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Patton's Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton's Rise to Glory
A stirring World War II combat story of how the legendary George Patton reinvigorated a defeated and demoralized army corps, and how his men claimed victory over Germany’s most-feared general, Erwin Rommel
“Moore brings you to the battlefield and into the mind of a fearless military genius.”—Brian Kilmeade, bestselling author of The President and the Freedom Fighter • “Essential reading.”—Kevin Maurer, #1 NYT bestselling coauthor of No Easy Day • “[Moore] has a smooth prose style and a firm grasp of detail.”—The Wall Street JournalIn March 1943, in their first fight with the Germans, American soldiers in North Africa were pushed back fifty miles by Rommel’s Afrika Korps and nearly annihilated. Only the German decision not to pursue them allowed the Americans to maintain a foothold in the area. General Eisenhower, the supreme commander, knew he needed a new leader on the ground, one who could raise the severely damaged morale of his troops. He handed the job to a new Lieutenant General George Patton. Charismatic, irreverent, impulsive, and inspiring, Patton possessed a massive ego and the ambition to match. But he could motivate men to fight. He had just ten days to whip his dispirited troops into shape, then throw them into battle against the Wehrmacht’s terrifying Panzers, the speedy and powerful German tanks that U.S. forces had never defeated. Patton, who believed he had fought as a Roman legionnaire in a previous life, relished the challenge to turn the tide of America’s fledgling war against Hitler—and the chance to earn a fourth star.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 17, 2022
“Patton's Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton's Rise to Glory,” by Stephen L. Moore (ISBN: 9780593183403) publication date 17 May 2022, earns five stars.
The US II Corps, the focus of this book, was the first American formation of any size to see combat in North Africa or Europe during World War II. The II Corps held the southern flank of the British First Army during the destruction of the remaining Axis forces in North Africa. This book traces the conduct of the war in that military theater from the initial landing of Allied Forces to the surrender of Axis forces in North Africa via two mechanisms—the story of the senior leaders and the personal stories of the individual soldiers. Together, they made “Patton’s Payback” a reality.
US Major General Lloyd R. Fredendall commanded the US II Corps during the early stages of the Tunisia Campaign. His detached command style led to his defeat by German Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel and Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Consequently, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower replaced him with US Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., a very different kind leader. General Patton was a personally engaged warrior leader who was ultimately successful as the II Corps Commander, which was his “payback” for his earlier lesser assignments, which frustrated his aspirations.
Against this backdrop of senior leaders, the author presents a plethora of vignettes of small-scale combat engagements largely featuring individual American soldiers. General Patton’s leadership style and the individual soldier star. Documents such as official reports and General Patton’s diary complement. The author illustrates the effect that personality has on leadership effectiveness and how great results come from personal bravery and initiative. Cleverly, these fast-paced vignettes provide a frank and personalized “boots on the ground” perspective that effectively depicts the “fog of war,” which is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants at all levels in military operations. It’s a fascinating read.
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Group Dutton/Dutton Caliber, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
The US II Corps, the focus of this book, was the first American formation of any size to see combat in North Africa or Europe during World War II. The II Corps held the southern flank of the British First Army during the destruction of the remaining Axis forces in North Africa. This book traces the conduct of the war in that military theater from the initial landing of Allied Forces to the surrender of Axis forces in North Africa via two mechanisms—the story of the senior leaders and the personal stories of the individual soldiers. Together, they made “Patton’s Payback” a reality.
US Major General Lloyd R. Fredendall commanded the US II Corps during the early stages of the Tunisia Campaign. His detached command style led to his defeat by German Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel and Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Consequently, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower replaced him with US Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., a very different kind leader. General Patton was a personally engaged warrior leader who was ultimately successful as the II Corps Commander, which was his “payback” for his earlier lesser assignments, which frustrated his aspirations.
Against this backdrop of senior leaders, the author presents a plethora of vignettes of small-scale combat engagements largely featuring individual American soldiers. General Patton’s leadership style and the individual soldier star. Documents such as official reports and General Patton’s diary complement. The author illustrates the effect that personality has on leadership effectiveness and how great results come from personal bravery and initiative. Cleverly, these fast-paced vignettes provide a frank and personalized “boots on the ground” perspective that effectively depicts the “fog of war,” which is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants at all levels in military operations. It’s a fascinating read.
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Group Dutton/Dutton Caliber, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
June 7, 2022
I was expecting more about Patton than this author provided. While the heroism of the soldiers fighting under Patton and the other generals in Tunisia was undeniably beyond impressive, the recurring depictions of every advance, skirmish, and setback became tedious well before I finished the book. I also thought the treatment of Patton was slanted against him. I recommend Carlo D’Este’s A Genius for War instead.
May 25, 2022
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Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory by Stephen L. Moore tells of the way Lieutenant General George S. Patton shaped, and beat, Erwin Rommel’s German troops in North Africa. Mr. Moore is an author who writes about World War II and Texan history.
Overall, book introduces the readers to General Patton, as seen through the North African battlefield, and throughout the theater. Patton was put in charge of the 2nd Armored Division, becoming a prominent, indeed, the prominent, warrior in the US armor doctrine.
Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory by Stephen L. Moore tells of the events which lead to Patton successfully turning around a losing battle, as well as becoming the face of the US Army in the African campaign. How Patton shook up the troops, restored discipline, and earned the men’s respect by leading from the front, particularly not afraid to face danger himself.
I especially enjoyed reading about the overall viewpoint of the campaign from different aspects, which certainly gave me great insight. We see the campaign through the eyes of Eisenhower, Patton, field commanders, soldiers in the trenches, as well as the Germans.
The high and low overviews, however, are also the weakness of the book. The author goes into great detail about the fighting, introducing dozens of men, and narratives. Nevertheless, this is a well-written, well-researched historical account of the events which led to the victory of the Allied forces, led by Patton, over the Axis forces, led by General Erwin Rommel.
Strangely, George Patton himself is very little in this book, because the author concentrates more on how his command affected the battlefield, then worrying about biographical information. Former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and politician, Rafael “Raful” Eitan (רפאל “רפול” איתן) used to say that “discipline starts at the shoestring”. I have a feeling that Eitan and Patton would get along famously together.
Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory by Stephen L. Moore tells of the way Lieutenant General George S. Patton shaped, and beat, Erwin Rommel’s German troops in North Africa. Mr. Moore is an author who writes about World War II and Texan history.
Overall, book introduces the readers to General Patton, as seen through the North African battlefield, and throughout the theater. Patton was put in charge of the 2nd Armored Division, becoming a prominent, indeed, the prominent, warrior in the US armor doctrine.
Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory by Stephen L. Moore tells of the events which lead to Patton successfully turning around a losing battle, as well as becoming the face of the US Army in the African campaign. How Patton shook up the troops, restored discipline, and earned the men’s respect by leading from the front, particularly not afraid to face danger himself.
I especially enjoyed reading about the overall viewpoint of the campaign from different aspects, which certainly gave me great insight. We see the campaign through the eyes of Eisenhower, Patton, field commanders, soldiers in the trenches, as well as the Germans.
The high and low overviews, however, are also the weakness of the book. The author goes into great detail about the fighting, introducing dozens of men, and narratives. Nevertheless, this is a well-written, well-researched historical account of the events which led to the victory of the Allied forces, led by Patton, over the Axis forces, led by General Erwin Rommel.
Strangely, George Patton himself is very little in this book, because the author concentrates more on how his command affected the battlefield, then worrying about biographical information. Former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and politician, Rafael “Raful” Eitan (רפאל “רפול” איתן) used to say that “discipline starts at the shoestring”. I have a feeling that Eitan and Patton would get along famously together.
March 8, 2022
"Patton's Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton's Rise to Glory" is an entertaining read focusing on Patton's rise to prominence in the battle for Tunisia just as things were wrapping up on Hitler's abortive attempt to destroy British resolve in the Western Desert. Events here date from around the time when General Erwin Rommel, in failing health and increasingly regarded as a loose cannon, was withdrawn from Africa. This is just shortly after the disastrous American baptism of fire at Kasserine Pass. It was, in fact, that debacle that highlighted massive failures in American command and training, thereby inflicting longstanding damage on the relationship between the Brits and the Americans. Only Eisenhower's formidable powers of persuasion smoothed things out, but that was after Patton had demonstrated his mettle in leading a resurgence of American morale and command against the battered remnants of the Afrika Korps in Tunisia, ultimately contributing significantly to the surrender of remaining Axis forces in Africa. The book takes pains to look closely at the evolution of American tactical doctrine as it occurred when confronted with the enormously experienced Italian and German troops deployed against the Allies in North Africa. The detailed descriptions of Patton's role in turning things around focuses much more on the tactics and weapons usage of American soldiers than it does on
Patton per se. Indeed, it is a marvelous primer on how American troops adapted to the experience of combat against some of the finest soldiers in the world at the time. Reading of how American tactics and weapons handling improved when it became clear to them that their command actually knew something about battle does a great deal to explain Patton's importance to Allied victory in the European theater of war while simultaneously highlighting the dangers of throwing an inexperienced army with very mixed commanders against a far more experienced foe. It was illuminating, and I enjoyed it.
Patton per se. Indeed, it is a marvelous primer on how American troops adapted to the experience of combat against some of the finest soldiers in the world at the time. Reading of how American tactics and weapons handling improved when it became clear to them that their command actually knew something about battle does a great deal to explain Patton's importance to Allied victory in the European theater of war while simultaneously highlighting the dangers of throwing an inexperienced army with very mixed commanders against a far more experienced foe. It was illuminating, and I enjoyed it.
October 1, 2023
Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guetter & Patton’s Rise to Glory
Stephen L. Moore
This book was very interesting; I learned several things.
I learned that the movie Patton was pretty accurate to the extent it could be in the time a movie plays. Right down to that scene where Patton empties his pistol at German planes in an air raid while arguing with British RAF gemerals about having enough air cover. Also that many of his men considered him to be an SOB. But he was a fighter so he was THEIR SOB.
I also learned many details about the men who actually fought in the battles and their courage. Also that Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr was a key player. My knowledge of him had been ancillary to his father previously. I knew Ted had fought in WWI & WWII. I knew he had gone ashore on D-Day and died within a few weeks, earning the MOH. Turns out his involvement was much more detailed. I have ordered a biography of him now.
So, this book ticked two of my favorite aspects for a book. I learned from it, and it inspired me to learn more.
Stephen L. Moore
This book was very interesting; I learned several things.
I learned that the movie Patton was pretty accurate to the extent it could be in the time a movie plays. Right down to that scene where Patton empties his pistol at German planes in an air raid while arguing with British RAF gemerals about having enough air cover. Also that many of his men considered him to be an SOB. But he was a fighter so he was THEIR SOB.
I also learned many details about the men who actually fought in the battles and their courage. Also that Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr was a key player. My knowledge of him had been ancillary to his father previously. I knew Ted had fought in WWI & WWII. I knew he had gone ashore on D-Day and died within a few weeks, earning the MOH. Turns out his involvement was much more detailed. I have ordered a biography of him now.
So, this book ticked two of my favorite aspects for a book. I learned from it, and it inspired me to learn more.
March 2, 2022
Stephen L Moore does an effective job of capturing the chaos and action of war. This is in part through the focus on individuals at all ranks and their experiences in battle. It is also a result of a somewhat chaotic writing style; Moore switches viewpoints, introduces dozens of individuals, and intersperses their narratives in a very freewheeling manner. This often made the text hard for me to follow. Furthermore, his indiscriminate use of defined military terms - division, regiment, battalion, company - often left me puzzled about units and needing to reread to ensure I was following what was going on. That said, the book is brisk and offers insight into combat during a major transitional period for the US Army during the war. It also effectively uses excerpts from Patton’s diaries to help explore his character. I expected more about Patton and less about his troops but at the end of the day came away reasonably but not totally satisfied with this history.
April 4, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for this preview!
This was a very focused period of the battle in North Africa but was well written and focused on how Patton's energy and approached changed the way the allies challenged the Germans for North Africa. The location as noted was key to launching landings in Italy as well as making sure the hard work of the tank corp. punished the German Panzers and Rommel directly.
Well written and the battle scenes were drawn out clear along with the help of maps. I will say that most of the chapters focused on the leaders below Patton and how they handled different battles and situations. While Patton gets his due we do get to see some leaders that we aren't as familiar with which I feel was a breath of fresh air.
This was a very focused period of the battle in North Africa but was well written and focused on how Patton's energy and approached changed the way the allies challenged the Germans for North Africa. The location as noted was key to launching landings in Italy as well as making sure the hard work of the tank corp. punished the German Panzers and Rommel directly.
Well written and the battle scenes were drawn out clear along with the help of maps. I will say that most of the chapters focused on the leaders below Patton and how they handled different battles and situations. While Patton gets his due we do get to see some leaders that we aren't as familiar with which I feel was a breath of fresh air.
July 10, 2023
3.5 stars. The author describes the battle of El Guettar, which doesn’t seem to have many, if any, books written on it. After the American disappointment at Kasserine, Patton took command of II Corps and took them into combat less than 2 weeks later. Patton was a controversial figure, and he took extreme measures to whip II Corps into fighting condition.
The book has ok maps, but there could be more of them. The strength of the book is the focus on Patton’s interactions with his men, and the personal stories of those men. The weakness is a few minor errors that I noted when referring to descriptions of weapons. Considering the lack of books on El Guettar, I’d recommend this for a study of the battle.
The book has ok maps, but there could be more of them. The strength of the book is the focus on Patton’s interactions with his men, and the personal stories of those men. The weakness is a few minor errors that I noted when referring to descriptions of weapons. Considering the lack of books on El Guettar, I’d recommend this for a study of the battle.
March 21, 2022
I received this an ARC through Netgalley. I was very excited to read this book and learn more about Patton and his first major battle. While there were interesting facts and I learned some new things, I was very underwhelmed by this book. There were a lot of different military terms and personnel which made it extremely hard to follow. The focus also was not on Patton, I feel the title is rather misleading. If you'd like to read about the battles that occurred in Africa and how the players in Patton's world came together for WWII, then go ahead and pick it up. If you want to read a book about Patton, this is not it.
June 15, 2022
Man, can Stephen Moore write non-fiction! This was great - full of fascinating details and stories about the battle in North Africa under Patton. To add to my enjoyment, I took basic notes throughout to glance at as there are lots of names and places to keep track of as I’m
not a history buff and was unfamiliar before reading this. History came alive and I learned lots and enjoyed doing so. Heartfelt thanks to Dutton for the advanced copy. Highly recommend!
not a history buff and was unfamiliar before reading this. History came alive and I learned lots and enjoyed doing so. Heartfelt thanks to Dutton for the advanced copy. Highly recommend!
July 12, 2022
Tough one to rate as it could either be a three or a one. The good part is the personal anecdotes of the soldiers who were there. Those sections were absolutely riveting. The bad part is the editing. So many mistakes in identifying units and organizations that it became distracting. Some of the worst editing that I have seen outside of self published books. Overall, not recommended as there are better books out there on the American effort in the North African campaign.
July 18, 2022
This is the story of the Allied Forces in WWII in North Africa. The El Guettar battle was where Patton entered the story. He was able to turn the battle around in his five weeks of command. There are many human-interest stories. I will be honest; I got a bit lost in the battle details at times. I think a reason for that is that I know the least about the North Africa theatre in WWII. I still recommend the book. I read an electronic copy for reviewing purposes.
July 20, 2022
Not a book about Patton. If there are 6 pages in the entire book about his actions, I'm over estimating. Lots of details about the battles; i.e; Sgt.Smith fired 3 shots from his fox hole, but very, very little about Patton except that he took over command in North Africa for 5 weeks, was a strict disciplinarian, broke the Germans and turned the campaign over to Bradley.
Learned nothing about the man
Learned nothing about the man
November 4, 2022
A very good book with a lot of research in it. A lot of poor leadership was discovered in the opening battles of the North African campaign. One wonders where allied airpower was in these campaigns as the Luftwaffe seemed to hold up allied ground forces in the early part of the battles.
The Americans learned a great deal about weapons in the early battles with the Germans. I especially enjoyed the Epilogue and what happened to many of the men pictured in the stories.
The Americans learned a great deal about weapons in the early battles with the Germans. I especially enjoyed the Epilogue and what happened to many of the men pictured in the stories.
January 5, 2024
It appears the editor chose the title; Patton sells the book but plays a supporting role.
The book contains an impressive amount of facts, interviews, and descriptions. Some histories weave a narrative, Patton's Payback is the other kind. Although, certain sections, for instance the Rangers, made an excellent showing. A solid work that earned its price and great for anyone interested in WWII or Patton.
The book contains an impressive amount of facts, interviews, and descriptions. Some histories weave a narrative, Patton's Payback is the other kind. Although, certain sections, for instance the Rangers, made an excellent showing. A solid work that earned its price and great for anyone interested in WWII or Patton.
April 27, 2022
Stephen L. Moore tells the reader of the rise of General George S. Patton in North Africa. Patton took over the horribly led II Corps after the Battle of Kasserine Pass and the relief of General Lloyd Fredendall. Patton with all of his faults fit the need for aggressive leadership and accountability. A very good character study of Patton.
February 20, 2022
A truly great read restarting the first major battle one of America’s greatest generals took part in. His decisive leadership and courageous is truly inspirational! This is a great military read.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 13, 2022
War is HELL!!! Very detailed analysis of Patton's recovery of the initiative in America's first taste of combat in north Africa. War is all about confusion after the first shot and this book attempts to put it all on paper.
April 19, 2023
This has very little to do with Patton. Instead it is a dreary description of various battles in the taking of Tunisia and defeat of the German army.
No continuity of various battles and their impact.
It is more a depiction of the various commanders of the various armies.
No continuity of various battles and their impact.
It is more a depiction of the various commanders of the various armies.
February 7, 2024
Really an old school military history. Very detailed, very focused. Enjoyable though. It was interesting to hear how bad things were early in the campaign and how much some people really didn’t like Patton. He does seem like kinda a sob.
June 28, 2022
A quick read with exceptional battlefield detail, however there was little focus on the title subject which disappointed me a bit.
August 16, 2022
Good read
Interesting insight into the beginning of General Pattons legendary rise in history. Also revealed the arguing between the different allied factions
Interesting insight into the beginning of General Pattons legendary rise in history. Also revealed the arguing between the different allied factions
March 17, 2023
Enjoyed the book Not the best Patton but good tank war battles.
May 15, 2023
A longtime fan of the movie Patton, it was refreshing to read the real life history of Patton's North Africa campaign without the Hollywood lens.
June 2, 2023
I was expecting more about Patton than what the author provided. It hardly had anything about Patton mentioned. I felt I was misled into reading this book based upon the title.
September 18, 2023
Well researched and written account of Patton's war time efforts in North Africa
June 1, 2025
This was a better discussion of North Africa than I had read previously.
December 31, 2022
Thoroughly researched
Much, much, much detail. I felt the abundance of detail did reflect the feeling of the battles, but at the same time made the account difficult to follow. I would have liked a more rounded account of George Patton.
Much, much, much detail. I felt the abundance of detail did reflect the feeling of the battles, but at the same time made the account difficult to follow. I would have liked a more rounded account of George Patton.
May 14, 2023
Great book about opening fights of ww2
Very informative and good description of command structure
Thorough description of the order of battle.
Great behind the scenes information
,,
Very informative and good description of command structure
Thorough description of the order of battle.
Great behind the scenes information
,,
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews