton as the hero and the only man on the scene who knew what was going on. There are over claims and some outright wishful thinking I feel at times and his antipathy towards Montgomery and Bradley in the later stages of the war is really not touched on; Montgomery is nearly forgotten after Sicily in fact. All in all it as a good introduction to Patton's life that makes for a good springboard to a deeper bio.

[Bill P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another found unread title on my bookshelves, probably sitting there since its publication back in 1985. As the military historian for Patton's Third Army, the author can probably be forgiven for the apparent admiration for Patton that may have gotten in the way of objectivity, but the book does cover the highlights of Patton's long career, both admirable and questionable. The author had access to Patton's many private letters and diaries, and he was able to share much that showed Patton's insecurities that fed his outward displays of bravado and unquestionable bravery, leadership and his destiny to be an incomparable leader in wartime. Given time and inclination it might be interesting to explore if historians writ large might now agree with Patton's opinions of the shortcomings of Eisenhower, Montgomery, Clark and so many of his other contemporaries of the time. But so many books and perhaps too few years left to read them all.

[Gunderhaegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a period in my early teens when I was fascinated by the second world war. I'm not exactly sure what it was that attracted me, but I read loads about the Pacific theatre, various aircraft (e.g. P38 Lightning) et cetera. As I've gotten older, I've come to abhor the side of humanity that leads into war after war, but trying to understand how we as people work is always interesting, so I pick up books that might help me. Reading Blumenson's (slightly adulatory) book on General George S. Patton was surprisingly intriguing in the portrayal of a man that had an almost total understanding of the waging of war. Let's be honest,... Patton loved war, but at least there is no romanticism of the act of war. Patton stated, "No bastard every won a war by dying for his country. You win a war by making the enemy die for his."

[Julio The Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sterling disappointment from Martin Blumenson, editor of the definitive PATTON PAPERS. This biography does not live up to its subtitle. The facts are all here, Patton's birth into a military family, his slow advancement up the ranks after a mediocre start at Virginia Military Academy and West Point, friendship with Eisenhower, appointment to command U.S. troops in Tunisia after the disastrous Battle of Kessarine Pass, and then the years of glory in Sicily, France and the drive through Germany. But, Blumenson only presents the most basic facts about the General, not the man. Patton saw himself above all as a religious warrior, whom destiny had chosen for victory in some great cause. The poetic meaning of that vision is lost on Blumenson. Better to try Patton's own diary, WAR AS I KNEW IT, or the splendid biography by Ladislas Farago, PATTON: ORDEAL AND TRIUMPH.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a slog. After reading the memoirs of the enlisted men it felt like Patton didn't have a deep appreciation for what troops were going through. Patton was born into a mountain of privilege and the way he treated shell shocked enlisted men in the hospitals was pretty disgusting. And following orders to physically clear world war 1 veterans protesting for their pay during the depression, I'm not fan.

Its pretty clear he was only ever out for his own glory and the glory of his family name. Which is a disappointing motivator but clearly worked for him.

That said, he was clearly a great general, good at inspiring men and creating and executing strategy, so it is probably too much to ask that he's perfect.

[Gunnar Esiason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Blumenson’s biography about American legend George Patton shows a different side of America’s favorite World War II leader. Patton, who showed a tough and chiseled facade, was complex, self conscious, and a man whose mood and mannerism changed at the flip of a switch. In constant pursuit of glory and worldwide fame, Patton’s drive to be America’s best was a long military career, taking him from the Mexican-American border conflict, to the First World War, the dawn of tank warfare and finally culminating with his exploits during the Second World War, which many of us all know too well. I consider George Patton to be a hero of mine, and for that reason I am glad I got to meet the ‘man behind the legend’ in this page turning biography.

[Avil Ramírez Mayorga · Rating 5 out of 5]

El querido y admirado General Patton, ese old, blood and guts, personaje tan controversial que no deja a nadie indiferente, para bien o para mal. Esplendido militar, de los más grandes estrategas que ha visto conflicto bélico alguno. Pero por qué genera tanta controversia? Esta biografía de Blumenson (que peleó bajo su mando, si bien nunca alcanzó a tratarlo) nos arroja luces importantes, desde los pormenores de su infancia rodeado de amor en familia, pero también de dislexia en la escuela, pasando por su pasión por la lectura y la historia, incluyendo su propia historia familiar. También esta biografía permitirá comprender un poco mejor el famoso (o infame?) temperamento del General Patton, particularmente por tanto golpe en la cabeza, literalmente. Eso por una parte.

Luego, Patton en la segunda guerra mundial. No me toca spoilers, pero toco el Olimpo y cayo a los infiernos más de una vez en este conflicto.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945 is a wonderful book. This book is based on a man named George S. Patton. George S. Patton was a senior officer of the United States Army that is know for his leadership. In this the book it talks about his life and what he's accomplished. I really recommend this book to anyone who likes history books and bio.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting bio of a complex man. Well worth my time. I will say that the audio had portions where it seemed like they cut stuff out, and not very smoothly, but that just could have been the audio provider...although I've never had that issue with other books I've listened to, so I'm going to give the blame to the editors.

[Geir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good insight into Patton's personality and what drove him. The book goes into the right amount of detail on his life for the average reader interested in Patton's life. It does not go into detail on his strategy and tactics or the WWII battles, but that is covered many other places of those that are interested.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable, concise (less than 300 pages of text), and full of insightful and authoritative information about this American hero and icon. Going into this book I thought Patton was an interesting and imposing figure; after reading it I am even more impressed and interested in him and his exploits.

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding biography and very reader friendly! Unlike many biographies, this one is a page turner.

I highly recommend Martin Blumenson's Patton to all who are interested in the life of General George S. Patton, Jr., or in the European front during WW2.

[Michael Newville · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for an even better man.
Written more for the military man, it rides the line between whether a civilian can even read it. But in the end all can. It is an amazing memoir of a man who is commonly misunderstood.
Worth the read for those who love WW2 history

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it to see what made the man. Whereas this book focused on his better qualities and skimmed others, it was not as favorable as "Killing Patton". My take on him was he was arrogant, self-righteous, and egotistical. But I did understand that these qualities stemmed from an insecure inner self.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, quick overview of the life of a fascinating war hero. To the author's credit as a biographer, the book follows Patton's life story as if it wrote itself.

[Marla McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

GP brave warrior who completed his destiny
I hope I complete mine.
I love bios and this biography is on my top 3 best.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patton is the man

[Dwayne Mchottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by someone who feels criticizing someone for things that he knows nothing about.

[Daniel Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best for Patton's youth and campaigns. Warts and all, as it should be, but unsympathetic on his last days.

[David Runyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avoids the tendency of some biographers toward hagiography. Excellent depiction of a driven, flawed man and an excellent soldier.