The Unknown Patton

General George S. Patton was one of this country's greatest leaders and that wasn't because he liked to use frank language that would get the attention of the troops. He was both compassionate and a hardass, and that was well recognized by the officers and men under his various commands. That's why he was respected. Unfortunately, this rather bellicose historical figure will be probably be remembered by most as a bureaucratic loudmouth, as a result of the character portrayed by George C. Scott in the film, "Patton." It's unfortunate; Even though that film may have brought a great figure such as George Patton to light, in reality, the real Patton was a far more impressive personality. George S. Patton was an olympic class athlete. As a modern tactician and strategist, he was almost without peer. He was a true warrior in the very classic sense of the word. In fact, his style of leadership influenced future generations of military leadership across all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Above everything else, Patton understood the relationship of the individual to the group in all arenas of endeavor, but particularly, to that of modern land warfare. Patton saw the value of management and discipline on all levels, from the Corps all the way down to the individual GI. Most importantly, he saw that only a fit body could carry a fit mind, and that's exactly how he carried himself. Simply put, his ways of thinking and personal philosophies inspired others to otherwise accomplish tasks that were either impossible or too unpleasant to think about. "The Unknown Patton" was written by Charles M. Province. At the time this book was published in 1983, Province was President of the George Smith Patton, Jr. Historical Society. "The Unknown Patton" contains both personal material and memorabilia, and includes the text of Patton's speeches to members of various combat units prior to the Normandy invasion. The book is illustrated with about a dozen black and white photographs dating from 1943 in Palermo, all the way up to the surrender in Europe in May of 1945. This volume notably contains three letters of instruction that Patton prepared for circulation among the officers in his command prior to the invasion of Europe. These letters serve as further evidence of Patton's great capacity for thoughtful leadership in the face of sometimes very unfavorable circumstance. With good historical accuracy and some journalistic flair, Province begins his chronicle with a chapter that portrays the young George Patton as energetic, scholarly and strong willed. The following chapters describe his initiation into modern warfare in Mexico under Pershing, include a nod to Patton's wife Beatrice, and culminate in a discussion concerning common misconceptions about the infamous slapping of two soldiers that took place in August of 1943 on the island of Sicily and several other incidents. Also included are a series of vignettes that appear in the chapter "The Ph

This book has many Pattonisms. This includes how soldiers are to overcome the fear of death. Patton reminds them that all men die in time, that only 2% of soldiers in heavy combat die in battle, and that everyone in battle is scared. He then makes the sage point about courage NOT being the absence of fear but the carrying on of duties in spite of one's fears. As a Polish American, I especially appreciate the fact (p. 160) that Patton quotes the Polish General Anders to the effect that, were Anders' Polish forces sandwiched between the German army and the Soviet Army, he would not know which one to fight. Very well put! Even though the Soviets were supposedly Allies, they had no intention of respecting Poland's sovereignity, and the western Allies gave in to Soviet demands and betrayed Poland.

Written by one of the foremost authorities on the life and times of General George S. Patton, Jr. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the true Patton, both family man and soldier. Add it to your library and treasure it always.

First a disclaimer; yes I admire Patton. And so does Province. He wrote a most interesting book with many little known facts about the man and the legend. It includes seperate chapters about his early years, service in Mexico, the true version and background on his famous address which was made immortal by George C. Scott in the movie, his personal side arms, Eisenhower's three major errors (the Falaise Gap, halting Patton for the 'Bridge too Far' operation in Holland and allowing the Battle of the Bulge to happen), some misconceptions, the slapping incidents, his philosophy, etc. Also an easy to read chapter on famous quotations by Patton, showing both his humor and insight. This book is a must for anyone who wants to know more about Patton, and should be seen as an addition to other works like the Patton Papers I and II, War as I Knew It and Patton, A Genius for War.