Patton, George S.
General George S. Patton, wearing helmet, stands in the middle of a group of generals inspecting the beaches after D-Day. (Library of Congress)
George Smith Patton, Jr., b. San Gabriel, Calif., Nov. 11, 1885, d. Dec. 21, 1945, was one of the foremost American combat generals of World War II. Scion of a prominent military family from Virginia, he graduated from West Point in 1909 and saw tank service in France in World War I. The colorful, tough-minded, outspoken officer —he wore ivory-handled revolvers on his hips —was a chief proponent of the adoption of armored weapons and mobile tactics.
After the outbreak of World War II, Patton played a major part in the invasion (1942) of North Africa and in the capture (1943) of Sicily. His career climaxed in 1944 –45 when, after the Allies' Normandy Invasion, Patton's Third Army swept across France and into Germany. One of the war's ablest tank commanders, he played a pivotal role in helping to halt the German counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 –January 1945). Relentlessly hard-driving and combative, "Old Blood and Guts" Patton incurred unfavorable publicity for slapping a combat-exhausted soldier in a hospital, although he later apologized publicly for the incident. Patton was fatally injured in an automobile accident near Mannheim, Germany. His memoirs, War As I Knew It, appeared in 1947.
Warren W. Hassler, Jr.
Bibliography: Blumenson, Martin, ed., Patton (1985; repr. 1995) and The Patton Papers, 2 vols. (1972 –74; repr. 1996 –98); D'Este, Carlo, Patton: A Genius for War (1995); Farago, Ladislas, The Last Days of Patton (1981) and Patton (1964); Hanson, Victor Davis, The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny (1999); Patton, Robert H., Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family (1994); Rickard, John N., Patton at Bay: The Lorraine Campaign, September to December, 1944 (1999).
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The Book Thief
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The Book Thief
by Markus ZusakLiesel Meminger, a foster child living outside Munich during World War II, scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist -- books -- in this unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
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Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust
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Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust
These are the true-life accounts of nine Jewish boys and girls whose lives spiraled into danger and fear as the Holocaust overtook Europe. In a time of great horror, these children each found a way to make it through the nightmare of war. Their legacy of courage in the face of hatred will move you, captivate you, and, ultimately, inspire you.
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