Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard - A 30-minute Instaread Summary: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General

by Instaread Summaries

PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary of the book and NOT the original book.
Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard - A 30-minute Instaread Summary

 

Inside this Instaread Summary:

• Overview of the entire book
• Introduction to the important people in the book
• Summary and analysis of all the chapters in the book
• Key Takeaways of the book
• A Reader's Perspective

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 of Metz. The men of his Third Army were inspired a few months earlier by his speech before D-Day, in which Patton told them that Americans do not lose. Up to that point, Patton had never lost a battle.

Patton’s men both loved and feared him. He was known for salty language, which he said he used because he wanted to speak as his men did.

The battle at Metz went wrong. Contrary to Patton’s intelligence, the German defenders were tough veterans and their position was well protected. Patton was short on troops, supplies and ammunition.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of allied troops in Europe, ordered Patton to stand down so that British forces under Bernard Law Montgomery could lead the offensive into Germany. This was a political decision to honor British’s sacrifice during the war, but Patton was angry over being left out and Eisenhower’s decision to cut back his supplies. Patton thought his forces and Montgomery’s should move into Germany at the same time. Patton remained determined to take Driant and Metz. Unfortunately, his forces suffered severe casualties and he was forced to back down. He believed Eisenhower’s cuts caused his first defeat.

Eisenhower’s order gave the Germans an opportunity to mount a counteroffensive. Their leader, Adolf Hitler, feared Patton especially and wanted to keep him away from this particular battlefield...

 

About the Author

With Instaread Summaries, you can get the summary of a book in 30 minutes or less. We read every chapter, summarize and analyze it for your convenience.

53 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2014

About the author

With Instaread, you can get the summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, summarize and analyze it for your convenience.

Reviews

[Diane Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many unanswered questions about Patton's death, and this book goes into minute detail. Was he assassinated, or was it a bizarre car accident? We also read about the top military men and women of the time, plus the German side. I found it fascinating in places and slow in other aspects. But anyone interested in WWII history should read this.

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The death of General George Patton from the results of a freak auto accident near the close of WW2 is the subject of Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General by Bill O’ Reilly and Martin Dugard. Filled with insinuation and references to missing documents, this book posits that Patton might have actually been assassinated, reviving yet another conspiracy. Billed as an essay on Patton’s death, the book delves into many other so-called plots from that era, including one that FDR conspired with Stalin to cede Eastern Europe to the Soviets. While the book is not as partisan as books by this duo usually are, it is also not the objective, dispassionate history they claim it to be, playing on rumor and unsubstantiated claims, and providing fictional accounts of the thoughts and words of historical figures, backed up with no evidence or first-hand information.
Summary of Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard by Instaread is a comprehensive analysis of the book, dissecting its main themes and principal characters. This is a handy resource that will allow you to get a good sense of the actual book before buying it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book, engaging and informative. O'Reilly's narration of the audiobook (which I review here) was ... ok. He enunciates well and his reading voice is more than sufficiently captivating. I like O'Reilly, but he does need to take the time to learn how to properly pronounce the foreign place and people names, and military jargon, in his book. As to the content — fabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed Killing Lincoln, Kennedy, and Jesus (his and Duggard's previous books), and this one was just as good or better (I am biased, as a WWII history buff).

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the insight into the man Patton was. The relationships between the men of WW2, Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill, Eisenhower, Stalin were interesting to say the least. However I found the battle stories tedious and had difficulty getting through them. I see many parallels to what is happening in today's world. History hasn't taught our leaders much!

[Charles M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got better and better as the pages turned. O'Reilly explains the events which led to the mysterious sudden death of one of America's best filed commanders during the second word war; indicating that Patton may have been a target of international espionage during the beginning of the cold war.

[Jane Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I learned quite a few things I did not know about WW2. I have read other O'Reilly and Dugard books and liked the others more. I would recommend it particularly if you enjoy WW2 books. I like the end of the book when they include facts about what happened to the characters after the story ended.

[Kate Donnelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a condensed view of Patton's life. I learned very little new but it was a refresher course. It certainly was an easy read.

[Connie Schweiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanted to read because my Dad served with Patton.

[Garth Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and learned a lot about World War Two. I liked how the author tied everything together.

[Shirley Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot say it better than the cover: “Beginning in October 1944, when many believe the Allies had all but won the war in Europe, Killing Patton follows a remarkable cast of characters on the battlefield and off, including Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. For almost seventy years, there has been a suspicion that his death was not an accident – and may very well have been an act of assassination. In Killing Patton O’Reilly and Dugard reveal the true man (through his own letters, writings and personal account from those who knew him) and many powerful people who wanted him dead.” There is more of a conspiracy theory in this book than in the other Killing books.