Patton's Prayer

A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II

By: Alex Kershaw

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

From Alex Kershaw, author of the New York Times bestseller Against All Odds, comes an epic story of courage, resilience, and faith during the Second World War

General George Patton needed a miracle. In December 1944, the Allies found themselves stuck. Rain had plagued the troops daily since September, turning roads into rivers of muck, slowing trucks and tanks to a crawl. A thick ceiling of clouds had grounded American warplanes, allowing the Germans to reinforce. The sprint to Berlin had become a muddy, bloody stalemate, costing thousands of American lives.

Patton seethed, desperate for some change, any change, in the weather. A devout Christian, he telephoned his head chaplain. “Do you have a good prayer for the weather?” he asked. The resulting prayer was soon printed and distributed to the 250,000 men under Patton’s command. “Pray when driving,” the men were told. “Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. . . . Pray for victory. . . . Pray for Peace.”

Then came the Battle of the Bulge. Amid frigid temperatures and heavy snow, 200,000 German troops overwhelmed the meager American lines in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest, massacring thousands of soldiers as the attack converged on a vital crossroads town called Bastogne. There, the 101st Airborne was dug in, but the enemy were lurking, hidden in the thick blanket of fog that seemed to never dissipate. A hundred miles of frozen roads to the south, Patton needed an answer to his prayer, fast, before it was too late.

Critic reviews

Praise for Patton's Prayer:

"There is also no dearth of books on George Patton . . . But Mr. Kershaw has a way of digging out gripping individual stories in the context of larger drama and bringing pace and suspense to the telling." —The Wall Street Journal

"With careful research, Kershaw tells an engaging story, blending Patton’s virtues and flaws into a well-drawn portrait." —Kirkus Reviews

"Kershaw’s novelistic rendering of Patton’s exploits amuses with its punchy dialogue and propulsive action. WWII buffs will want to check this out." —Publishers Weekly

“Scintillating. . . . Kershaw writes . . . with verve, energy, and insight on every page of this book.” —New York Journal of Books

“Readers interested in World War II history, and Patton specifically, will enjoy.” —Library Journal

"Readers of all stripes will find something to enjoy in Patton’s Prayer. The faithful will love its religious overtones; military buffs will appreciate the vivid combat scenes and stories of weatherworn GIs; and lay readers will revel in a tale well told. For his efforts, Father O’Neill was rewarded by Patton with a medal. For his, Kershaw, too, deserves an award. This is a superlative contribution to World War II literature." —Washington Independent Review of Books

Well done!

Great book on the General! There are few better a none as consise! You'll enjoy it!

quick pace

relatively short in concise history that was very enjoyable and fast-paced, just the right amount of information to tell the story

Sooo Good!!

You know the question “ if you could spend a day with anyone in history, who would it be?”
After reading this, my answer would most certainly be General Patton. This book was fantastic. What a leader he was….!

Insight

The commentary broadens the understanding of a complex man who was in the right places at the right time.

Another good WWII story

I give just about every WWII book that I read or listen to 5 stars because I always learn something new. Everyone involved was so brave. And I really enjoyed the actual prayer part and involvement. I felt like this book was slow, but I feel that way about a lot of nonfiction books. I do recommend it, though.

Incredible

One of the most entertaining yet informative books I’ve ever read! Full of amazing stories.

Wonderful bio of Patton’s final year

Not so much a story of the famous prayer, though that plays an important part, but a thorough biography of Patton’s final year. Contains new material not in any other Patton book I’ve read. The idea of the famous prayer and Patton’s relationship with the chaplain corps at large run in and out of the story, but the main effort is focused on Patton’s wartime activities in the final year of his life. Highly recommended as is any Kershaw work.

Pens will to win and his love for his men and his country

The fact that to win the war, Patton had to fight all the bureaucrats all the Germans supply lines everything he was in a fight to get where he wanted to go with what he wanted to do and he did it

American Hero

Fantastic reading. Caught the beauty and foibles of an American hero and Icon. Highly recommend to all!

The rich story the author went into without bogging down in the details

Well written concise summary of an epic Commander during a critical part of US History