Saturday, November 27, 2010

Patton's Third Army in World War II: An Illustrated History by Michael Green and James D. Brown

Patton's Third Army in World War II: An Illustrated History (Hardcover) by Michael Green and James D. Brown is spectacular. The book is a large sized at 12 inches by 11 inches with 288 thick, glossy pages. While the appearance  is that of a "coffee-table book", it is that and much more.

The book is both war gallery with some of the best photographs you will every see of World War II and part war summary giving you an excellent overview of of the US Third Army's fighting in France, Belgium and finally Germany in 1944 and 1945.

Eisenhower placed Patton in command of a decoy unit, the First U.S. Army Group. It was nearly seven weeks after D-Day before General Patton finally took the Third  U.S. Army into battle. We see in picture and word how he began a ten-month journey across France, driving through Germany and into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and Austria. During this journey we see the way Third Army forces entered the Battle of the Bulge and helped break the siege of Bastogne.

The book covers Patton's command of Third Army. It places the focus you would expect on Armor (tank) operations. We see how Patton evolved a new style of fighting - an American version of the lightning war. We see him avoiding entrenched infantry warfare allowing him to keep pushing forward. General Patton's rough, hard charging personality shows through the books pages. US Military photos and frequent quotes complete the picture of Patton as well as his men as they fight their way across the Third Reich.

The book details in detail on the use of armor divisions, how to conduct tank reconnaissance, the role and how to of infantry in combat, as well as the use of antitank weapons like the bazooka, as well as other issues.

The book is a must have for any student of Armored warfare and fan of General Patton. It would be an excellent addition to any community or school library as well. It is a wonderful blend of story and picture.

1 comment:

  1. Good book - although they have a typo on page 4 - Tehran Conference as being in "Tehran, Iraq."

    ReplyDelete

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