Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
General George S. Patton is known for his aggressive, action-oriented tactical brilliance.
His character was also marked by a lesser-known but equally fundamental mystic piety.
Those two qualities would come together in the lead up to and execution of Patton's greatest achievement during WWII: the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
Alex Kershaw tells this story in his new book Patton's Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II (amzn.to/3wwmMci) . Today on the show, Alex shares how, when the Third Army's advance into Germany was stalled by plane-grounding clouds and road-muddying rain, Patton commissioned a prayer for better weather that was distributed to a quarter million of his men, and how that prayer became even more urgent after the commencement of the Battle of the Bulge. We also talk about Patton's qualities as a leader and a man, including his reading habits, how he combined a profane assertiveness with a pious faith and a belief in reincarnation, and what happened to him as the war came to a close.
Resources Related to the Podcast
• Alex’s previous appearances on the AoM Podcast:
• #361: The Untold Story of WWII’s 45th Infantry Division (artofmanliness.com/character/military/361-untold-story-wwiis-45th-infantry-division/)
• #514: Remembering D-Day 75 Years Later (artofmanliness.com/character/military/d-day-75-year-anniversary/)
• #806: The Humble Heroics of Four of WWII’s Most Decorated Soldiers (artofmanliness.com/character/military/against-all-odds-kershaw-podcast/)
• #953: Duty, Honor, and the Unlikely Heroes Who Helped Win the Battle of the Bulge (artofmanliness.com/character/military/podcast-953-duty-honor-and-the-unlikely-heroes-who-helped-win-the-battle-of-the-bulge/)
• AoM Article: George S. Patton’s Rules on Being an Officer and a Gentleman (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/george-s-pattons-rules-on-being-an-officer-and-a-gentleman/)
• AoM Article: The Libraries of Famous Men — George S. Patton (artofmanliness.com/living/reading/george-patton-reading-list/)
• AoM Article: The Maxims of General George S. Patton (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/maxims-general-george-s-patton/)
• AoM Article: General Patton’s Strategy for Winning in War and Life — Keep Punching (artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/general-pattons-strategy-for-winning-in-war-and-life-keep-punching/)
• Chaplain James Hugh O'Neill (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hugh_O%27Neill)
• Patton movie (amzn.to/3UCLX4R)
• Patton's opening speech (youtube.com/watch?v=PS5yfhPGaWE)
• The story and a look at Patton's prayer cards (wwiimemorialfriends.org/blog/pattons-prayer)
Connect With Alex Kershaw
• Alex's website (alexkershaw.com/)
• Alex on X (twitter.com/kershaw_alex)
General George S. Patton is known for his aggressive, action-oriented tactical brilliance.
His character was also marked by a lesser-known but equally fundamental mystic piety.
Those two qualities would come together in the lead up to and execution of Patton's greatest achievement during WWII: the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
Alex Kershaw tells this story in his new book Patton's Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II (amzn.to/3wwmMci) . Today on the show, Alex shares how, when the Third Army's advance into Germany was stalled by plane-grounding clouds and road-muddying rain, Patton commissioned a prayer for better weather that was distributed to a quarter million of his men, and how that prayer became even more urgent after the commencement of the Battle of the Bulge. We also talk about Patton's qualities as a leader and a man, including his reading habits, how he combined a profane assertiveness with a pious faith and a belief in reincarnation, and what happened to him as the war came to a close.
Resources Related to the Podcast
• Alex’s previous appearances on the AoM Podcast:
• #361: The Untold Story of WWII’s 45th Infantry Division (artofmanliness.com/character/military/361-untold-story-wwiis-45th-infantry-division/)
• #514: Remembering D-Day 75 Years Later (artofmanliness.com/character/military/d-day-75-year-anniversary/)
• #806: The Humble Heroics of Four of WWII’s Most Decorated Soldiers (artofmanliness.com/character/military/against-all-odds-kershaw-podcast/)
• #953: Duty, Honor, and the Unlikely Heroes Who Helped Win the Battle of the Bulge (artofmanliness.com/character/military/podcast-953-duty-honor-and-the-unlikely-heroes-who-helped-win-the-battle-of-the-bulge/)
• AoM Article: George S. Patton’s Rules on Being an Officer and a Gentleman (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/george-s-pattons-rules-on-being-an-officer-and-a-gentleman/)
• AoM Article: The Libraries of Famous Men — George S. Patton (artofmanliness.com/living/reading/george-patton-reading-list/)
• AoM Article: The Maxims of General George S. Patton (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/maxims-general-george-s-patton/)
• AoM Article: General Patton’s Strategy for Winning in War and Life — Keep Punching (artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/general-pattons-strategy-for-winning-in-war-and-life-keep-punching/)
• Chaplain James Hugh O'Neill (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hugh_O%27Neill)
• Patton movie (amzn.to/3UCLX4R)
• Patton's opening speech (youtube.com/watch?v=PS5yfhPGaWE)
• The story and a look at Patton's prayer cards (wwiimemorialfriends.org/blog/pattons-prayer)
Connect With Alex Kershaw
• Alex's website (alexkershaw.com/)
• Alex on X (twitter.com/kershaw_alex)
