Patton Books

I've been facinated by history since grade school and just fell in love with this book. Patton was an amazing character and one of those rare individuals that only comes along every hundred years or so.

This book is very long, but gives as complete a biographical picture of Gen Patton as possible. It details his entire life, from childhood through WW1 and WW2 all the way until his untimely death. Sadly his career was constantly derailed by lesser gifted generals like Ike or Bradley. If you are a history buff or Patton fan, then this book is for you.

I had never read anything regarding General Patton, but after having watched the movie "Patton" again, I went to find the best biography of Patton available. I read many of them, but BY FAR, this is the best available. A work of biographical art: reveals the humanity of Patton the warrior, and reviews his place in history without prejudice.

Sincerely recommended to everyone who wishes to read an excellent biography of General George S. Patton.

This is by far the most comprehensive and enjoyable biography I've read on General Patton. Mr. D'Este has painstakingly recorded the entire life of one of the greatest battlefield commanders in history. As the New York Times Review states "...he neither damns nor beautifies his subject". There's no better way to sum up this work. It's brilliant and fair. I'm looking forward to the author's new book on Winston Churchill that should be arriving this year.

I for one, certainly do not agree with Alistair Horne's phrase,"Revisionism at best" with regards to this book.
As mentioned by earlier reviewers, Carlos D'Estes book traces the Patton family history to soldiers in earlier times. That General Patton was influenced by these family heroes is without doubt. In fact, it explains a lot about the man's sense of destiny, responsibility, and continual need to excel at whatever he attempted.
More than a quick sketch of a complex man, this is a biography worth reading and studying.
Patton was one of his kind.
An invaluable book to anyone seeking to understand Patton on and off the battlefield.
Well written, I couldn't put it down.

Patton is often described as "controversial". To those who have never fought in war, or perhaps even just engaged in competitive sports, or who otherwise have only a sort of normal, everyday idea about how people ought to act, I suppose he is: Arrogant, sometimes outwardly cruel, demanding, competitive, a taskmaster, single-minded, agressive, angry, all the rest. I've never fought in war, but I've played my share of competitive sports (a paltry parallel, but the best I can do). In sports, everyone (if they're lucky) had a coach like this somewhere along the way, and they most likely took more lessons away from that man or woman than all the colorless middle-of-the-roaders combined. They most likely achieved things under that person's direction that they didn't know they had the capacity to do. They most likely recall details about that person many years later, after they've forgotten most of the others. When the old team-mates get together, that's who most of the stories are about (many told as being funny, now - not so at the time).

To me, that's Patton: An American original who just barely escaped being a bombastic buffoon. He avoided that fate and scaled the heights of history because he was a born leader of men - one who either broke them (rarely), or got the best out of them (much more often); because he knew his business inside-out; because he worked at it day and night; and most of all, because finally, he WON.

I think that this intensely personal essence is what is most completely captured in this book. It fills in many of the overlooked or understated details from the well-known George C. Scott movie, and adds much new material besides. An excellent book, worthy not only as a war biography, but as a study of what it honestly takes to do REALLY well at any endeavor in life.

This is the book I've always wanted to read! I had just turned 6 when Pearl Harbor was bombed and my uncle and most of the other men in our family and neighborhood disappeared to that thing called "WAR"! I prayed for all of them and wondered, "Where did they go, what happened to them, what was it like?" My uncle was captured in the Battle of the Bulge, spent time in a German prison camp and came home very different - now I know and understand better why! Reading Prof. Harrison's book I finally know what happened to the young men who were suddenly jerked from their families, schools, futures, through no fault or desire of their own, and were trained and sent to see and do things they could not have previously imagined. They were pushed to and beyond limits they did not know they had, degraded, treated like cattle at times by our own army, and thus molded into a great and loyal fighting unit.

How any of our men experienced this and stayed sane, that they were able to return home to slip back into the lives they had expected, is incredible. I have read every book I find on World War II and studied military history in college trying to understand and know what happened, what war is REALLY like for our men. I've always known it wasn't what we saw on the movie screen. Now I know. Thanks to Prof. Harrison's detail and honesty, it is possible to get a sense of what it was like for the draftee. UNSUNG VALOR is very properly named - to go when called, to perform with the best of your abilities, to respond to the unknown and unbelievable with fear and courage, that is valor at its best - and it was unsung.

To survive, to return home, to teach hundreds of teenagers to speak properly in public, to act and produce plays, to put up with all the campus nonsense that young people in their late teens and early twenties produce, and to never lose your cool, never tell them what he saw and experienced at their age - that was also UNSUNG VALOR! A. Cleveland Harrison is an unusual man and has written a book that should be required reading of all Americans!

"Unsung Valor" by A. Cleveland Harrison. Subtitled: "A GI's Story Of World War II". University Press of Mississippi, Jackson. 2000.

This is a very complete and detailed book, tracing the experiences of a skinny Southern boy, (in 1943), drafted into the United States Army, deciding on the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), trained at the University of Mississippi, transferred into a regular Army unit (the 94th Division) and then sent to the European Theater of Operations, ETO, just when things were becoming really hot. General George Marshall had shut down the Army Specialized Training Program so as to supply warm bodies as replacements for all the causalities in the ETO. The author, A. Cleveland Harrison, recounts being wounded (88 artillery fire,) as his Division advanced on the town of Orscholz, his treatment, infection, his stint in hospital and, finally, his recovery. Then, he remained in England until his reassignment, April 1945, to the hostilities in Europe. Happily, the war in Europe ended in May 1945, and the author became a "Clerk-Typist" in Versailles, France and later, a "Mail Clerk-Draftsman" in Frankfurt am Main.

If you have had the opportunity to study the history of World War II, you probably have been exposed to the grand strategies of different battles, the movement of this numbered unit on one side against another number on the other side. You might even have become impatient with the stories of how one American general (or two) could not get along with a certain British field marshal, and begin to wonder how many people were killed by the egoistical personalities of such high ranking individuals. So, this present work, by A. Cleveland Harrison, is a refreshing relief in its detailed examination of the feelings and daily experiences of an ordinary Americana solider in the ETO

I became the fiftieth reviewer of this book because of the correspondence form Dr. Harrison prodding me to add his book to my Amazon Listmania list on the Army Specialized Training Program, ASTP. The first two chapters of Dr. Harrison's book deal extensively with the Army Specialized Training Program. certainly merit a place on any list on the ASTP. Thos chapters speak about an ASTP experience at a Southern university, which, from what I read, quite different than the ASTP experience at Manhattan College, my alma mater. I do not believe that an ASTPer at Manhattan College had to be concerned with how to wear a saber without getting the weapon caught between his legs. On the other hand, the Manhattan College ASTPer had to be concerned with living in an apartment on 7th Avenue.

I am happy to join some 45 other Amazon reviewers in assigning five stars to this book.

Unsung Valor is truly an extraordinary book. I am 44 years old and have studied World War II rather extensively in the past. However, this book has revealed this war (and all wars) to me in a way that is completely surprising and unique. I now have a different frame of reference for studying all wars, especially World War II. For someone like me who has never served in the military, this book provides an invaluable insight to truly understanding the realities of war. The common, mundane, everyday details, which are made so interesting, provide a setting which only heightens the intensity of the actual battle scenes in an unusually enriching and exciting way. This book reads so easily you literally feel as if you are going through the experiences with Dr. Harrison. Unsung Valor brings the reality of war to the reader in a unique way and succeeds where most other narrowly focused books fail. Dr. Harrison should be commended for educating a younger public on the extraordinary sacrifices made by ordinary men who answered when their nation called. It is well worth the read and the time invested.

After posting a message on the 94th Infantry Division's website looking for information on the attack on Orsholz, Germany January 20-21, 1945 I was contacted by Cleveland Harrison. Mr. Harrison put me in contact with other members of the 301st Regiment of the 94th Division who were with a family friend when he was captured outside of Orsholz. Mr. Harrison mentioned his book and suggested it might provide more detail about the battle. After reading his book I was amazed at the clarity and detail of his recollections. I have corresponded several times with Mr. Harrison, and he was gracious enough to sign my copy of his book with a dedication to my friend. His story is wonderfully expressed as the memories and journey of one man in a time of fear and uncertainty. It is written in a way that will touch the average person, and make them understand, if only for a moment, what it was like to see the world through his eyes.
To all the 94th Division veterans, and to you Cleveland, thank you for your service.
Welcome Home.

Upon reading Unsung valor I discovered that Cleveland Harrison and I had been inducted into the army the same day at Little Rock, Arkansas,we went through the same sweltering day of probings,punchings,bendings,spreadings, and at last were sworn into the Army of the United States.our serial numbers were just a few numbers apart,yet I never met Professor Harrison. Upon reading Unsung valor this fall I was immediately taken back in time to 1943, and to the years following throughout WWII of which our president Franklin Roosevelt said" This is the generation which has a rendezvous with destiny"I relived that traumatic,hectic day of gathering together the eighteen year olds of our state predominately ,recent high school graduates ,to perform the miracle of making us into soldiers and sailors to free a world in chains. That group of newly inducted soldiers went to all parts of the globe.Prof. Harrison went as a rifleman;I went into the Army Air Corp as an aerial gunner with the Eighth Air force and was shot down over Germany and spent the last months of the war as a P.O.W..Our generation kept that rendezvous and fully met the responsibility placed upon our young shoulders to the satisfaction of a grateful nation and world. Professor Harrison's book tells about all this through the eyes and heart of a young Arkansas lad who as we said in those day "took up arms as a boy,became a man overnight,and a hero in a twinkling of an eye,some to come home,some to remain. Since reading Unsung Valor I have met Cleveland Harrison via E-mail and have discovered that we have much in common. it took took 63 years and one most touching,moving literary epic to do this.For Professor Harrison's time,effort,and no doubt many shed tears,I am truly thankful to him. Hand Salute <><

Very informative. The Courage to be Yourself makes you delve into yourself and gives great examples that help answer the question of "Why am I feeling this way?"

Such a feel good book, I have been really down lately after ending a bad relationship and my panic attacks came back. From the first minute I started reading this book I started to feel much better. Sue Patton Thoele know what a woman needs and delivers, she makes us realize our true potential.
I know feel totally empowered!!

This book is an amazing map for the journey of a woman's lifetime. Never has a book so related to women's issues and self esteem. Any woman who has ever wanted to take charge of her life and all she can be really should read this book.

Years ago I opened this book and recognized myself in too many ways. Through gentle nudging and no nonsence from Sue, I was encouraged to admit "Hey, that's me!", followed by understanding, then action to change. This book changed my life, and continues to do so, as every so often when I can feel myself slipping into self doubt &/or martrydom I pick it up again. I can't lend it out because I have highlighter all through it! But I have sincerely recommended it dozens of times, & will continue to do so.

As a Christian, I was very offended by the views and statements in this book. Sue Patton Thoele (author) states in this book..."Is it possible that we are made in the image of a Mother God, a feminine creator, a divine spiritual essence? We're beginning to accept the answer as yes."

Sue continues to lead her readers into using the divine feminine within and uses what SHE calls "prayer" as a means of overcoming negative emotions. This "prayer" is either directed inward to oneself or to a Mother/Father God, not to God in heaven.

To top it all off, she has one of her chapter topics labeled "bitch". I know that the same points in this section could be made in a much more tasteful way.

If you are considering this book and have any belief in God whatsoever, you may be offended as I was and be very disappointed that you wasted your time and money.

Though I am not totally vegan yet, I have been working my way towards a more plant centered diet. I remembered seeing really great looking recipes in this book and decided to order it. It's a shame this is out of print and hasn't gotten more attention. One thing I needed help with is that I have a huge sweet tooth but can't tolerate any type of sugar. The dessert recipes in this book all use natural sweeteners ilke fruit juice concentrate and maple syrup. They also have no saturated fat. The Caramel Apple Crunch is simply amazing, it tastes just as rich and delicious as the apple crisp mom used to make. But with none of the butter or refined sugar. It calls for Fruitsource, which is no longer available, but I use a product called FruitSweet. The carrot cake is also wonderful,it used an interesting blenderized mix of sweetener, orange zest, oil and raisins to create a really terrific flavor. For Christmas, I made the pecan pie and the apple-cranberry bread pudding, both got raves. I want to try more of the savory recipes now, but only gave four stars due to the savory results so far: the broccoli soup was fair, kind of bland, and the cornbread was really dry and not good. Overall though, an interesting read with a lot of great recipes. Jia Patton should put out her own cookbook.

This is the first book on becoming vegan and the first vegan cookbook I ever bought. I'll be needing a new one soon, as the one I have now (second copy) is getting too dog-eared and stained to read. Robbins concisely presents every reason for becoming vegan, and backs them all up with extensive, useful footnotes. And the recipes are just plain delicious! The Mexican Black Bean Dip & Eggplant, Vegetable & Tahini Spread are addictive. The Caramel Apple Crunch makes a cold, sad day all better. The Plum Cobbler is just the thing to make when Italian prune plums are in season. The only sad thing is that he lives in Santa Cruz & I don't, so the delicious recipes focusing on what is in season don't work as well for me as for him.

I loved the hints and tips for mainting a cupboard and kitchen, and the nice recipes that I have been using/modifying for my own use. The information in the beginning is nice, too, although mostly a reprint of Diet for a New America.

The updated sections on fish and milk were very interesting, however, especially fish, which is touted today as a wonder-food for older people hoping to live longer. Many fish today arrive at your supermarkets having previously been mold-contaminated from sitting out in the open too long, and many contain high concentrations of Mercury, which also has been documented in a recent Reader's Digest article.

Just like what Marianne Williamson said on the front cover of this book: "I hope everyone reads this book!"

Diet for a New World will make you think twice about your next meal. Robbins offers real solutions to third world issues. When we consume meat, the crops were grown in abundance in a third world or extremely poor country, then it was exported to a meat farm to feed the cattle. Robbins explains that the grain used to feed the cattle could have fed the starving population of the growers and us as well.

Some of this book is difficult to read because it makes us take a serious look and the way live, eat and purchase everyday items. I'm glad I did- it changed my life.

Becoming vegetarian or vegan is only part of the solution. Buy the book, read it, practice it, bring veg dishes to gatherings and share what you know. Buy the book as a gift too, that's how I got it.

I realize we have One Earth and One Chance- let's make it count. John Robbins can get you started on the right path.

Wonder what one person CAN DO to improve not only your own life but that of the entire planet? Read this book. It is filled with understandable information that can radically change your health, the health of the planet itself and give the opportunity for life to others as well. This book has changed my life...so much so that, after reading the library's copy, I am buying one.

I'm 41 and I still have the copy of this book that I got when I was in the 6th grade! It really magnified my love of reading. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants kids to read more than playing the Wii or Playstation!
I always wanted to be Joan and meet Felicia - not to mention Suds!!

This book has been the best book I have ever read! I found it at the library when I was 12, and I checked it out every chance I got. Over the years, it still remains my favorite book. I can still picture Felicia's dress, and feel the chill of the apple orchards at night. It was worth the money!!!

When I was a kid, this is the book I would get every time we'd go to the library. I knew exactly where to find it, and I'd go get right away. I couldn't even guess how many times I read it. One of the best ghost stories ever. Still gives me spine-tingling chills every time I think about it. And I'm so glad Amazon.com has it! I can't wait to have my own copy.

If only I had held on to my copy of this wonderful book! I read this book more than 25 years ago, and can still remember almost every plot point. The parent's separation...the appearance of Felicia, the ghost...the spooky Mr. Cree. $$$ is steep for a used book, but this one is just about worth it.

It took me years of searching to finally find a copy of this book. I really was lucky to get a hardback that was in excellent shape. I think this is an enchanting story that though it is filled with spine tingling moments (considering the age group for which it was written) over all it's just a well written book that offers a story that is unique. I wish some group like Disney would find such unique tales to use in thier new movies.

This was given to me as a gift and am not sure I would've bought it on my own. But I listened to the entire unabridged Audio CD set and it was fine. I think about 70% of the material I already knew; there were a few new bits of information and insight that I gained. If nothing else it gives you a sense of how accurate the Patton movie starring George C. Scott is. One way in which the Patton movie may NOT be accurate is that Axelrod's book states that the slapping incident(s) in Sicily were NOT the reason that Patton was not given responsibility for, or direct involvement in, Operation Overlord. Apparently the decision to put Bradley in charge was made before the slapping incident occured.

This would be a good book or tape/CD to give to a young man or woman in their teens who wishes to begin to learn about this particular great American military man and the times in which he lived.

General George Patton was a great, aggressive leader who had no fear of death. He could lead people where they thought they could not go. He was devout believer in Christ, a fatalist, and really believed himself a reincarnation of a past general. He loved war like Napoleon loved it, and when in one, always was attacking.

I knew little about him before I read the book, and now I feel I have an understanding of his character. He was a man full of contradictions as the book will explain - things you wouldn't expect - like his inner self-doubt and depression, and his outer utter-confidence.

Although they had minor differences of opinion, the conservativeness of Eisenhower and the aggressiveness of Patton with their similar beliefs and background made them a great team during the war.

Patton was a natural leader, and the book reveals his character with all his idiosyncrasies. I would recommend the book to anyone who has general interest into Patton or WWII.

I generally thought that this book was not particularly well written, I spotted a typo in the first of the book that could have been corrected with some editing. The writing was certainly not complex: more like a middle school text. However, I found the facts of Patton's life extrodinary.

This concise but authoritative biography of General George S. Patton, Jr. is the perfect text for the person who desires a penetrating biography of this legendary General without the length of some of the more complete biographies out there.

As others have already posted, this is an easy-to-read biography that makes a great introduction to Patton's life, and for many readers this is complete enough to stop here. Alexrod does a great job of capturing the essence of Patton's life and philosophy in such a brief biography.

The book starts out strong with the introduction by General Wesley K. Clark, and I can't help but agree with his sentiment that Patton was a winner, a morale- and team-builder who adapted quickly and sought to master every challenge and that we need leaders like Patton today.

Axelrod has written an excellent concise biography of General Patton. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick overview of his life and desires an introduction to this great general. I also recommend it to those that have read more exhaustive biographies on General Patton as I have. Sure, I was familiar with what was written because I have read the longer texts on his life, but I enjoyed this quick read about one of my favorite generals. If you like Patton or want to know more about him, this is a great little book.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author, speaker
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks, Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, and The Lock On Joint Locking series

In my humble opinion, this title is one of the best biographies I've read in a long time. While the book contains only about 180 pages, the account is thorough and does not get bogged down in a dry summary of war strategy and tactics that afflicts other books.

Axelrod is able to describe in appropriate detail many aspects of Patton's life:

1. His early childhood in California, time at Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately graduating from West Point.
2. Involvement in the expedition against Pancho Villa and World War 1.
3. Rise to fame in World War 2.
4. Relationship with Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery, and other WW2 officers.
5. Relationship with enlisted men (including the 2 slapping incidents).
6. Tempestuous marriage to his wife Beatrice and his supposed reputation as a ladies' man.
7. The automobile wreck that led to his untimely death.

The part I enjoyed reading the most was probably the author's description of this highly effective general and most complex individual's personality. On the one hand, there is no doubt that while Patton played a significant role in WW2, many people disliked him. However, no one can argue with his point that Russia should have been dealt with much more firmly at the conclusion of WW2. Events from the 1940s - 1980s proved him to be correct.

A highly recommended read. Read and enjoy learning about one of our nation's greatest generals.

If you want to order an out-of-print book, I strongly recommend Book Rescue. I received my copy of "Good Morning, Miss Dove" by Frances Gray Patton just two weeks after ordering it. The service was prompt and the description of the book given on their website was accurate. I certainly received excellent value for the money invested in this out-of-print book.

This is the story of a school teacher and her sudden illness which requires a life threatening surgery. As she prepares for her operation she reflects on her life and her former students who are now grown and serving her as her doctors, nurses, etc. This is a portrait of a small town and a teacher that you won't see today. It was a simpler, quieter life and Miss Dove is a stern, no-nonense, humorless woman who has ruled decades of classrooms with strict rules and intimation yet her students respect her and have learned valuable lessons from her. Well written and filled with humor and nostalgia, the book still holds up well today. It was filmed in 1955 with a wonderful performance by Jennifer Jones, who brought Miss Dove to life. The film is almost identical to the book with some minor changes which actually make the film a little better than the book (especially the memorable ending scene).

I'VE NEVER DID A BOOK REVIEW BEFORE, HERE GOES:THE YEAR THE MOVIE WAS MADE WITH JENNIFER JONES, I WAS BORN, I DONT KNOW WHEN THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN, BUT MY 7TH GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER HAD MY CLASS READ IT AND WRITE AN ESSAY ON IT. FRIST OF ALL I LOVE TO READ AND MADE A B+, ANY WAY ONE LATE NITE I SAW THE MOVIE, I GUESS I WAS 12 OR 13 YRS. OLD THEN, AND I TELL YOU THAT MOVIE MOVED ME SO MUCH THAT I CRIED FOR DAYS WHEN MS. DOVE BECAME ILL. I WAS MOVED BY THE LIVES SHE CHANGED,I REMEMBER CHUCK CONNERS WAS A POOR CHILD IN HER CLASS AND WITH HER ENCOURAGEMENTS HE FINISHED SCHOOL AND BECAME A COP.WHEN WORD GOT AROUND TOWN THAT MISS DOVE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, THE WHOLE TOWN WAS UPSET.EVERY STUDENT SHE EVER TAUGHT WENT TO VISIT HER IN THE HOSPITAL,MOST OF IT WAS FLASH BACKS. SHE TAUGHT SEVERAL GENERATIONS. I WENT BACK AND READ THE BOOK AGAIN AND AGAIN, I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS MOVIE EVER SINCE. I AM 47YRS. OLD AND TOLD MY DAUGHTER ABOUT IT, SHE'S (26) AND SHE CAN'T BELEIVE THERE'S SUCH A MOVIE! MY BOOK WAS LOANED OUT YEARS AGO AND LOST IN THE SHUFFEL. BUT TELLING HER THE STORY INSPIRED HER TO BE A TEACHER (3RD GRADE)CAN YOU BELEIVE IT! IN THIS MIXED UP WORLD TODAY. WE SHOULD THANK GOD FOR OUR TEACHERS TODAY! I HAVE CABLE WHICH AIRS OLD MOVIE CLASSICS, IN HOPES THAT IT WILL AIR REAL SOON, BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND!! I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN THE MOVIE NOR THE BOOK I GIVE HOMAGE TO THE ARTHUR, IT WAS A GREAT BOOK AND I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. TO PARAMOUNT PICTURES PLEASE RELEASE THE MOVIE ON VIDIO!! FOR IT IS TRULY A CLASSIC AND EVERY SCHOOL LIBRARY SHOULD HAVE IT. I WISH I COULD GET MY HANDS ON ANOTHER COPY, BUT IT'S SO HARD TO FIND. THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE SHOULD BE RATED "10"

After reading this book several years ago, I still wish I was lucky enough to have a teacher that understood children and still wished to be around them. Children aren't angels or despite evidence to the contrary, demons. Miss Dove didn't want to soften their lives- She wanted to train them to meet it well. She is likend in the book to a general marshalling troops but another military similie is to a drill srgt. She understands that children are different and special but she doesn't care. She cares that they conform to the rules. Which in general is how society is.By the end of the book you want to move to Liberty HIll and be taught geography by The T MIss D. If you have never read it -you are in for a treat and a thrill. If you have read it you are going for a specail vist back. ENJOY

I have loved this book since I read the original stories in a magazine when I was a child. The story is well-written, depicting a dedicated teacher who truly cares about her children but is not sentimental about them. Instead, she instills values and behaviors that will serve them well all through their lives. Her own behavior is impeccable, and she is a moral touchstone to the entire town and the several generations whom she has taught.

The story itself has wonderful flashes of subtle humor, as well as charming moments of tenderness, even though Miss Dove thinks herself above such behavior. I would very much like to see the movie with Jennifer Jones made into a video and think that there would be a real market for it. I heartily recommend this book -- it should be required reading for all teachers and students and all people who love a good, well-written story.

I was so dissapointed at how quickly I read half of an 800+ page book. I did not want this book to end due to the fact it is such a marvelous read. If this is not the authoritative book on Patton it should be. This book is a window into the mind and thoughts of Patton in the heat of battle and I can think of no other book that comes close in bringing this to light. Based on the way Martin Blumenson pieced together all of Patton's personal communications and diary entries in chronological order makes this a very unique biography. I read volume I of the Patton Papers and although it is very fascinating it does not come close to volume II. This is because volume II deals exclusively with Patton's WW II exploits and his infamous incidents. Although Patton had his imperfections and despite some of his views being distasteful, I can think of no other military leader in modern times I would want leading our troops into battle. If you love American history and WW II in particular this book on an American legend definitely belongs on your shelf. Martin Blumenson did a masterful job putting this book together.

Martin Blumenson's has created a fascinating and surprisingly readable biography of the World War II hero, General George Patton. Blumenson has taken the General's diaries, personal and official letters and combined them with letters written to him and newspaper articles written about him. These are arranged in chronological order.

The period covered by this book was the most active of Patton's lifetime. In the last three years of his life, Patton had adventures enough for several lifetimes. After playing a major part in the conquest of North Africa, then Sicily, Patton was sidelined for nearly a year after the slapping incidents. During this time a disinformation campaign was put forth to convince the Nazis that Patton would command a non-existent army group that was to invade the south of France. A month after D Day Patton took command of the recently formed Third Army and drove across Europe, playing a pivotal role in the Battle of the Bulge.

In this book, Blumenson splices together the actual documents written by and about Patton as the actual events unfolded. Despite being an amalgamation of material from so many different sources, the book reads like a novel. Blumenson very rarely adds his own editorial commentary. This is done in a way that enhances the flow of the narrrative. My only complaint is that it frequently is difficult to determine where these asides begin and end. This readability is what makes the book great and unique. Having read many other biographies that over-analyze and inject the authors' personal opinion into the narrative it is refreshing to simply have the facts laid out in front of you.

Patton had an amusing tendency to give sarcastic nicknames to his rivals and adversaries. Omar Bradley is "the tentmaker," both for his Arab name and his tendency towards caution, Eisenhower is "divine destiny" for his political ambitions. General W. Bedell Smith, Eisenhower's hated chief of staff, is variously referred to as Beadle and Beetle. At the same time he is privately mocking these people, Patton takes great pains to praise and flatter them publicly. He even admits to himself in his diary that he is a shameless bootlicker and rear-end kisser when necessary. Patton justifies his actions because he feels he must be a sycophant to fulfill his destiny of leading men in battle. Patton even advises his son (who was a West Point Cadet at the time) that the way to advancement at the Academy is to seek out the Commandant and Superintendent and suck-up to them and their wives as much as possible.

I had low expectations for this book. Every other collection of the letters of famous men I have read has been interesting in spots but unreadable as a whole.Even the famous collected letters of Pliny the Younger are mostly dreary reports to the emperor and uninteresting notes to friends. For Blumenson to have created such an entertaining and informative document from similar material is a remarkable achievement.

This second volume of his memoirs deals with World War II and the battles that made Patton a legend. Author Martin Blumenson lets, "Ol Blood and Guts," tell his own story through letters and official correspondence giving the reader an intimate view of the public and private man that captivated the world's attention for four years.

All of the big battles are here: "Torch" in North Africa; "Husky" in Sicily; "Cobra" in France and Bastogne which some call, "his finest hour." Patton played a key role in each of them. His tactics, featuring rapidly moving armor and mechanized infantry forces supported by mobile artillery and air wrote the book used for decades to come. However, he never overlooked the human element. Machines could never replace well trained and highly motivated soldiers personally led by competent commanders. His success was undeniable but he often proved to be his own worst enemy.

Patton's well known slapping of a shell shocked soldier followed by his unintended slight of our Soviet allies made headlines. Newsmen jumped at the opportunity to sell papers by printing anything controversial about a man whose name evoked emotional responses from friends and enemies alike. This was an "enemy" Patton couldn't comprehend. It was the one "fight" he was destined to lose.

General of the Army, Omar N. Bradley said in his book, A General's Life, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1983) ". . .I believe it was better for George Patton and his professional reputation to die when he did. . . . He was not a good peacetime soldier. . . In time he probably would have become a boring parody of himself-a decrepit, bitter, pitiful figure, unwittingly debasing the legend."

An unknown poet said it best:

"In times of danger, not before, God and soldiers all men adore. Danger's past and all is righted. God's forgotten, the soldier slighted."

No truer words could describe Patton's career. Relegated to a desk job; his primary function was to serve as grist for political and journalistic mills, a truly sad ending for an outstanding military career.

This work is an outstanding history of World War II and of the man himself. You can't call yourself a serious student of WWII unless you have read both volumes. A GREAT read. 5 stars!!

Harold Y. Grooms

When I saw what a project of a book this was at 857 pages, I wondered if I would ever get through it. It took no more than 15 or 20 pages to convince me that I would enjoy every page of it. This is a great read, especially if you are already a Patton fan. His diary entries and letters are honest and blunt, and offer great insights into Patton's winning style and strategy, his distaste for putting allied considerations over American interests, his frustrations with the press and his superiors, and his deep distrust of the Russians. Blumenson weaves these innumerable entries and letters into a seamless and easy-to-read narrative of Patton and his heroic exploits. Fans of the movie will love seeing lines taken word for word from his diary entries. I truly loved this book -- one of my favorite reads of all time.

I used this book while writing a paper for my Graduate level International Relations class. Although it is not considered a classic, it possess and delivers enormously relevant information regarding one of the greatest and most controversial master of war acknowledged in modern history. I commend this book as an pleasurable read, as well as an highly effective intellectual reference instrument.

I'm not an evangelical nor Christian in any real sense, but I think this is a terrific little memoir. My use of "little" isn't derogatory -- it's a short book, precisely told, revealing much about growing up in the last few decades as well as the changing shape of religion in America. Mainly, though, it's a good story.

If you're of the opinion that autobiographies should wait until the author's twilight years when he's lived his life and figured out what it means, this is not your book. My Faith So Far covers the author's high school and college years, and the end of the book is a confession that the questions and doubts the he had then are still kicking around inside him.

We get to follow Patton's trip through the culture of evangelical/charasmatic Christianity in Colorado Springs and then at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. He writes much of the book in present tense, which sometimes makes it hard to tell whether he's describing beliefs he had then or ones he holds now, but which also give his story immediacy. I was with him as he struggled with listening to Christian music, which was often second-rate, versus secular music, which made him feel guilty. He's the real deal, not a tourist--he speaks in tongues, prays for hours, testifies to unbelievers--but he still questions himself and what the church is telling him. I loved the tour of Oral Roberts University, where the students have a dress code and prayer circles take up most of Technical Journalism class. Patton shows himself and other students making fun of the excesses of Christian culture, but he never loses the earnest desire to find out what Christianity is for him.

As a secular person, I found nothing in this book to offend me--no thoughtless slams or assumptions-- and much to fascinate me. Patton's philosophizing and angst were sometimes skimmable, but it was an accurate portrait of the thoughts and conversations of someone that age. I will definitely check out any future books of his.

I just finished reading Patton Dodd's book, and it is truly an extraordinary account of how faith develops in real, contemporary life. It's funny, self-deprecating, and God-loving all at the same time. To be able to write and reflect on one's faith, and one's relationship with God, with such honesty is a remarkable feat. If only all Christians were so honest with themselves and with others!

For me, this book is right up there with other contemporary spiritual autobiographies such as Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, CS Lewis's Surprised by Joy, and Mary Blye Howe's A Baptist Among the Jews.

Patton Dodd does a fantastic job pulling away the curtain from a very curious American subculture--Charismatic Pentecostal Evangelical Christianity. For many of us whose history has touched this subculture, My Faith So Far helps put into words many of the feelings and anxiety that repelled us from it and, in some cases, from Christianity entirely. Patton provides a hopeful story about the struggle to find or at least journey toward authentic faith.

While most readers probably won't identify with Patton's over-the-top, radical, other-worldly embrace of Charismatic worship, his critique of the Charismatic culture will resonate with anyone who has earnestly observed this brand of Christianity and walked away scratching his/her head.

My Faith So Far is a very brisk read and easy to get through in one or two sittings. It's not a scholarly read, but it does put the Charismatic movement into context and may help lead readers into a deeper discussion about the oddities of faith and the struggle to become authentically Christian.

This would be a great book for high school youth groups, especially evangelical youth groups.

With rare honesty and at times gut-twisting vulnerability, Patton Dodd presents a unique perspective on wrestling with one's faith. His experience touches on the nearly universal longing to believe, a longing wrought with the fear of placing one's faith in something that doesn't warrent such whole-hearted commitment. As he gives himself over to what he hopes will be a life-changing conversion, he soon learns that nothing comes easily. And as life becomes littered with doubts, he finds himself wondering what to do with the faith that remains. Dodd's thought-provoking, often-humorous account of his faith journey thus far will resonate with all those who have abandoned their faith over similar doubts, those who cling to their faith despite their doubts--and those who have yet to admit such doubts, even to themselves.

Difference and Repetition is the most brilliant work of philosophy I have read. However the book does rely on a huge amount of background knowledge which took my over a year and a half to compile. My advice for any reader attempting to read D&R is to read Manuel DeLanda's Intensive Science and Virtual Philosophy. All of the obscure references to mathematical and scientific concepts are throuroughly explicated in DeLandas book. I can honestly say that if it were not for Intensice Philsosophy and Virtual Science I would not have been able to comprehend the key philosophical concepts deployed in D&R such as singlarities as pre-individual attractors and the nature of the virtual.

D&R is a work which may require intense effort from the reader, as none of the concepts are adequately explained by deleuze himself. But the challenge is most rewarding as the book gives you the concepts to think about a world without pre established identities and stabilities. Only now is science beginning to comprehend the universe as inherently random and dynamical which gives rise to complex self organizing systems.

A classic of modern philosophy and a brilliant achievement by an author who thought outside all contemporary philosophical trends to overthrow the 'father' of philosophy: Plato.

Much worth the effort, if a 19 year old Undergraduate can make sense of this book then anyone with enough time, patience and conceptualisation should be able to master this brilliant work.

It took me reading Deleuze's books on Kant, Bergson, Nietzsche, Foucault and his collaborations with Guattari in Thousand Plateaus and Anti-Oedipus to finally get through this book . Difference and Repetion explains all the others, but is incredibly dense and in no way an introduction to his thinking. If you're familiar with his project, however, then this brings the rest of his readings into focus.
It's in this book that Deleuze gets as close as he ever comes to replying to Hegel, and in that sense it's here that he contends with the master and the dialectic--a battle or contest characteristic of his French compatriots (see Vincent Descombes' fantastic book: Modern French Philosophy; and Michael Hardt's summary of the early Deleuzian projects: Gilles Deleuze: An Apprenticeship in Philosophy). Difference and repetition are such an alternative to the dialectic that they're difficult to grasp without a serious grounding in metaphysics (see his books on Kant and Hume especially), Spinoza, and Bergson.
Deleuze wants to show that there is a materiality of expression that is also a movement within time, an unfolding that is also a becoming ( and in this sense in contrast to Being). This movement image (which founds his analysis in the Cinema books) grounds for Deleuze a transcendental empiricism, which is to say a non-conceptual and material, positive and affirmative idea of thought. Read his books on Kant and Hume first for an overview of his critique of representation.
I think this book is stunning, and i hope to read it over and over. The first three chapters are incredible, and amount to nothing short of a complete undoing of representational thought, or what he characterizes as a logic of the same.

Difference and repetition struck me as nothing I've ever read before has struck me. The fun thing about "reading" it, is that, when you think about it, the act of reading itself makes understanding parts of this work more clear. Reading this becomes a "machinic" activity as it were: immediate, affective, with its own unpredictability, with many gaps, moments of insight, despair, and so on. It seems contradictory, because I think it is the most rigorous and analytic of all of Deleuzes works. But it is immensely dense, as other reviewers also say.
It is certainly the crucial work in his oeuvre. Really if you have tried it a few times, you will notice that many ideas of his later work are based on the crucial notions of this grand exploration. Anti-Oedipe is such a delight to read and easy to understand after this one.

And I think it is good for those who want to approach Deleuze's thought, to start with the Anti-Oedipus and Mille Plateaux, then read some of the smaller and intensive works (What is philosophy, Leibniz et le Baroque). Then try this book. You will get many references and want to read all others once again.

It is clearly in this work that you will find the first monstrous and frontal attack against Hegel's dialectic. The fun thing is that this is a complete "anti-work". Every conceivable concept of modern philosophy (from the concept of "common sense", "history", or "being") gets an "anti", with which Deleuze consistently builds his grand idea of the immediate, the pre- or non-representational and the virtual--against any metaphysics. It is moreover his first, and I think also his last work where he builds his philosophy in a consistent manner.
After this one, I think he started exploring fragments of his thought more deeply, in his other works, which are derivatives so to speak. This is his goodbye to classic French philosphy (strong tradition of exploring the "history of philosophy") and his entrée into his own experimentation with the concepts he just developed.
To conclude, just some practical notes. The problem with the book is that, unlike his other works, you have to read all of it (because it is so consistent). This makes it a project for months, or even years. Good luck.

This is (arguably) the most important work written by Deleuze for a reason that seems to me is often obscured or merely forgotten: it is (maybe) the only work that seeks to lay the foundation for a systematic treatment of `difference' and by ex-tension (or in-tension) `repetition'. It does not seek to derive `difference' and `repetition' (simply) from identity and the in-dividual. It seeks to think of `difference' and `repetition' in themselves. And this is what is important here: thinking (and not some petty play of figures and words in the frontal attacks or soul mating with particular thinkers) in its rhizomatic form rather than its arborescent one.

What is therefore central in this work is `idea', and (therefore) `perception'. In simple terms, Deleuze has managed to provide us with some foundational links with the philosophies of mind, language and time (and moreover besides). He has given to the philosophy of difference a central and unifying role (across such and other disciplines) to play.

In this sense `difference' and `repetition' are not only (simply) linked between them (in the sense that one leads to the other), but also linked with other important notions usually discussed and developed in other (philosophical) disciplines. Let me provide some brief indications.

Chapter 1 is concerned with `difference', not as mere `diversity', `otherness' or `negation', bur rather as `general' or `specific' difference, where the latter refers to the moment when difference is reconciled with the concept in general. In this manner, Deleuze sees `difference' as a concept of reflection in relation to `representation' that involves `movement'. He further discusses the notion of `eternal return' and questions the adoption of a `meta-viewpoint' for thinking about `difference' and `repetition' - the latter being the relation between originals and simulacra.

In chapter 2, Deleuze lays out the relation between (the dualities) `repetition' and `sensing', `habit', and `difference', under the guise that "difference inhabits repetition", in that it "lies between two repetitions" (p.76). He also makes the distinction between `natural' and `artificial' signs, hence the distinction between two types of `difference', one being the expression of the other. In parallel, he distinguishes `active' from `passive' synthesis (relative to time) in that "the activity of thought applies to a receptive being, to a passive subject" (p.86). Finally drawing on Bergson, he distinguishes the `real' centre from where emanates a series of `perception-images' from a `virtual' centre from where emanates a series of `memory-images'.

Chapter 3 is for Deleuze the most important (sic) because the thinking of `difference' and `repetition' is based on a dogmatic image of thought characterised by eight postulates, each with a dual form, the artificial and the natural.

In Chapter 4, this duality underlies the development of the notion of `idea' in that it is problematic, hence dialectical, an "n-dimensional, continuous, defined multiplicity" (p.182) in a `perplication' as the distinctive and coexistent state of ideas. Each `idea' is thus linked with `difference' and `representation' in that "the representation of difference refers to the identity of the concept as its principle" (p.178). In this manner he makes the claim for the superiority of problematic-questioning approach over the (traditional) hypothetico-apodictic approach because questions are imperatives.

Chapter 5 starts with the claim that "difference is not diversity. Diversity is given, but difference is that by which the given is given, that by which the given is given as diverse" (p.222). Difference is therefore (a given) `intensity' expressed as `extensity'. There is `depth' that unites intensity and extensity. Therefore, `depth' is the intensity of being from where emerge at once extensity and the qualities of being. In this manner Deleuze accepts a dual condition of difference: one natural and one artificial.

In the concluding chapter Deleuze argues that 'representation' is a site of transcendental illusion which comes in four interrelated forms relative to `thought', `sensibility', `idea' and `being'. Hence the problematic of 'grounding' representation and his argument (or Idea) for 'groundlessness', and the justification of the use of (systems of) 'simulacra' as sites for the actualisation of ideas. Hence that of `difference' and `repetition' where the former is not only located between the levels and degrees of the latter, but also has two faces, namely, habit and memory.

Overall, despite the difficulty of the text itself as it takes for granted knowledge of the philosophies of some other thinkers (e.g. Bergson), it is a central text in the philosophy of difference and for just this reason, a text one must have read!

Many people consider this to be the cornerstone of Deleuze's body of work, and in many ways it is. In many ways it is also invaluable, and perhaps the most significant piece of philosophy to emerge in the last half-century (though I don't think so, but I also don't think we're ready for this book yet, so I await Deleuze's Kojeve eagerly). Difference and Repetition is a front to back masterpiece, and on every page Deleuze's colossal creative genius is on full display. But, that doesn't mean you'll like it--in fact, I bet you (in your heart of hearts) won't. And I'm not challenging anyone--I don't even like it. Even stronger: I can't really fathom how it is POSSIBLE to like it. Let me tell you why, if you haven't already tried the beast a few times (in which case you know already).
D&R runs at a pace and a level of sophistication that perhaps no one in the world besides Deleuze himself could completely follow. It is assumed that not only are you familiar with the ins and outs of some of the most obscure aspects of people like Kant, Leibniz, and Bergson--but that you also be familiar with Deleuze's take on those aspects (which I just dont see how you could grasp in any way but superficially from this book). It's also assumed that you have experience in differential calculus and its theoretical underpinnings (granted mostly from Leibniz and Structuralism, but come on, who can really explain what a "singular point" is without it?). And to top all of that off, it is, very apparently (I won't say really) unwieldy and circulates between all of the above mentioned and more and much more in the snap of a finger. No doubt part of the book's affect and greatness, but, no doubt, more than part of the reason why no one can (under)stand it.
I'm not kidding when I say this: D&R is indisputably the most difficult piece of philosophy I've ever read. It will run off 15-20 dense pages at a time that are not just prolix and turgid, but sometimes senselessly so. Yeah, you wrestle with it about three or four times, you have your moments of lucidity, little chunks here and there that are admittedly shining examples of what sort of a writer Deleuze was and would become. But I repeat: you think Kant, Heidegger, Whitehead, Derrida, Jameson, and Hegel are difficult? I swear before everything holy and unholy this book that you might buy today is infinitely more difficult than anything any of them ever wrote.
But don't take my word for it. Try it, and be honest with yourself. Don't just get it so you can say "oh, come on, it's not that bad." Try and explain it, try and give accounts for your explanations, try and tie it all together, or not. Until I see a lucid exposition of this book (like Holland's for AO), I refuse to believe that anyone really likes it or understands its SPIRIT (not of course the letter, which anyone can get, and parrot). Yet--undoubtedly worth every minute of your time. Such is the enigma of Deleuze...