Once you get into the upper ranks of the Military, you would be SHOCKED at how political it actually is. As long as you have a “good enough” record, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Some “Generals” are groomed all along the way because of who their Daddy was, and some just catch the right eye at the right moment to acquire a powerful ally. Bottom line -— you don’t get to be a General unless you are an astute political beast.
Also....I was amazed at how self-centered Patton was about is “destiny”. The biography was filled with quotes from Patton's letters about his ambitions to have a “nice juicy war”. Finally...most disturbing was that in the book Patton never once mentioned defending the Constitution. My impression was that America was merely a means to achieve his self centered glory.
Please remember that this biography was written by an admirer and cheerleader of Patton's greatness. Indeed he was great but I was left with the distinct impression that Patton was all about Patton. His oath to defend the Constitution was never mentioned in the many quotes taken from his letters.
(Patton, by the way, was the officer who lead U.S. troops during the depression who were sent out to break up the WWi vets who were camped in Washington D.C who were petitioning for their bonus pay. )