Patton by Alan Alexrod is the first book in the Great Generals Series biographies edited by General Wesley K. Clark. The book is easy reading and very informative, emphasizing the military career of George S. Patton from West Point through World War II and how and why he became such a controversial figure. It is interesting that he believed he was a reincarnated soldier and that it was his God given destiny to command troops in a desperate and major war. His belief was to keep moving forward, never dig in or retreat. The book tells how his abrupt personality was continually getting him into trouble with his superior officers, resulting in his being relieved from duty for 11 months during WWII. His saving grace was his amazing mind for tactical support and the resulting victories he commanded. The German Command believed Patton to be the best General the Allies had. This is a great book describing Patton the man and the soldier.
2 Comments Received
May 27th, 2009 @5:11 am
I also thoroughly enjoyed this book. One of my favorite quotes is, “The best is the enemy of the good. It is always better to execute a good plan violently and immediately than it is to sacrifice fleeting opportunity by waiting for perfection.” I always like to take these quotes back to business because they are applicable in business and war. In business it is important to take advantage “violently and immediately” rather than waiting for everything to be perfect. As an attorney, I have seen multiple other attorney’s wait for their clients to get to perfection before pursuing a goal which many times causes failure. I would rather pursue a $100mm opportunity that has a 10% chance of a $5mm lawsuit than never pursue the opportunity because there is a chance of a legal risk.
Patton’s death, while tragic, seems somehow appropriate for this warrior. If you don’t know how General Patton died, look it up.
July 27th, 2009 @9:58 am
I was reading the July 2009 issue of World War II magazine and there is a letter written by Patton to his son. It was written right before D-Day. There is one quote that I love, “To be a successful soldier you must know history. Read it objectively-dates and even minute details of tactics are useless. What you must know is how a man reacts.” This is the classic, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it” philosophy. This is the reason Sun Tzu’s Art of War is still valid.
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