Patton's War

"""With Patton's War, Kevin Hymel has established himself as one of the finest historians in the United States. His depth of research and keen observations about General George S. Patton, Jr., in this fascinating, well-paced book, breaks new ground in the study of the famous World War II battlefield commander.""--Brian M. Sobel, author of The Fighting Pattons ""Hymel provides an excellent account of Patton with many details that were not discussed by previous biographers. This book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of all professional soldiers, World War II historians, and Patton fans.""--On Point: The Journal of Army History ""While there have been many books written about Patton, Hymel has set himself apart from the pack with the depth of his research. Military historians and laymen alike would benefit from having this book on their shelf. If the second volume is half as good as the first, Patton's War will be top shelf for any serious historian.""--The NYMAS Review: A Publication of The New York Military Affairs Symposium ""This book will be a worthy addition to the biographies of Patton. It should find a place on the bookshelf of every Pattonophile--and I'm certain that it will.""--Flint Whitlock, military historian, former U.S. Army officer, and editor of WWII Quarterly ""With Patton's War, Kevin Hymel has established himself as our leading expert on America's favorite general. Deeply researched and well crafted, a must for readers of military history.""--Mitchell Yockelson, author of The Paratrooper Generals: Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell Taylor and the American Airborne from D-Day through Normandy ""For all who have any level of interest in General George S. Patton, and World War II, I highly recommend this book as a very readable account of one of the most consequential and controversial figures in United States history.""--History in Motion ""Well written and an enjoyable book. . . . I was prepared when I began reading Hymel's work to find little that was new about Patton and his leadership. But the soldiers' perspective provided by the author made it easy for me to stay interested.""--ARMY Magazine ""Hymel writes in a crisp and concise style that engages readers. This work is highly recommended for both serious students of World War II as well as casual readers.""--Journal of Military History ""Volume 1 of Kevin Hymel's Patton's War gives us something we badly needed: a contemporary view of George Patton's career as a World War II combat commander. This first volume follows the General from the beach at Fedala, Morocco on the first day of Operation TORCH, to his triumph at El Guettar in Tunisia 146 days later. The book then follows Patton during the Sicily Campaign: from Gela to Palermo and onward to the slapping incidents that brought on his intermission as a battlefield commander. Volume 1 concludes with D-Day and the Dawn of the U.S. Third Army. The pacing of George Patton's career during the Second World War coincidentally follows the ups and downs of perfect screenplay form, so the subject is already readable. Kevin Hymel's thorough command of the literature and historiography of Patton's life and career is an exceptional compliment to that natural structure. But this is no hagiography: Hymel gives us the arrogant Patton who was frequently guilty of racial condescension and had a penchant for berating soldiers as much as he gives us the redemptive Patton who survived his errors and misjudgments to become an American legend. This is precisely the kind of brutal honesty that the subject deserves and Kevin Hymel is clearly the right historian to introduce Patton to the 21st Century.""--Martin Morgan, author of The Americans on D-Day: A Photographic History of the Normandy Invasion ""Hymel's new work is compelling. His accounts of Patton reveal a wartime genius who was far from perfect in many other aspects of his personality. Hymel's best contribution to the story of Patton is his use of oral histories from the Library of Congress' Veterans Oral History Project and the WWII Veterans Survey Collection.""--Leo Barron, author of Patton's First Victory: How General George Patton Turned the Tide in North Africa and Defeated the Afrika Korps at El Guettar ""A fascinating and highly informative work that sheds new light on the wartime career of the legendary General George S. Patton. Hymel's book should appeal not only to students of Patton's life, but to anyone with an interest in the Mediterranean and European theaters in World War II. Highly recommended.""--Joseph Balkoski, author of Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944 ""I thoroughly enjoyed Kevin Hymel's well written book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I learned about the strategic vision and human dimensions of my grandfather. For anyone seeking an unfiltered look at General Patton, this balanced, highly detailed biography is an important addition to any library.""--Benjamin Patton, author of Growing Up Patton"