George S. Patton, Jr. was one of the most colorful generals to emerge from World War II, and certainly one of the best. He participated in most of the important American land battles: the North African campaign, Sicily, the breakout from Normandy and the pursuit across France, the Bulge, the bridgehead at Remagen, and the conquest of Germany itself. His performance in these battles was generally good, and he learned and improved with each battle. Although he was uncertain in North Africa and clumsy in Sicily, the breakout from Normandy was brilliant, and his handling of the Bulge operation was good. Patton's style was bold and risky. He believed that a fast and determined attack would unhinge an enemy and produce better results than a slow, deliberate one. In this respect, Patton was poles apart from Montgomery, and had much in common with Rommel and von Manstein. On many occasions Patton, confronted with the excuse that the advance was stopped by "heavy resistance", would go there himself and personally walk into the undefended objective, shaming his men and winning their respect at the same time.

The dark side of Patton's gung-ho attitude was his intolerance for those less tough. In Sicily he slapped a shell-shocked soldier, calling him a coward; the act cost him his command. He was brash and tactless, antagonizing his colleagues and superiors. Glory was more important to him than the lives of his men; his Third Army suffered proportionately higher casualties than any other outfit. But he was also one of the most deeply intellectual and well-read generals in the army.

Patton died in an automobile accident on December 9th, 1945 -- less than a year after the Battle of the Bulge.