Book Review
By Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Published by Henry Holt & Co. 337 pages
Killing the Witches, the story about Salem, Massachusetts in the 17th century, enticed me to read more “Killing” books by O’Reilly and Dugard. Killing Patton is entitled “the strange death of World War II’s Most Audacious General” but in fact details the heroism, guts, and terribly vivid details of the Battle of the Bulge and other horrific war stories of the war in Europe in the 1940s. It’s a must read for anyone who does not know why United States and British military who fought in those arenas are known as the Greatest Generation.
In addition to capturing the reader through page turning excellence in spite of the horrific details so vividly described, O’Reilly and Dugard research their subject through unimaginable resources, double checking sources, visiting sites, learning more about the geography of the areas covered as well as the backgrounds of the personalities mentioned in the book. They traveled to museums from California’s Mojave Desert to the Topography of Terror Museum in Berlin, as well as Patton’s grave in Luxembourg and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow.
The authors felt, rightfully so, it was necessary to show Patton’s tactics and actions during World War II, his vibrant personality loved by his military, hated by other officers and political leaders to set up the reasons why his death after an automobile crash after the war is suspicious and has never been fully and completed investigated nor released.
There are less sordid moments in the book showing the out-of-marriage liaisons of leaders highly regarded on both sides of the war as well as hart warming stories of Patton the man who loved war but also had a soft side to his heart.
It isn’t a book that will give you a warm, fuzzy feeling about politicians or military leaders. But it shows how human they are, how humanity could be so much better, and the sacrifices our military make to keep America the nation it is.
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Killing Patton is a great book, and your review is spot on! Many people forget the sacrifices of those gone before us that provided the freedoms we have today.
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