Patton's shadow : the making of a hero in modern memory / Nathan C. Jones.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jones, Nathan C., 1979- author.

Series:

War, memory, and culture.

War, memory, and culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Patton, George S. (George Smith), 1885-1945--Influence.

Patton, George S.

Collective memory--United States.

Collective memory.

Heroes in popular culture--United States.

Heroes in popular culture.

Generals--United States--Biography.

Generals.

Popular culture--United States--History--20th century.

Popular culture.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 309 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Tuscaloosa : The University of Alabama Press, [2024]

Summary:

"Patton's Shadow by Nathan C. Jones, a leading authority on George S. Patton, offers a definitive account of the creation of the Patton legend and what it illuminates about American culture and the worship of heroes. Jones traces how the persona of Patton, a brash and brilliant general in the European theater of World War II, transcended the individual man and became a cultural icon and byword for triumphal American might. Patton was a hero lionized and celebrated in his own time. Patton as well as the US Army cultivated his persona during and after the war. His image was used to promote patriotism, commercial goods, and military recruitment. The 1970 Academy Award-winning film starring George C. Scott cemented his iconic image for millions of Americans, further embellishing Patton's persona and introducing him to entirely new generations of young Americans. Patton's Shadow is an intellectually omnivorous tour de force that draws on ideas about heroes from sources as timeless as ancient mythology and as contemporary as Abraham Maslow, Max Weber, and Carl Jung. Jones artfully locates the honored altar that heroes occupy in the human heart and then answers insightful questions about what America's embrace of Patton in particular as a military hero illuminates about the United States, about Patton's generation, and about our own. Jones's engrossing work will fascinate readers interested in American history, military history, and the psychology of heroism"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1. A Living Legend

Chapter 2. Hell for Leather

Chapter 3. I Fought with Patton

Chapter 4. Patton's Inner Circle

Chapter 5. A Household Name

Chapter 6. A Collective Memory

Chapter 7. Shaping the Narrative

Chapter 8. Correcting the Narrative

Chapter 9. Distorting the Narrative

Chapter 10. A Public Memory

Chapter 11. Patton in Performative Ritual

Chapter 12. Patton in Popular and Material Culture

Chapter 13. The Patton Legacy

Chapter 14. Memory and Identity

Conclusion: In Need of a Hero.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780817395254

0817395253

OCLC:

1456925240