• Killing Patton

  • The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General
  • By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
  • Narrated by: Bill O'Reilly
  • Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (7,491 ratings)

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Killing Patton  By  cover art

Killing Patton

By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
Narrated by: Bill O'Reilly
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Publisher's summary

Listeners around the world have thrilled to Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, and Killing Jesus - riveting works of nonfiction that journey into the heart of the most famous murders in history. Now, from Bill O'Reilly, anchor of The O'Reilly Factor, comes the most epic book of all in this multimillion-selling series: Killing Patton.

General George S. Patton, Jr., died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost 70 years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident - and may very well have been an act of assassination. Killing Patton will take listeners inside the final year of the war and recount the events surrounding Patton's tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.

©2014 Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about Killing Patton

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A good book with alot of flaws

Killing Patton is Bill O's latest 'fast food style' book in the Killing series. Preceded by Killing Lincoln, Kennedy and Jesus, Patton has some tall expectations to live up to.

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard release a historical book every year and Patton is 2014's edition. All books are written in the same format so if you enjoyed the previous three installments, you will enjoy this book. It is an easy book to listen to. Add on top of that the fact that I'm a WW2 history buff made this book a must purchase for me.

THIS BOOK IS NOT WITHOUT ITS FAULTS

The first chapter of this book deals with Patton's automobile accident and subsequent death. You already know the ending before the second chapter begins. For me, it is anticlimactic

The rest of the book ping pongs back and forth through the final year of WW2. This book is not a thesis on the late General as the title suggests but more a weak melodrama. There are MANY MANY MANY incidents included in this book that have nothing to do with Patton or his immediate world around him. Examples are the chapters included about Auchwitz concentration camp The General and 3rd army never entered Poland or Auchwitz and therefor its reasons for inclusion in this book questioned. Additionally, the story of Anne Frank and her subsequent death are chronicled. Again, Anne Frank and George Patton have nothing in common. Why it is included is again a question.

All of the facts presented in this book are already widely known and readily available. One gets the impression that this book is meant for entertainment and quick sales and not as a historical thesis. Keeping that in mind, this book is recommended for its entertainment value.

If you enjoyed Bill's other Killing books, you will enjoy this book May I suggest to Bill a title for next years book, Killing Hoffa. Id preorder that copy right now.





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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Is this the book that could "Kill" a series?

There are two things about this book that are worth mentioning.

Firstly... The pace is fast and engaging as with the other three "killing" books. A good formula to engage those without a penchant for history. And on that alone I would recommend this book.

Secondly... For those who study history it offers very little in the way of new facts. There is also the problem that the story meanders around the title "Killing Patton" making one think it is full of filler material to bulk up the story. I trust this book is a one off and not a precursor of things to come. I say this because the other three books seem to stick with the premise "Killing..."
As to making one think there is a conspiracy I think it fails to bring the reader to that...

I enjoy the O'Reilly Factor on TV, but, Bill your narration style is not pleasant. Jerky, sloppy pronunciation can make it a chore for the listener. This in the past has been compensated/overlooked by the fast paced compelling stories, but not this time.

Once again, yes I would highly recommend this book to someone not familiar with the subject matter but on a personal note I'm somewhat disappointed and I'm left asking what may have really died here...

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bill O'Reilly "Phoned It In" - Poor Performance

What did you love best about Killing Patton?

The story was very engaging. A lot of very interesting history tidbits. Where do they get this stuff? I loved it.

Any additional comments?

I was so disappointed in Bill O'Reilly's performance. At times I wondered if he had even READ the material before. His delivery was consistently poor throughout. At times he slurred. There were mispronunciations and numerous things that just should not have passed quality control. Is there no one that has the spine to say to Bill "Hey, can we back up and take that paragraph again?"

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bill, stick with what you know!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would hire a professional reader!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Killing Patton?

I had never heard the allegations that Wild Bill Donovan played a significant role in the death.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Bill O'Reilly?

There are dozens of great, good or even adequate narrators on Audible products who would do a better job.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Bill O'Reilly's performance showed a lack of preparation. It was NOT a workmanlike effort, and it sometimes seemed that this was the first time O'Reilly had read this material! He made me suspect that he didn't participate much in the writing of the book other than to lend his name. He mispronounced common English words, and he hadn't a clue how to pronounce the German words and names. I was embarrassed for him!

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Really Disappointing and not about what you think.

What did you like best about Killing Patton? What did you like least?

There is a brutality to war explored in this book that perhaps is worthy of remembering. The history related is spot on, but only a very little of the content is actually devoted to the death of George Patton and that is in the last few minutes. Mostly in the epilogue. I already knew quite a lot of the history and wanted to know more about a possible conspiracy to murder Patton. I walked away feeling a little beat up and really still uninformed about the Killing of Patton. This was almost a waste of a credit to me. A few interesting anecdotes about William “Wild Bill” Donovan was about the only thing which kept me from requesting a refund.

How could the performance have been better?

Bill O'Reilly is entertaining on TV but no narrator - AND it sounded like he was unfamiliar with some of the content. Not good.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Enduring mystery of World War II

This is the first time I have read a book written by Bill O’Reilly. I almost did not buy it because of O’Reilly but the suggestions that he could prove that General Patton was assassinated intrigued me. I got the book to see if O’Reilly would reasonably prove his claim. The death of General Patton in December 1945 is one of the enduring mysteries of World War II. For seventy-four years, there have been suspicions and lots of conspiracy theories that his death was not an accident. O’Reilly and Dugard take readers inside the final years of the War, the majority of the book is taken up with an over view of 1944 and 1945. They also recount the events surrounding Patton’s tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced in the last chapter of the book.

The author’s claim newly unearthed diaries of Douglas Bazata have been found. Bazata worked for the OSS in Europe during the war. The OSS was headed by General “Wild Bill” Donovan. Bazata claims that Donovan ordered him to kill General Patton. The diaries state that Bazata staged the car accident then shot General Patton with a low velocity projectile which broke his neck. This is not new information; this was ignored by the press and historians at the time. There was a made for T.V. Movie made using this information called “The Last Days of Patton.” There is a new movie called “Silence Patton: First Victim of the Cold War.” The authors are emphasizing the second part of the Bazata’s claim. When Patton was getting better and about to be transferred to a hospital in the United States, U.S. officials turned a blind eye as an agent of the NKVD poisoned General Patton, therefore, the author’s claim that Stalin ordered the assassination of Patton.

General Patton is one of the general that I read everything I can find about him. I have read about these claims for years. The authors did not convince me of the validity of these claims. I was looking for documentation that proved these old theories. I have only highlighted the theory, you will need to read the book yourself for the details and make up your own mind if they proved their theory. O’Reilly narrated the book himself.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointed on two fronts

Ok book, however, disappointing on two fronts .. sadly while a professional newscaster, Bill O'Reilly is not a good narrator. His stumbling through this book really detracted from the story, in fact the epilog, which is read by someone else was the easiest to listen to. The book is probably best read as a physical book. While the story was interesting, there was really nothing new historically.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Sloppy Performance and Sensationalism

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Bill O'Reilly delivered a sub-par performance. He frequently mispronounced words. He pronounced a man's name two different ways within 60 seconds. (Boggess with a G sound twice and then with a J sound twice.) He pronounced the Third Reich with a 'ch' sound instead of a 'k'. He stumbled over the names of artists, cities, and soldiers. He shuffles papers and many times seems to finish a sentence only to plunge forward with one more phrase. It makes for very choppy listening.

The story wasn't so much about the conspiracy of Patton's death rather than an attempt to cram every sensational account from the war into this book. O'Reilly relished sharing the graphic details of rape, burning to death, torture, and scandalous affairs. The details which so often make a story memorable seem to be jumbled together in order to maintain a high level of excitement. He crammed in the Anne Frank story, the massacre of US troops, Stalin's wife's suicide, Stalin's love affair with a ballerina, and even spent time on Hitler's medical condition of flatulence. I have two hours of listening left and the conspiracy of killing Patton has not even surfaced.

This is a great book for someone who is bored by history, someone who only wants sensationalized stories. If you want a better book written by a better author and performed by a better reader then check out books by Rick Atkinson or Stephen Ambrose.

Bill O'Reilly found a pattern for writing books and is milking it dry. (Example: The man who only had 14 days to die...) Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln were both better reads. Killing Patton is not about Patton. It's about the end of WWII in Europe with Patton as a side note.

Would you be willing to try another one of Bill O'Reilly’s performances?

Absolutely not. I wonder if the production even used an editor.

Any additional comments?

Patton's life and personality are dramatic enough for a Bill O'Reilly performance. Unfortunately, he did not put in the effort to produce a quality recording.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Very Disappointing

What disappointed you about Killing Patton?

Not enough about George Patton and what made him a great general. Too confusing and skipping around.

What could Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Bill O'Reilly should not narrate his books.

What didn’t you like about Bill O'Reilly’s performance?

He doesn't pronounce his words and seems to rushed. I can actually hear his breathing which is a major distraction.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not really.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen, very interesting!

Where does Killing Patton rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Out of the series of Killing Lincoln, Kennedy, Jesus.. this may be my favorite.. Going to give it another listen to confirm.

What did you like best about this story?

The background story of the political motivations around moving generals and armies was very intriguing and brings a new light to the battles.

What does Bill O'Reilly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Narration is typical Bill.

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8 people found this helpful