Max Roth
Mr. Gordon
6th Period
11/15/2016
Killing Patton
Killing Patton is a historical non-fiction book written by Bill O'Reilly and Martin
Dugard. The book mainly focuses on four-star, General George Patton during WWII but it is
also intermittent with significant battles and political squabbles. The main setting is in Germany
after the Normandy landings, and Patton is leading his third army to end the war. Patton is a
brilliant strategist with a bold and intrepid demeanor, and his triumphs earned the admiration of
all his men. Even the Nazis feared him as a formidable foe. Despite being a larger than life
figure with astounding patriotism, Patton wasn’t without a few controversies. He was hard to
deal with since was he lacked any form of political correctness and diplomacy. In addition he
was a very vocal critic of Eisenhower and Bradley and staunchly opposed the Soviet Union and
the threat of Communism. Even though Russia was an ally, Patton predicted the Cold War
before it culminated as it was inevitable that two super powers with conflicting ideologies would
clash. Stalin already planned to take much of Eastern Europe for himself as no force could stop
the Red Army. Patton and Churchill were both advocates of starting WWIII to prevent this, but
the United States wanted none of it.
Patton’s controversy also prevented him from commanding the largest amphibious
invasion in all of history known as Designation Day. Eisenhower thought Patton lacked the
discipline and reprimanded him for slapping two shell-shocked soldiers and calling them
cowards; instead Omar Bradley was chosen to lead the ground forces since he was more prudent
as opposed to Patton’s eagerness to take gambles. Germany knew an allied invasion was
imminent, since Hitler expected them to invade through Pas de Calais, he ordered his troops to
station there. Operation Overlord, as it was known succeeded in deceiving the Nazis since the
Allies didn’t take the obvious route. Instead they invaded through submarine technology. What
fooled the Nazis even more was that Patton was sent to Pas de Calais to command a phantom
army full of props which had the Nazis station troops even longer. Patton would later help
liberate Paris and saw numerous success since his battle formation was similar to the German’s
Blitzkrieg which favored speed and aggressive action.
This book departs from just the historical facts because it expresses belief in a conspiracy
on how Patton died. Patton urged the Allies to take Berlin before the Soviet Union did to
prevent the atrocities that the citizens there would face, and he absolutely despised communism
as did all of America though they were reluctant to wage another war. Patton’s death is still
shrouded in mystery to this day, and the timing was rather convenient for Russia. Shortly after
the war ended, Patton was in a vehicle with fellow staff on a hunting trip while in Germany. The
vehicle collided with an American truck at a low speed causing only minor damage. Patton,
however, struck his head on the glass partition in the back seat. He was taken to the hospital and
succumbed to injuries twelve days later. He died four days short of Christmas, 1945 in
Heidelberg, Germany. O’Reilly insinuates that his death was ordered by Stalin or a government
official to prevent him from starting a war.
Patton also saved Operation Market Garden from becoming a complete disaster as it tried
to end the war too soon. Adding to another of Hitler’s monumental blunders, he ordered a last
ditch assault on the Americans known as the Battle of the Bulge which saw more American
casualties than any other battle. Patton persevered even though the winter had been brutal and
the Germans had the element of surprise, but they couldn’t hold it for long. Despite that, the
Germans last reserves were defeated and with the Luftwaffe nearly obliterated, Patton was able
to decisively advance to Germany. From here on out the war was hopeless for the Germans, and
even Hitler’s delusion of winning would soon fade. Patton cultivated deep respect from his men
and really admired the wounded and dead more than any soldier which is why he wasn’t happy
when his army was taken from him after the war.
Overall I enjoyed reading this story as it wasn’t just an autobiography about Patton. It
included important battles and even how Hitler felt toward the end. Patton was a proficient
tactician and regarded as one of the best leaders of all time. Patton was able to make battle plans
well in advance and although he took a lot of risks, he would also do the unexpected. The advent
of armored tanks in which he saw the potential, when he fought in WWI helped him dominate
the Germans. His sternness and hard-nosed personality were some of his flaws as shown by his
vitriolic comments about politicians. It is a possibility that Patton’s death was planned. O’Reilly
asserts that Stalin wanted him executed and was the mastermind behind his death. Based on my
judgement, although many American politicians didn’t like Patton, I doubt that the United States
would deliberately kill their best general. If what O’Reilly says is true, then Russia must’ve been
the only country to implement unless a politician who had disdain toward George Patton tipped
him off. The only criticism I have is that the book fails to mention some key factors. For
example, it does concede that Patton had some controversy, but it didn’t mention that he was an
anti-Semite. As a devout Christian, he felt contempt toward other religions especially Judaism.
Still, this a great read for those passionate about WWII on the eastern front through a general’s
perspective.