Killing Patton

Did Patton’s attitude toward war ennoble or corrupt him? Use evidence from the text and from your own research to support your answer.

The older “Great Man” theory of history has been replaced by a more nuanced understanding—that socio-economic and ideological forces are more important than personalities in determining the course of history. Why do some figures in this book subscribe to the older version of history? How well does it explain their prominence?

Patton believed there was a role for individual valor in warfare. As war becomes more mechanized, how is valor expressed? Have military ideals shifted over time?