Papers: 1885-1940 v.1: 1885-1940 Vol 1 Book

"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. MillerRead More