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The Generals
Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny
He was a harsh taskmaster who comforted dying soldiers and quietly commended their valor. A crusty, often foulmouthed commander who wrote tender letters home to the love of his life.
Gen. George S. Patton Jr. comes to life in these pages as one of the most colorful, enigmatic, and unfairly maligned leaders in U.S. military history. Often caricatured—as in the big-screen biopic, Patton—the general was a complex blend of battle-tested strengths and nearly fatal personal flaws.
Without varnishing over his shortcomings, The Pursuit of Destiny shatters myths and builds a compelling case for a deeper appreciation of the man who inspired unsurpassed loyalty and admiration from the soldiers who served under him.
Destined for an outsized life, Patton parlayed his family’s deep military roots, his World War I experiences, his Olympic exploits, and his passion for freedom to become one of the linchpins of Allied victory in World War II.
Gen. George S. Patton Jr. comes to life in these pages as one of the most colorful, enigmatic, and unfairly maligned leaders in U.S. military history. Often caricatured—as in the big-screen biopic, Patton—the general was a complex blend of battle-tested strengths and nearly fatal personal flaws.
Without varnishing over his shortcomings, The Pursuit of Destiny shatters myths and builds a compelling case for a deeper appreciation of the man who inspired unsurpassed loyalty and admiration from the soldiers who served under him.
Destined for an outsized life, Patton parlayed his family’s deep military roots, his World War I experiences, his Olympic exploits, and his passion for freedom to become one of the linchpins of Allied victory in World War II.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 9, 2010
Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny
I will be honest, I am not really a fan of military history, especially when it comes to military strategists and generals, however, Patton is such a larger-than-life individual that I thought I would read this latest book by Agostino Von Hassell and Ed Breslin and then pass on this book to my husband who might appreciate the historical content more.
I remember well, the movie version of Patton and it is interesting that this book makes quite a deal about not wanting to align itself with the “facts” portrayed in the movie. Instead, the book attempts to portray Patton as a man who was fearful of death, cowardice; led by example and demanded excellence from his men on the battlefield. He had an intense hatred for Communism. He was a man of great contradictions, using the most profane expletives; yet he also carried a Bible with him and wrote tender love letters to his wife, while it is also known he had extra-marital affairs.
Patton had his share of short-comings, yet he was a brilliant leader on the battlefield and often put himself in the line of fire, thought of by some as arrogant and fool-hardy acts of bravery. Coming from a long line of military heroes, he refused to bring dishonor to the name. This no doubt motivated Patton throughout his military career. He was driven by ambition and the need to overcome all challenges put in his path on and off the battlefield.
I appreciated the personal insights, the in- depth look into a great military leader’s mind and what may have motivated him throughout his life. I thought the authors tended to make excuses for some of his more glaring character flaws. Patton suffered from bouts with depression, he had strained relationships with superior officers, and his temper and lack of self-control, nearly scuttled his career before it even began.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy good biographies and who enjoy learning about men and women who have left their mark in history.
(I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
I will be honest, I am not really a fan of military history, especially when it comes to military strategists and generals, however, Patton is such a larger-than-life individual that I thought I would read this latest book by Agostino Von Hassell and Ed Breslin and then pass on this book to my husband who might appreciate the historical content more.
I remember well, the movie version of Patton and it is interesting that this book makes quite a deal about not wanting to align itself with the “facts” portrayed in the movie. Instead, the book attempts to portray Patton as a man who was fearful of death, cowardice; led by example and demanded excellence from his men on the battlefield. He had an intense hatred for Communism. He was a man of great contradictions, using the most profane expletives; yet he also carried a Bible with him and wrote tender love letters to his wife, while it is also known he had extra-marital affairs.
Patton had his share of short-comings, yet he was a brilliant leader on the battlefield and often put himself in the line of fire, thought of by some as arrogant and fool-hardy acts of bravery. Coming from a long line of military heroes, he refused to bring dishonor to the name. This no doubt motivated Patton throughout his military career. He was driven by ambition and the need to overcome all challenges put in his path on and off the battlefield.
I appreciated the personal insights, the in- depth look into a great military leader’s mind and what may have motivated him throughout his life. I thought the authors tended to make excuses for some of his more glaring character flaws. Patton suffered from bouts with depression, he had strained relationships with superior officers, and his temper and lack of self-control, nearly scuttled his career before it even began.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy good biographies and who enjoy learning about men and women who have left their mark in history.
(I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
August 13, 2010
Aside from being initially put off by the 16 page introduction dissecting the 1970 film Patton, I truly enjoyed the book. The introduction was not only unnecessary, the issues raised could and should have been addressed in the main text, but also off putting. However, once I got to the body of the book it was very interesting and informative. Although the author tends to gloss over or make excuse for Patton's flaws, he still paints a good picture of Patton, the man. The book is engaging and a quick read. I learned a lot about Patton I didn't know. Unlike many books that focus solely on his World War II exploits this book shows the full tapestry of his life. I would recommend this book for additional reading on Patton but I would not recommend it as a sole resource.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 13, 2020
‘Pursue the enemy with the utmost audacity and do not take counsel of your fears.’ Inscribed on a Patton statue at West Point
George S Patton Jr was born to be a soldier, at his very soul. Patton comes from a line of a military family, unfortunately Confederate ones, who relocated to California with their Southern identity. Struggled in school. First attended the Virginia Military Institute in order to gain acceptance to West Point where he was forced to repeat a year. None of this would stop him or define him. He studied military history from all over the world. He used it as he devised training, tactics which he took into a modern day battlefield. He was called upon to train the misfit units into the best soldiers the military could ask for (his standards for training are still used today). For all his military zeal, he hated to lose men. He was one of the few in leadership to visit the wounded. In the heat of battle he would hold a hand until their last breath. Patton was far from perfect. He struggled when direction from the top didn’t match his own. He could lose his temper and be incredibly immature. Luckily, Eisenhower assessed his flaws to be a small price to pay to have Patton on your side. After all, he was one of the few leaders to be feared by the Germans. One of his considered impossible achievements is moving 3 army divisions (40,000-60,000 troops total) 75 miles in 72 hours during the Battle of the Bulge. This book only provides a high level overview which is just what I was looking for. On top of this his saw the effectiveness of being in the Calvary to be trending downwards so he became the American expert on tanks. In addition, an excellent fencer he designed the official sword of the US Army. Used with their dress uniforms today.
George S Patton Jr was born to be a soldier, at his very soul. Patton comes from a line of a military family, unfortunately Confederate ones, who relocated to California with their Southern identity. Struggled in school. First attended the Virginia Military Institute in order to gain acceptance to West Point where he was forced to repeat a year. None of this would stop him or define him. He studied military history from all over the world. He used it as he devised training, tactics which he took into a modern day battlefield. He was called upon to train the misfit units into the best soldiers the military could ask for (his standards for training are still used today). For all his military zeal, he hated to lose men. He was one of the few in leadership to visit the wounded. In the heat of battle he would hold a hand until their last breath. Patton was far from perfect. He struggled when direction from the top didn’t match his own. He could lose his temper and be incredibly immature. Luckily, Eisenhower assessed his flaws to be a small price to pay to have Patton on your side. After all, he was one of the few leaders to be feared by the Germans. One of his considered impossible achievements is moving 3 army divisions (40,000-60,000 troops total) 75 miles in 72 hours during the Battle of the Bulge. This book only provides a high level overview which is just what I was looking for. On top of this his saw the effectiveness of being in the Calvary to be trending downwards so he became the American expert on tanks. In addition, an excellent fencer he designed the official sword of the US Army. Used with their dress uniforms today.
January 2, 2020
This is a good overview of Gen. Patton’s life. It does not trivialize his down falls, but doesn’t let them obscure the excellent general he was. Like with all people his life was complex and messy. This book clearly shows that. It also does well to help dispel some of the myths about Gen. Patton.
This books is a very easy read and enjoyable. I will probably re-read it.
This books is a very easy read and enjoyable. I will probably re-read it.
August 5, 2024
An excellent, fast moving biography that hits Patton’s successes and his demons. Patton was the very best fighting general the U.S. had. Some of the things he got in trouble for were minor events that got blown up. If Eisenhower had turned Patton loose the war likely would have ended sooner with less loss of life.
October 1, 2018
"Pursue the enemy with utmost audacity and do not take counsel of your fears. " General George S. Patton
August 23, 2010
I found this book hard to put down, Patton was an ordinary man but unlike other men he had huge shoes to fill, his father and his grandfather all did well in the military, and like them Patton also had a taste for the military. But things were not just handed to him on a platter. The book does start with the mention of the film that was made about Patton and that it did not portray patter at all well. I also found interesting that Patton struggled while at school, but with a little more application he eventually overcame his academic short comings. And yet when faced with tactical decision Patton excelled. But he also suffered from bouts of depression which sometimes affected his behaviour especially when it came to dealing with others. But the one thing you could not take away from this man was the fact that he was a military genius, who had a kind of love for the military and its life, from day one Patton wanted to make something of his military life and climb the military ladder. The book also goes into Patton’s Family life and how his father tried his best to help his son. We also learn a little about his wife and the kind of life they had which sometimes did not run smoothly.
The one thing I found interesting About Patton was his attention to detail; he was hard on his men and demanded nothing but the best from them, if any of Patton ruled with an iron claw, and in doing so often found others disliked him, and he sometime bumping heads with others. Patton had a passion for tanks and other military weapons, and helped make some significant changes to advance weaponry; they even named a sword after him. It was Patton’s military genius that helped the country defeat the Germans. He was strict with his men, cavalier with his life, demanded the best from people around him, and suffered painful bouts of depression. At the end of the day Patton was a man, and at the end of the day whatever way you look at it he made a difference.
The one thing I found interesting About Patton was his attention to detail; he was hard on his men and demanded nothing but the best from them, if any of Patton ruled with an iron claw, and in doing so often found others disliked him, and he sometime bumping heads with others. Patton had a passion for tanks and other military weapons, and helped make some significant changes to advance weaponry; they even named a sword after him. It was Patton’s military genius that helped the country defeat the Germans. He was strict with his men, cavalier with his life, demanded the best from people around him, and suffered painful bouts of depression. At the end of the day Patton was a man, and at the end of the day whatever way you look at it he made a difference.
August 24, 2010
I found this book hard to put down, Patton was an ordinary man but unlike other men he had huge shoes to fill, his father and his grandfather all did well in the military, and like them Patton also had a taste for the military. But things were not just handed to him on a platter. The book does start with the mention of the film that was made about Patton and that it did not portray patter at all well. I also found interesting that Patton struggled while at school, but with a little more application he eventually overcame his academic short comings. And yet when faced with tactical decision Patton excelled. But he also suffered from bouts of depression which sometimes affected his behaviour especially when it came to dealing with others. But the one thing you could not take away from this man was the fact that he was a military genius, who had a kind of love for the military and its life, from day one Patton wanted to make something of his military life and climb the military ladder. The book also goes into Patton’s Family life and how his father tried his best to help his son. We also learn a little about his wife and the kind of life they had which sometimes did not run smoothly.
The one thing I found interesting About Patton was his attention to detail; he was hard on his men and demanded nothing but the best from them, if any of Patton ruled with an iron claw, and in doing so often found others disliked him, and he sometime bumping heads with others. Patton had a passion for tanks and other military weapons, and helped make some significant changes to advance weaponry; they even named a sword after him. It was Patton’s military genius that helped the country defeat the Germans. He was strict with his men, cavalier with his life, demanded the best from people around him, and suffered painful bouts of depression. At the end of the day Patton was a man, and at the end of the day whatever way you look at it he made a difference.
The one thing I found interesting About Patton was his attention to detail; he was hard on his men and demanded nothing but the best from them, if any of Patton ruled with an iron claw, and in doing so often found others disliked him, and he sometime bumping heads with others. Patton had a passion for tanks and other military weapons, and helped make some significant changes to advance weaponry; they even named a sword after him. It was Patton’s military genius that helped the country defeat the Germans. He was strict with his men, cavalier with his life, demanded the best from people around him, and suffered painful bouts of depression. At the end of the day Patton was a man, and at the end of the day whatever way you look at it he made a difference.
January 7, 2014
Gives a solid background on one of America's iconic generals
There have been thousands of generals that have served in the United States Military. Very few officers ever get "name" recognition. Washington, Grant, Pershing, MacArthur, Eisenhower. Patton stands right there with them, unique in the group I named because he was not in charge of an entire theater of war - always a subordinate officer.
But, Patton inspires images of a general of action - impulsive, moving, always pushing, leading from the field. Modern tank warfare may have been perfected by Patton in the sense that he truly understood the need to coordinate air, naval, armor and GIs - and he did just that.
Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny is an attempt to dig behind the image to find out a little about the real Patton - a romantic family man (also a philanderer), the little boy that dreamed of the battlefield, the frustrations that accompanied his slow climb up the officer ranks (but helped by excellent connections), his fear of being afraid.
Von Hassell and Breslin are mostly successful in their attempt, although they are often repititious in some of their points. For example, they tell the reader multiple times in the section on World War II that Patton's reputation as a glory hound was mitigated by the fact that he shared the glory so well with his men.
At times, the facts are written to make them seem more dramatic. For example...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/...
There have been thousands of generals that have served in the United States Military. Very few officers ever get "name" recognition. Washington, Grant, Pershing, MacArthur, Eisenhower. Patton stands right there with them, unique in the group I named because he was not in charge of an entire theater of war - always a subordinate officer.
But, Patton inspires images of a general of action - impulsive, moving, always pushing, leading from the field. Modern tank warfare may have been perfected by Patton in the sense that he truly understood the need to coordinate air, naval, armor and GIs - and he did just that.
Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny is an attempt to dig behind the image to find out a little about the real Patton - a romantic family man (also a philanderer), the little boy that dreamed of the battlefield, the frustrations that accompanied his slow climb up the officer ranks (but helped by excellent connections), his fear of being afraid.
Von Hassell and Breslin are mostly successful in their attempt, although they are often repititious in some of their points. For example, they tell the reader multiple times in the section on World War II that Patton's reputation as a glory hound was mitigated by the fact that he shared the glory so well with his men.
At times, the facts are written to make them seem more dramatic. For example...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/...
December 21, 2011
A brief biography of one of WWIIs most significant commanders. The author starts off very complimentary and defensive about some of the negative light that Patton was shown in with the popular movie about him. However, while he defends him he is clear about his mistakes and his shortcomings.
He points out that he was a son of whom much was expected. His father was disappointed that he was not able to make a career in the military so he raised his son from the beginning to live the life he did not have. In addition to that pressure his father and grandfather had an outstanding military record and he was expected to live up to them.
The author makes it clear that though he came from a wealthy family he earned his success and worked very hard to be the best he could be in the Army.
He learned to read at a late age and though he loved reading struggled academically (the author notes he never learned to spell well) though he authored many papers on tactics and new developments in warfare over the years.
Patton was also an Olympian competing in a five event challenge as the only American and acquitting himself well.
This volume is very approachable and easily readable. Highly recommend for someone wanting a quick read on a controversial and significant WWII commander.
He points out that he was a son of whom much was expected. His father was disappointed that he was not able to make a career in the military so he raised his son from the beginning to live the life he did not have. In addition to that pressure his father and grandfather had an outstanding military record and he was expected to live up to them.
The author makes it clear that though he came from a wealthy family he earned his success and worked very hard to be the best he could be in the Army.
He learned to read at a late age and though he loved reading struggled academically (the author notes he never learned to spell well) though he authored many papers on tactics and new developments in warfare over the years.
Patton was also an Olympian competing in a five event challenge as the only American and acquitting himself well.
This volume is very approachable and easily readable. Highly recommend for someone wanting a quick read on a controversial and significant WWII commander.
March 11, 2016
The is a good book but not necessarily a great one. It is a good biography of one of the most famous generals in U.S. military history but it is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive. The author takes the first 16 or so pages of the book (and there's just a little over 200 pages total) to talk about the movie "Patton" starring George C. Scott and pointing out all the things wrong with the movie. This was interesting to read but the author probably should have spent less time on that subject and more time on his own biography of General Patton. Yes, George Patton was a larger than life figure. He was a brilliant military strategist but also had many personal shortcomings which likely limited his greatness but such is the case with most human beings. Yes there are always two sides to every story and we must look at all of Patton's life, the good and the bad, to understand the man. Everyone should know you can't take a movie, any movie, to be 100% accurate, especially when portraying a real person. Real life doesn't always make for good movie-making. The author does seem a little over apologetic regarding Patton's flaws but he does not gloss over them. I enjoyed reading the book and if you want a good overview of Patton's life and military career, this is a good book to read. There are likely better and more exhaustive biographies out there if you want more.
September 23, 2010
Overall I thought this was a good book. It is an easy read and you can quickly get through it. I like the author's take on Patton. He stuck more to facts than to the movie version of Patton. I wish the author had written more in depth on some of his family. There is hardly any mention of his family. Often time the author would bring up an issue Patton was dealing with, but never followed up with an outcome.
November 23, 2015
Regardless of what you think of Patton (and I agree with the author that many current views are formed based primarily on the wonderful film starring George C. Scott), this book is disappointing. It seems to be derivative primarily of one or two sources and much more interested in promoting a pop culture psychology of the General. Poor treatment for one of the small group of military geniuses that wine the war for the Allies.
August 24, 2010
This was a good overview of Patton's military career and the events that led up to his seminal role in WWII in europe. Nothing really in-depth, but a good quick read.
May 26, 2012
Can't get enough of this guy. I'm glad he was on our side.
December 1, 2015
Patton, a Jeckyl and Hyde General
In time of war every army needs a Patton. I peace, no army needs one. ..too much like a Sherman
In time of war every army needs a Patton. I peace, no army needs one. ..too much like a Sherman
December 25, 2016
Great book.
Really exposed some unknown facts about Patton. I enjoyed this book very much. I highly recommend this to other military buffs.
Really exposed some unknown facts about Patton. I enjoyed this book very much. I highly recommend this to other military buffs.
July 16, 2014
Reads like a Wikipedia article, barely scratches the surface.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews