Summary of Killing Patton: by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard | Includes Analysis

By Instaread Summaries

Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard | Includes Analysis

 

Preview of this summary: 

Chapter 1

On October 3, 1944, Patton’s forces were fighting for Fort Driant, a heavily fortified German position near the French town

• Language: English
• Publisher: Instaread, Inc
• Release date: May 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781683781981

Book preview

Book Overview

Killing Patton looks for clues in the life and legend of George S. Patton to examine whether the popular World War II general might have been assassinated.

The book explores the last year of Patton’s life leading up to the auto accident that killed him. At the same time, it provides context by detailing Patton’s background and rise to prominence, world politics of his time, Nazi and Soviet atrocities, and details of important World War II battles in Europe.   

The book begins with questions about Patton’s death as he lay dying in a military hospital. A year before, he had been involved in the victory of the Battle of the Bulge, his triumph over Adolf Hitler’s attempt to save Nazi Germany by counterattacking the advancing Allies.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander of the Allied forces in Europe, was holding Patton back in favor of letting British commander Bernard Law Montgomery lead the final push into Germany and its capital, Berlin. This was partly a political move as a tribute to Britain’s long suffering in the war despite large-scale recognition of Patton’s brilliance on the battlefield. Even Nazi officers and German leader, Adolf Hitler, feared Patton most of all the Allied generals.

Eisenhower distrusted Patton, who had a history of disobeying orders and getting into trouble. Patton, for example, had slapped two soldiers suffering from combat fatigue and called them cowards. However, Patton also was charismatic and inspirational, as shown in his speech to his troops before the D-Day invasion of Europe. His troops nicknamed him Old Blood and Guts. He was also brilliant on the battlefield. During World War I, Patton was the first American to command a tank force.

When the Germans launched a massive counterattack in the rugged Ardennes region in December of 1944, Patton’s Third Army was called on to bail out US units and push the Germans back. The Germans created a large bulge in Allied lines, giving the decisive battle its name.

Patton was infuriated when Montgomery once again was chosen to lead the final charge into Berlin even after Patton’s celebrated victory at the Battle of the Bulge.

While the Battle of the Bulge distracted Eisenhower and other Allied leaders, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin took over much of Eastern Europe. He had the tacit consent of the United States, though British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was becoming alarmed by