War As I Knew It

New York: Bantam Books, 1980. 11th Printing. Pocket Paperback. Good. Greg Beecham (drawings). Pocket paperback. xvi, 400 pages Wraps. Illustrations. Maps. Footnotes. Appendices. Creases to spine. Annotated by Colonel Paul D. Harkins. Text has darkened somewhat. Introduction by Douglas Southall Freeman. George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 - December 21, 1945) was a General of the United States Army who commanded the U.S. Seventh Army in the Mediterranean theater of World War II, and the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany following D-Day: the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Patton first saw combat during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916, taking part in America's first military action using motor vehicles. As part of the newly formed United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces he saw action in World War I. His strong emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective, and he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High Command. From the invasion of Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge, General George S. Patton, Jr., was the most flamboyant, audacious Allied leader of World War II. Brandishing his famous pearl-handled pistols and driven by a profound belief that wars are won by killing the enemy as fast as possible, Patton slammed the tanks and men of the Third Army across Europe at a breakneck pace. He battled not only the enemy but Supreme Headquarters; he complained SHAEF was doing all it could to deny him early victory. Now in these fascinating and frank memoirs, Patton speaks out with intense personal feelings about the Second World War, the art of war, and the soldier's life. He gives us an unforgettable self-portrait of an American professional soldier caught in the toils of war.