War As I Knew It
Memoir Intermediate Primary Sources
🇺🇸 American
Patton's war diary from Morocco to the Rhine, published two years after his death.
The Verdict
Patton in his own words is exactly what you would expect — brilliant, vain, profane, and frequently right when his superiors were not. Assembled from his diaries and letters and published two years after his death, this is the war as the war's most aggressive American commander saw it, from North Africa to the dash across France and the relief of Bastogne. It is self-serving and score-settling and utterly unlike the reticence of Eisenhower or Bradley, and that is its value: the unfiltered voice of a commander who believed in speed, audacity, and himself.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- Patton unfiltered, in his own words
- Aggressive command from North Africa to the Rhine
- The relief of Bastogne from the planner
- A vivid contrast to the reticent memoirs
Look elsewhere if you want
- A balanced assessment of Patton
- The soldier's experience below the top
- Modesty or balance
Why We Rated It 4.1
Historical Context
War As I Knew It (1947) collects George S. Patton's diaries and letters from the North African, Sicilian, and North-West Europe campaigns, published two years after his death in 1945. It reflects his aggressive philosophy of command and his frequent disputes with fellow commanders.
Editions & Reading Notes
Houghton Mifflin (1947)First edition.
Later paperbacksWidely available.
Read It Alongside
Crusade in Europe Dwight D. Eisenhower · 1948 · ★ 4.2
Memoir 
Up Front Bill Mauldin · 1945 · ★ 4.6
Memoir 
The Rommel Papers Erwin Rommel · 1953 · ★ 4.2
Memoir Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0395735299
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is War As I Knew It written by Patton?
- It is drawn from his own diaries and letters, compiled and published after his death.
- Is it a reliable account?
- It is vivid and valuable as a primary source but decidedly self-serving; read it as Patton's own view, not a neutral record.