This is the first biography of one of the most important yet least well-known American military leaders of World War II. Written by a veteran journalist and former staff officer who served under General Patch in the Pacific and Europe, it offers a firsthand account of the general's life, personality and style of command as well as detailed histories of the military campaigns on which his reputation rests. As commander of the U.S. seventh army, General Patch came to prominence in the Pacific, where he led army and marine troops to victory over the Japanese at Guadalcanal. This achievement earned Patch the coveted assignment of leading the assault on the beaches of southern France in 1944, which was to prepare the way for D-day and the landing at Normandy. The most important battles of his career, however, came in the winter of 1944-45, when Patch's seventh army was able to foresee and crush the last desperate German counterattack mounted in France and join Patton's troops in the closing months of the war.
Patch, who was often overshadowed by Patton's colourful and very public persona, deliberately maintained a low profile throughout the war, earning respect through his decisiveness, acute strategic judgement and deep concern for the safety of his men. World War II military leadership is an area of growing interest to military historians, biographers and World War II specialists, and this study provides a profile of a relatively unknown but much-revered army officer.