By Al Hemingway
Noted Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde once said, “I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.”
Regardless of their political leanings, many of the German officers who fought against George S. Patton fall into that category. They certainly demonstrated exceptional leadership during both world wars—and had the distinction of facing one of America’s premier generals as well.
Much has been written about the prowess of “Old Blood and Guts.” Patton was certainly a daring individual who excelled in combat—from his days as a young officer with General John J. Pershing’s expeditionary forces seeking the notorious Mexican bandit Pancho Villa to the killing fields of World Wars I and II.
In his new book, Fighting Patton: George S. Patton Jr. Through the Eyes of His Enemies (Zenith Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2011, 514 pp., photographs, notes, index, $30) military historian Harry Yeide has written an absorbing account of Patton and the adversaries he faced during both conflicts.
NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED
Read this article now for Free!
Enter your email address and a password to finish reading this article now.
— OR —
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe now to All Access Digital for only $3.99 a month and finish reading this article. Unlimited Website Access, Thousands of Searchable Articles, Warfare Newsletter, and more.
Join The Conversation
Comments