Review of Rescuing General Patton

[Mzwakhe Nhlapo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Rescuing General Patton" by Curtis Stephen Burdick.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

I agree with the author when he says this would make action packed thriller movie. As I read it, it felt indeed like I was watching a merge of the movies Where Eagles Dare and the Guns of Navarone in my mind.

Julia, the granddaughter of General Patton who's rescue in WWII, this book is about, is deeply moved by John Harding's narration of her grand father's exploits and those who laid down their lives to rescue him during the War. She had given him most of the material from a manuscript given to her by her mother before she died to write the book. John Harding, a military historian, had spent the last eight years of his retirement pursuing his passion, writing military biographical histories. He was "a fanatic about historical accuracy and doing the tedious research needed to uncover the truth and verify seemingly accepted ‘facts.’ Truth, no matter how long it took to unearth, and no matter how inconvenient to our national mythos, was what drove him."(Page 9).

This book made me watch "Patton and the battle of the Bulge" on You Tube. The author here, a military historian " Leon Barron" was presenting his book to an audience of Military veterans and other Historians and book lovers in general. This is a real life Character who has the same convictions as John Harding, the fictional author of Rescuing General Patton.

Leon Barron's book starts at the scene where the ambush by German soldiers happened. He says the wreck of the jeep General Patton was travelling in on that day is still there to this day. This is the scene where Patton's identity was swopped with that of Colonel Henry 'Hank' Meuller. Corporal Bauer assumes General Patton's identity by swopping his shirt and tags with that of Colonel Meuller's and General Patton's shirt and and tags with his. He is then ordered to leave and keep himself alive until he reports to General Bradley and him only. General Patton keeps the Germans at bay until he runs out ammunition. When the Germans finally capture him he was Colonel Meuller.

This book is about trials and tribulations of General Bradly and his team when they attempt to rescue him, hence the title of the book.

It is fascinating how truth and fiction is interwoven by Curtis Stephen the author of the book, to tell such an intriguing and action packed story with such detail of the characters, environment and atmosphere of the story as he paints the picture.

There are no negatives except the occasional rough language soldiers use in a war situation and would therefore recommend it young adults who enjoy a book well researched to make an excellent read. I give it a 4 out 4 stars

******
Rescuing General Patton
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon