Best regards, Andrew Stewart
Begin forwarded message: > From: H-Net Staff via H-REVIEW <[email protected]> > Date: May 6, 2021 at 7:34:59 AM EDT > To: [email protected] > Cc: H-Net Staff <[email protected]> > Subject: H-Net Review [H-War]: Daniels on Daniel III, '21st Century Patton: > Strategic Insights for the Modern Era' > Reply-To: [email protected] > > J. Furman Daniel III, ed. 21st Century Patton: Strategic Insights > for the Modern Era. 21st Century Foundations Series. Annapolis > Naval Institute Press, 2016. 176 pp. $24.95 (paper), ISBN > 978-1-68247-063-3. > > Reviewed by Benjamin Daniels (American Military University) > Published on H-War (May, 2021) > Commissioned by Margaret Sankey > > _21st Century Patton_ by J. Furman Daniel III is a thought-provoking > journey into the strategic mind of one of the most brilliant military > leaders the United States has ever produced. This is much more than a > "greatest hits" of General George S. Patton Jr.'s writings and > lectures; _21st Century Patton_ is a curated journey into Patton's > mind. In an introduction and overview to each writing, Daniel > skillfully offers context to amplify and validate the nearly > seventy-year-old documents. Daniel's intent with the work is clear: > "to use the lesser-known, intellectual side of Patton's character to > highlight his contribution to the enduring debates involving military > affairs and strategy" (p. 11). > > As an editor, Daniel is precise, measured, and unfailingly > professional. He acknowledges that "one of the most difficult > challenges in studying Gen. George Patton is separating the myth from > the man," something that Daniel does exceptionally well (p. 6). > Oftentimes edited collections of such great leaders as Patton can > move away from amplifying the writings with a complimentary > contextual framework wherein facts are replaced by bias, ultimately > hindering the effectiveness of the collection. For Daniel, this is > not the case. He has made a conscious effort to show his admiration > for Patton without clouding the reader's mind with overly > complimentary commentary on Patton's life and writings. Daniel's > insights into the life of Patton serve to enhance learning and make > his potentially brash discussions tasteful and incredibly valuable. > Further, he skillfully and correctly frames Patton's way of thinking > within his time and profession--allowing grace where needed and > explanation as required. > > Though some of the terminology and social views are dated, they do > not hinder Patton's ability to enlighten the reader. As one > progresses through this edited collection, it becomes increasingly > evident that Patton--while flamboyant in both his personal and > professional lives--was a master in the arts of war and leadership, > maintaining scale and poise throughout every discussion. On war, > Patton stated that "we must cull from the past of our experience or > reading the more permanent characteristics, select our weapons and > assign to the importance which reason and analogy of experience > indicate that they will attain." Here, Patton established his > taxonomy for analysis of--and in--war. "Bearing in mind these > considerations and the definition of predominant force, we shall > resume our success in war" (p. 66). > > _21st Century Patton_ is recommended for those who are interested in > one of the finest examples of military leadership and thought that > has ever served the United States. Readers will not find this to be a > self-help or a "how-to" leadership study. Rather, it is a vignette of > thought from which they can create their own conclusions and > applications. This work is not solely for military leaders or those > interested in the military arts. In fact, leaders from every walk of > life can find value within Patton's discussions of harnessing the > human potential of their followers to make something > incredible.________ > > Citation: Benjamin Daniels. Review of Daniel III, J. Furman, ed., > _21st Century Patton: Strategic Insights for the Modern Era_. H-War, > H-Net Reviews. May, 2021. > URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=56078 > > This work is licensed under a Creative Commons > Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States > License. > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#8380): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/8380 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/82628183/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
