Patton: A Biography

George S. Patton embodied contradiction a cavalryman steeped in romantic military tradition, he nevertheless pulled a reluctant American military into the most advanced realms of highly mobile armored warfare. An autocratic snob, Patton created unparalleled rapport and loyalty with the lowliest private in his command; an outspoken racist, he led the only racially integrated U.

S. military unit in World War II; an exuberantly profane man, he prayed daily and believed God had destined him for military greatness; a profoundly insecure individual, he made his Third Army the most self-confident and consistently victorious fighting force in the European theater. From Patton's boyhood battling dyslexia and becoming an avid reader, to his leadership strategies that modernized the U. S. army, Alan Axelrod delivers a fascinating account of Patton's life and legacy.

Axelrod is the author of the BusinessWeek bestseller Patton on Leadership and many books on American and military history, including Encyclopedia of Wars, America's Wars, and The Macmillan Dictionary of Military Biography. He and his work have been featured in BusinessWeek, Fortune, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan, and many newspapers, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and USA Today.