I Marched with Patton

By: Frank Sisson, Robert L. Wise

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Published to commemorate the 75th anniversary of General George Patton’s death, a gripping firsthand account of World War II written by a soldier with the American Third Army who served under the legendary warrior and participated in many of the most consequential events of the conflict - including the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Dachau.

Following in the footsteps of the best sellers All the Gallant Men, Every Man a Hero, Don't Give Up, Don't Give In, and Never Call Me a Hero, I Marched with Patton is a remarkable eyewitness account that offers priceless insights into a foot soldier’s life on the front lines during World War II under the command of one of the legendary figures in American military history.

Now a spry 94 years old, Frank Sisson looks back at his life and his service in the Third Army. Born in rural Oklahoma, Frank grew up fatherless during the Great Depression. In 1944, at age 18, he enlisted and was deployed to France where he marched with Patton, taking part in many of the key Allied movements of the war. Frank fought in the Battle of the Bulge, nearly died crossing the Rhine with Patton, and was among the first American soldiers who liberated the notorious Dachau concentration camp.

After the war, Frank continued to serve in the army as a military police inspector in Berlin. When he finally returned home, he attended college and built a career in business. Frank Sisson’s remarkable reminiscences provide a fresh, unique look at Patton’s leadership, the final year of World War II and its direct aftermath, and the experience of combat on the front lines.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Frank Sisson and Robert L. Wise (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Definitely a must listen to if you enjoy books on WWII

Very entertaining, full of things only someone who was there would know, good story well written. Well probably listen to it more than once.

A bit rambling and forced, but solid.

This book is a strong testament to the devotion Patton inspired in his men, as well as a fascinating record of one soldier's experiences during the war. It has a tendency to ramble and backtrack or skip ahead at points, but honestly that isn't much of a problem. It genuinely feels like listening to an old vet tell his story without being polished. The real problem for me was what I call "expositional dialogue". Dialogues are embellished with facts and statistics which are unlikely to have been known be the individuals at the time. It feels like the author wanted to keep the audience abreast of the greater events in an organic way which came across as forced. Honestly it worked better when he just said straight out, "what we found out later," or "what we didn't know at the time was".

couldn't put this down

Great history of the war in Europe and people's lives. Both author and narrator did an excellent job.

History We Must Never Forget

A riveting firsthand account of WWII. I couldn’t stop listening. My Uncle landed at Normandy and never could talk about his experiences. I’ve always wondered what it must have been like. Through the eyes of a young soldier, my questions were answered. May we never forget the sacrifice others made for our freedom. Bless the memory of those lost and bless those who serve!

Intriguing first-hand account of a foot soldier in WWII

Very well written and extremely well portrayed by the narrator. A must-read for those who prefer history of WWII. Very thought provoking as well.

I really hate rating this so low.

This book is probably one of the last true first hand WW2 books we will get. Save from someone releasing a family diary or coming across someone’s writing this one is probably it. Sadly, it’s not anything we haven’t hear or read before. Sisson was in a non-combat role so there is very little action. It is mostly just day to day stuff. Lot of telling about his letters from home, self reflection, and banter between the squad mates. There is also a good bit of “history booking”. A decent amount of the book is big picture stuff setting the stage for what’s happening on a war-wide scale. Not really needed in a memoir type book and I think it was added to fluff up the book.

The only real plus to this book, is that it does give us a glimpse of how the average 3rd army member viewed Patton. In this book it is pretty universal that the 3rd army soldiers revered and looked up to patron.

I really hate leaving this low of a review, I always feel like I am slighting these men’s contributions to the war effort and their sacrifice by scoring their book low. I just came away feeling let down and dissatisfied. Nevertheless, when you hear some of the descriptions of the German civilians and the concentration camps you will undoubtedly feel indebted to Sisson and all the others whom fought.

If you’re new to the genre of on the ground military books this one will be good for you. If you’ve read a lot of these, skip it. Nothing new here... at all.

Grover Gardner, whom from what I’ve gathered people either love or hate, is his usual self. I happen to get excited when I see he’s reading something on my list. I think he’s wonderful.