Patton, Montgomery, Rommel

Masters of War

By: Terry Brighton

Narrated by: Mel Foster

Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In the Second World War, the United States, Great Britain, and Germany each produced one land-force commander who stood out from the rest: George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel. All were arrogant, publicity seeking, and personally flawed, yet each possessed a genius for command and an unrivaled enthusiasm for combat. But their explosive relationships with one another rivaled the pyrotechnics of their tank battles in determining the conduct and outcome of the war.

In the first book of its kind, historian Terry Brighton brings all three men "together" against a backdrop of the great armored battles of the war. Brighton dug through archives in England, Germany, and the United States to find new primary source material and interpretations of how these masters of battle sought the fight, despised the politics, and captured their own glory.

Was Patton actually like George C. Scott's portrayal of him in Patton? Did Monty always steal thunder from Patton? How would the war have ended if Rommel had had more tanks? Brighton tackles these absorbing questions and more in a fascinating book that any student of history will savor.

©2009 Terry Brighton (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Brighton [moves] into the top rank of general audience military writers with this effervescent, perceptive triple biography." ( Publishers Weekly)

very good book, not easy task to write

Biography is challenging. Trio biographies so tightly told and woven together.
excellent job by the author and narrator.

Very good listen!

Such an eye-opening account of some key leaders from the war. Definitely would recommend to anyone wanting insight into the politics behind/the head butting that took place, between the top leaders and best known men of the European theater.

Very informative audiobook.

very informative audiobook. got a better insight into the minds of the generals during World War II. Learned a whole lot about General Montgomery which I was unaware of.

well balanced

This book gives a very well balanced view of these three amazing commanders. The narration is also good.

2nd Read-through and still fantastic.

My dad and I listened to this book on a road trip the first time and we were both highly entertained and intrigued throughout. I recently finished it by myself for a second time and the only thing I can say is - I wish it were longer!

Bloody Exceptional!!!

I have read a few BIOS on each of these individuals as well as viewed as many documentaries as I could get my hands on, but this is, hands down, the best and most researched booked I have ever come across. If you are looking for something not only documenting one of these individuals but the European portion of WWII the this would also be a great book for you. This book is fascinating! I love it!

Three Very Different Tank Warriors

This book exemplified how these three very different men serving different countries had the tactical genius to utilize the tanks just as they were being made into the armored juggernaut that we know today. Rommel and Patton were masters of the lightning/blitzkrieg quick strikes that the tanks were very useful for, while Montgomery was a brilliant trainer and played with superior numbers in a way that detached himself from the lives of men he was sacrificing. They all had a great deal of pride and were not afraid to voice their opinions which led to each of their downfalls in different ways. This book showed a very important chapter in World War II history. Had any of these warriors not come to his own during this time, the world could be a very different place today.

Excellent Narration.

Narrator really brings the three Generals to life. Made for great listening and was hard to step away from.

Poor Narration Spoils Excellent Book

This is a fascinating read, as documented by previous reviewers. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in the history of WWII specifically or military history in general.

This audio edition is, however, marred by a very poor narrator. It is difficult to say whether the inconsistent, almost incomprehensible fake imitations of French, German and British accents are more disturbing, or whether it is the constant mispronunciation of foreign names and words that can sometimes completely prevent the listener from understanding where something took place or who was a major player.

German words such as Luftwaffe, Grossinvasion and Reichstag are common enough that one should expect them to be pronounced correctly. One would hope that a reader of such an excellent tome on three of the greatest generals would also be directed on how to read place names (especially in France) and the citations that the author quotes in the original German and French. Unfortunately, even the mispronunciations are inconsistent, raising the suspicion that the narrator is simply stumbling through the text, an impression that takes away from the strength of this book.

Despite the fact that I believe accents are obtrusive and unnatural - especially when the quote being cited was made in the speaker's mother tongue - they are much less disturbing when they are accurate and consistent. Unfortunately Mr. Foster fails on both accounts.

If I were only rating the book, I would unequivocally give five stars. If this rating were only for the quality of the narration, I would have to give only two.

Such an Interesting Juxtaposition

What did you love best about Patton, Montgomery, Rommel?

The contrasting and comparison of these three Generals is fascinating. I have read biographies of Patton and Rommel, but this book is a worthwhile supplement to my previous knowledge. Warning: don't read this book if Monty is your hero!