Fifty years after his death, General George S Patton Jr remains one of the most charismatic, misunderstood and controversial figures who ever set foot on the battlefields of the SEcond World War. The public image of him has been influenced overwhelmingly by the George C Scott film 'Patton' in which he is portrayed as a brash "Old Blood and Guts". Now, for the first time, Carlo D'Este reveals a very different, contradictory personality. With full access to Patton's private and public papers, and the co-operation of his family, D'Este presents an acute portrait of Patton's career and shows not only the extrovert Patton of public perception but also Patton the intensely private man who could burst into tears, be charming or profane quite unexpectedly,but who trained himself for greatness with a determination matched by no other general in the twentieth century.
