[.ca] The Patton Papers, 1885-1940 (ISBN 0735100764)

From Amazon.com:
"The history of war is the history of warriors; few in number, mighty in influence," wrote George S. Patton, Jr., in 1926, a full 17 years before he would begin to establish himself as one of the United States' finest military leaders. General Patton was, in the words of Martin Blumenson, "an inveterate diary keeper," and when duty took him away from his beloved wife, he wrote to her every day, sometimes twice. Blumenson culled through this enormous body of material to produce an impressive collection of Patton's writings, providing context for Patton's thoughts and words with helpful editorial interpolations. The odd dual nature that has made Patton fascinating for so long, and inspired such extreme reactions, positive and negative, over the years, is on full display. As Blumenson writes in his perceptive prologue: "He was unpredictable, capricious, at the same time dependable, loyal. He was brutal yet sensitive. He was gregarious and a loner. Enthusiastic and buoyant, he suffered from inner anguish.... An astonishing mixture of arrogance and humility. There is hardly a better way to encounter the man than through his own words, on these pages. --John J. Miller

Volume 2 of the Greatest Work on Patton:
Think you know about Patton? "The Patton Papers" provides insight into what Patton was and how he became what he did. No other book comes close.

Read BOTH volumes!:
Not a big history buff, but I had to read this for a class. Very interesting! Blumenson actually served with Patton in the Third Army HQ in Europe and also in Korea. But don't stop at this volume - The Patton Papers 1940-1945 finishes Patton's unique story. These years weren't forgotten as another reviewer said, just in another book.

Preferring Patton's UNcesured Papers:
It has material SELECTED in order that we, the future students of history,not have a clue as to what really happened during that historical period. The "Selectivity"just accidently left out the period 1940-45. Can't let that information get out! Others may begin suspecting censureship elsewhere!

An amazing insight into a very complex man:
Blumenson lets Patton speak for himself though a huge number of personal letters, lectures, papers and other materials. You can watch the young Patton grow through trial (being held back after his first year at West Point), and triumph (his heroic actions in combat during WWI), into the famous fighting general of WWII. Don't let the long length of the book put you off. I found it to be absolutely absorbing. By the end of the book you feel that you know Patton, his family and his friends and that you have some idea of what made him who he was. Blumenson obviously has deep respect for Patton but he also does not shy away from Patton's serious flaws in character and behavior. Even before the well known incidents of WWII, some of the things Patton wrote, did and said were really mean, crude and / or embarrassing. He was an accomplished brown noser and jealous of his peers to the point of paranoia at times. Its all here to see. Of course, I also highly recommend the second half of the story in the Patton Papers 1940 - 1945 by the same author.

A Real American Hero...:
Anyone who is a Patton fan; please start from the beginning. I think that it is terribly important to understand the history behind what made the man who he was. WWII was the medium in which Patton manifested the gernerally known "Patton" ... the result of all life experience leading up to that one period in history. There is much more revealed in this first volume that one can learn and I highly recommend it. It is a great read, at times funny, others very graphic, it will make you feel as if you knew the man and were a part of the history. In fact, I liked it so much (the paperback), I located a set of Houghton Mifflin, FIRST PRINTING, Patton Papers in mint condition for my collection. They read wonderfully, unlike the poor HB reprints. One must pay a small fortune though.