General Patton: A Soldier's Life
by Stanley Hirshson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stanley HirshsonEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-08-06
ISBN: 0060009829
Number of pages: 848
Publisher: Harper
Book Reviews of General Patton: A Soldier's Life
Book Review: Functional excellence over form
Summary: 5 Stars
This book reminds me of the excellent biography of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss. Hirshson makes the case for the greatness of Patton not just because of the leadership skills so often turned into almost mythical proportions, but mostly because he happened to be the most knowledgeable cavalry officer in the Army. Hirshson's Patton is a great general and a great leader because he knew more than his reports or his peers about the nature of war and the method of success based on the technology of the day. Success came from more than leadership and willingness to act, it also came from sheer knowledge and preparedness to make use of that knowledge on the battlefield.
Hirshson's Patton is more than a blow-hard, he was a student, a technologist, a practioner, and most of all, a warrior that made use of the other aspects of himself he honed before the battle.
For anyone interested in Patton or interested in learning from great leaders, this is the book for you. For senior managers who strive to hire great functional managers but have difficulty controlling their independence, this book will also provide sustenance that contrarian experts are worth it, even though the cost of some obstinacy can cause the occasional stomach twitch or two.
Summary of General Patton: A Soldier's Life
General George S Patton Jr, an inspirational leader and outstanding tactician, has intrigued and confounded his biographers. Now utilising untapped archival materials in both the United States and England, government documents, family papers, and oral histories, Stanley P Hirshson creates the most balanced portrait of Patton ever written. It reveals Patton as a complex soldier capable of brilliant military manoeuvres but also of inspiring atrocities with his fiery speeches. It explains Patton's belief in a soldier's Valhalla, connects the family's wealth to one of America's bitterest labour strikes, and disputes the usual interpretation of Patton's relief from command of the Third Army. In investigating this complex man, Hirshson has uncovered eye-opening material about a series of civilian massacres in Sicily, about the two slapping incidents, about attempts to exploit Patton's diary after his death, and about Patton's relations with top Allied generals. Patton emerges as a soldier of great imagination and courage, and his military campaigns make for edge-of-the-seat reading. All the drama of Patton's life comes alive in this meticulously documented volume.Historical Books
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