Patton; Ordeal and Triumph

New York: Ivan Obolensky, Inc, 1964. First Printing [stated]. Hardcover. Good/Poor. [6], 885, [3] pages. Maps. Notes. Bibliographies. References. Index. DJ heavily torn and chipped at edges. Somewhat cocked. Some endpaper and page soiling. Ladislas Farag� (21 September 1906 - 15 October 1980) was a Hungarian military historian and journalist who published a number of best-selling books on history and espionage, especially concerning the World War II era. He was the author of "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph", that formed the basis for the film Patton. "The best Patton biography."-Military Bookman Farago wrote "The Broken Seal", one of the books that formed the basis for the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!. Farag�'s book "Aftermath: The Search for Martin Bormann" details the Nazi presence in South America and was based on both Farag�'s own personal investigation and interviews in South America, and Argentinian intelligence documents (some of which are provided in the book). This biography of General George S. Patton, Jr., covers Sicily, North Africa, the breakout at Avranches, the bungle at Falaise, the prolongation of the war, and the restraint preventing total victory, among other areas. Ladislas Farago, a journalist of indefatigable style, has made a definitive biography of General George S. Patton, Jr., who was an extraordinary man. Its bibliography of both Patton's own writings and to now untapped primary sources is eclectic and impressive. The "source supreme" is an official of the New York City school system who, as if to prepare for the nervewracking job he holds, served in World War II as Patton's confidential secretary. The variety of informants to this biography (parents of the martyred GIs of the "Slapping Incidents," the Virginia foxhunting set of Major Patton's social tour at Fort Myer, Allen Dulles, Waffen SS officers, Elsenhower's G-2 chief, Von Rundstedt's Chief of Staff, Rommel through his papers) is overwhelming. He is America's most famous general. He represents toughness, focus, determination, and the ideal of achievement in the face of overwhelming odds. He was the most feared and respected adversary to his enemies and an object of envy, admiration, and sometimes, scorn to his professional peers. An early proponent of tank warfare, George S. Patton moved from being a foresighted lieutenant in the First World War to commanding the Third Army in the next, leading armored divisions in the Allied offensive that broke the back of Nazi Germany. Patton was an enigmatic figure. His image among his troops and much of the press achieved legendary status through his bold and colorful comments and combat leadership, yet these same qualities nearly jeopardized his career and forced him out of the battle on several occasions. Victory was impossible without Patton, and returning to the field, his army was responsible for one of the most crushing advances in the history of warfare. In Ladislas Farago's masterpiece, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph, the complete story of this fascinating personality is revealed. Born into an aristocratic California family, Patton rose in military rank quickly and was tapped to lead the Allied landings in North Africa in 1942. Under Patton's direction, American troops cut their teeth against Rommel's Afrikakorps, advanced further and more quickly than British General Montgomery's army in the conquest of Sicily, and ultimately continued their exploits by punching into Germany and checking the Russian westward advance at the end of World War II. A sweeping, absorbing biography and critically hailed, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph provides unique insights into Patton's life and leadership style and is military history at its finest.