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War As I Knew It Paperback – May 8, 1995

by George S. Patton (Author), Paul D. Harkins (Editor), Rick Atkinson (Introduction)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 934 ratings
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A classic of American military history first published in 1947, War as I Knew It is the captivating memoir of George S. Patton, Jr., the legendary general, incendiary warrior, and unparalled tactician of World War II.Drawing from General Patton's vivid memories of battle and his detailed diaries, covering the moment the Third Army exploded onto the Brittany Peninsula to the final Allied casualty report, this narrative presents a grueling, human account of daily combat and heroic feats — including a riveting look at the Battle of the Bulge. Patton's letters from earlier military campaigns in North Africa and Sicily, complemented by a powerful retrospective of his guiding philosophies, further reveal a man of uncompromising will and uncommon character. War As I Knew It presents a fascinating portrait of the full-of-vinegar, controversial commander."Few military figures in American history have laid siege to the public imagination more relentlessly than George S. Patton, Jr...His name still evokes the dash and brio of a cavalry charge."—from the Introduction by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Rick Atkinson

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    425 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Houghton Mifflin
  4. Publication date
    May 8, 1995
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.2 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0395735297
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0395735299
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

First published in 1947, War As I Knew It is the captivating memoir of George S. Patton, Jr., the legendary American general, incendiary warrior, and unparalleled military tactician of World War II. Drawing on his vivid memories of battle and detailed diaries, Patton dramatically recounts his celebrated Third Army's sweeping campaign across Western Europe right up to the final Allied casualty report. The result is a remarkable frontline view of daily strategies and heroic drivesincluding the rescue of the Battle of the Bulge from Allied infamy and the triumphant Palatinate Campaign - revealing a fascinating portrait of the full-of-vinegar, controversial commander. With selected prefatory letters from Patton's earlier ventures in North Africa and Sicily and a powerful concluding retrospective, War As I Knew It is a classic of American military history.

About the Author

GEORGE S. PATTON, JR. (1885-1945), served as General John "Black Jack" Pershing's aide in Mexico in 1916 during the Pancho Villa Expedition, and rose from captain to major general between the world wars, and headed the illustrious Third Army in World War II.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Houghton Mifflin; Reissue edition (May 8, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 425 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0395735297
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0395735299
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 934 ratings

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George S. Patton

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4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
934 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Richard Papperman Jr
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating History
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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Fascinating insight into a great general and his approach to war and life! I would recommend this to anyone. The only thing I was disappointed in was some of the typographical errors that should have been fixed, for instance, the citations should have been in super script so it’s to not look like a number after a word. But it was a thoroughly excellent book.
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Steven
5.0 out of 5 stars First hand experience
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
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This was a very interesting travelogue that provided a view into what Patton experienced and thought on a day to day basis. There is plenty of battle details, but the high points were his opinions, insights, and humor regarding how the war was being conducted.
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TigerTC
4.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse of the real Patton, but nothing more
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2005
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Patton's "War as I Knew It" is a good but not great collection of some of General George S. Patton's diaries from World War II. At times, it is an illuminating and interesting look at Patton and his views, but probably because it was edited by his wife and others after Patton's death, many interesting parts of Patton's life are glossed over or ignored. Anyone interested in Patton's war career or World War II would find this book interesting, and any current US Army officers should read this book for many of Patton's leadership lessons.

The book briefly describes parts of the North Africa and Sicily campaigns, and I found it very interesting to read about Patton's meetings with the Sultan of Morocco. Most of the rest of the North African campaign was skipped, and after a few pages about the Sicily campaign, Patton is suddenly in northern Europe as the Third Army commander. Most of his writings about the European campaign give daily updates on the condition and position of his subordinate divisions. Fortunately, the book is replete with maps of most of the Third Army's areas of operations - something too many military history books forget.

For anyone hoping to find Patton's insights and feelings about the controversial incidents during his command, you won't find them in this book. Most events are completely skipped over: the soldier slapping incidents are mentioned in two paragraphs on page 381 of 390 pages of text; there is no mention of Patton's difficult months after being passed over to lead the American D-Day effort and while serving as the "diversion" for a second invasion; there is no mention of Patton's comments and insults about the Soviet Russians as allies; and there is nothing about Patton and his tepid de-Nazification of his sector in Germany. Also, when criticizing many of his subordinate commanders and discussing the relief of some commanders, this book omits the names of those being criticized and only refers to them by position; and the reader has to wonder if these criticisms were whitewashed by the editors after Patton's death.

Despite these shortcomings, this book still gives many insights into Patton's persona not found in most other works. Too often, Patton is portrayed as a one-dimensional commander whose success relied on the discipline of his soldiers and his obsessiveness with the attack. Anyone reading this book will quickly discover that Patton's brilliance as a commander was based on a well-developed command philosophy. Patton understood that his role as an Army commander was to support his corps commanders and give them the moral support necessary when they grew weary. Patton's flamboyant personality was part of this philosophy as well: for instance, he would always drive to the frontlines when visiting the frontlines but fly back to his headquarters, because he wanted his soldiers to always see him going forward and never see him leaving the front.

This book should be read by all current Army officers, because many of Patton's lessons are timeless. He had a thorough understanding of the functions of his staff, and insisted that representatives from each staff section visit frontline units daily. The book ends two many chapters on his personal views of the Army: a chapter called "Earning My Pay," recounting various anecdotes throughout his Army career and the lessons he learned; and "Reflections and Suggestions," with tactical advice for soldiers and commanders.

This book is mostly a detailed recounting of Patton's World War II European campaign. For the casual reader wanting to learn more about the real Patton, I recommend looking elsewhere. But WWII buffs and real George S. Patton fans will get a lot of insight from this book, and all current U.S. Army officers should read it for the timeless lessons that Patton teaches.
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William J. Bahr
5.0 out of 5 stars War as Patton told it!
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2020
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Patton’s “War As I Knew It” is an impressive, posthumously published book (first published in 1947 after Patton's death in 1945). It's well worth the price just for Rick Atkinson’s insightful introduction (in the print book; Kindle intro by Douglas Southall Freeman) and Patton’s Letters of Instruction at the end. What follows are some quotes and commentary I gleaned from the book:

Just as Lee had Stonewall Jackson, a strategist like Eisenhower had his work supplemented by a superb tactician like General George S. Patton. Patton had been a personal aide to General Pershing during WWI and had gone on to champion the use of tanks. During WWII, he was successful in the North Africa and Sicily campaigns, becoming much feared by the Germans. The Allies used Patton’s reputation to advantage during the Normandy invasion. They put Patton in charge of what amounted to a phantom army stationed near Dover, England, prompting the Germans to believe that the invasion was to come at Calais, the closest city on the other side of the Channel. This deception spread the German defense thinner at Normandy, the real target, than it otherwise would have been.

Patton’s 3rd Army under General Bradley’s 12 US Army Group, became operational in Normandy on 1 August 1944 and simultaneously attacked west, east, and north, quickly trapping several hundred thousand German soldiers in an area called the Falaise (Normandy) Pocket. Aggressively employing speed, effective reconnaissance, and tactical air support, Patton’s Army moved east until it ran out of gas and halted in place. In December, the Germans took the offense with Battle of the Bulge. Resupplied and in response, Patton wheeled one part of his army north, relieved the 101st Airborne Division trapped at Bastogne, and then ran east through the frozen Ardennes, hitting the Germans in the flank. The other part of his army attacked east, with the two parts meeting to trap 60K German soldiers and 10K square miles of territory. By the time the war ended, Patton was camped in Czechoslovakia, requesting to attack Prague.

Patton believed that, while there is no approved solution to any tactical situation, there is one, but only one, tactical principle which is not subject to change: “To so use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum time.” In battle, casualties are directly proportional to the time exposed to effective fire. One’s fire reduces the effectiveness of the enemy’s, while quickness of attack shortens the time of exposure. Battles are won by frightening the enemy, and this is best done by inflicting him with death and wounds. Fire from the rear is more deadly and three times more effective than fire from the front. To get fire behind the enemy, one must hold him by frontal fire and race around his flank. Frontal attacks against prepared positions should be avoided. One can never be too strong: one should get every man and gun possible, provided it does not unduly delay one’s attack. The larger the force and the more violence one uses in the attack, the smaller will be one’s losses. Never yield ground. Mortars and artillery are superb weapons when they are firing; when silent, they are junk – see that they keep firing! In mountain country or when forcing a pass, secure the heights first. In battle, small forces can do one of three things: go forward, halt, or run. Halting or running makes them an even easier target. There is a universal failure to repeat verbal orders back. This failure can result in grave errors. There is a tendency to overload junior officers by excessive and non-essential training and report requirements, which can be alleviated by eliminating non-essential demands.

“While infantry must move to close with the enemy, it must shoot to move. When targets are not visible, infantry weapon fire must search enemy-occupied areas. Use marching fire to reduce the accuracy of enemy fire and increase one’s confidence. Shoot short. Ricochets make nastier sounds and wounds. The bayonet kills few men, but many are scared by it. Construct dummy batteries. In choosing sites for them, avoid places where fire directed at them will adversely affect other arms. The primary mission of armored units is attacking infantry and artillery. The enemy’s rear is the happy hunting ground for armor. Use every means to get it there. Against counter-attacks, the offensive use of armor striking the flank is decisive. Forward observers provide sixty-five to seventy-five percent of all artillery targets. Junior reconnaissance officers must be very inquisitive, setting an example, producing accurate reports, and not losing contact while on mission. An officer must be the last man to take shelter from fire, and the first to move forward. Similarly, he must be the last man to look after his comfort at the close of a march.”

Letters of Instruction: There is only one sort of discipline – perfect discipline. Discipline can only be obtained when all officers are so imbued with the sense of their awful obligation to their men and their country that they cannot tolerate negligence. Officers who fail to correct errors or to praise excellence are valueless in peace and dangerous misfits in war. Officers must assert themselves by example and by voice. They must be pre-eminent in courage, deportment, and dress. One of the primary purposes of discipline is to produce alertness. ...ceremonies are a great help to give them that perfect discipline. Officers must possess self-confidence and the confidence of their men. Two of the best ways of producing this are meticulously conducted close-order drill, led by officers, and platoon marches...during which the platoon is wholly on its own.

Combat principles: A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood! “Catch the enemy by the nose with fire and kick him in the pants with fire emplaced through movement.” Hit hard soon; you can never be too strong. Get every man and gun you can secure, provided it does not unduly delay your attack. Officers must possess self-confidence and the confidence of their men. German prisoners over forty talk more quickly than the younger ones. To halt under fire is folly. To halt under fire and not fire back is suicide. Move forward out of fire. Officers must set an example. If you cannot see the enemy, you can at least shoot at the place where he is apt to be.
Bottom line, a fascinating read from the pen of one of history’s great captains!

Check out some of William J. Bahr’s books:  Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation  and
 George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key – the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul , a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!”
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NoNameShopper
5.0 out of 5 stars Prompt delivery.
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2019
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Exactly as expected.
One person found this helpful
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Gaurav Gupta
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Reviewed in India on January 16, 2020
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Good Book - Read through first few pages - has been insightful so far.
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Judith Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars the greatest hero.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2014
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This man was indeed a genius in war!! His courage and strength and vitality to win campaigns were amazing, and his outspokenness were what made him so strong in opinion. He was America' s finest.
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戦争映画小僧
2.0 out of 5 stars 私の英語能力が低いのも原因ではありますが…
Reviewed in Japan on December 28, 2005
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　映画「パットン大戦車軍団」のノリを期待していたのですが、パットン将軍の日記を編集し直し、本にしたようです。

　北アフリカ戦線やシシリーの部分は少しの記述しかなく、戦闘場面もあまりありません。

　大半がＥＴＯ（オーバーロード作戦）のことなのですが、「第○師団（○の部分は数字）の○○少将が云々」と言う記述がやたらに多く（←とにかく数え切れないくらいの師団等名・将校等名前がでてきますよの意味です）、はっきり言って訳がわからなくなります。よほどの戦術研究家か専門家でないと全体像を掴むのは困難です（米国人は理解できる人も多いでしょうが、日本人ではＥＴＯに関して、そこまで詳しく戦術を研究しているのは、防衛庁の防衛研究所か、かなりのオタクです）。

　また、附属の地図もかなり見にくいため、余計に読む気力が萎えて来ます。

　私の英語能力が低いのも原因ではありますが「Band of Brothers」のようなストーリー性を求める読者にはお薦め出来ません。
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MAYUR A MEHTA
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on August 24, 2018
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The world needs such general who has guts to tackle the problem.
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