
Bill O’Reilly, known for his political opinions, has more recently become known for his historical novels, each chronicling the death of a famous figure of the past. O’Reilly’s first novel on this theme was 2011’s Killing Lincoln. In 2012 he followed with Killing Kennedy, and in 2013 he published Killing Jesus. Following the theme, Killing Patton, coauthored with Martin Dugard, tells the story of the life and mystery surrounding the death of World War II General George S. Patton, Jr. The story starts in 1944. General Patton’s actions from 1944 on are described in the book, with a date and location at each chapter heading to set the scene. It is not until the very last chapter that Patton’s fatal accident is described and questions are raised. In December 1945, shortly before his planned return to the United States, General Patton is involved in a car accident. Although officially ruled just an accident, authors O’Reilly and Dugard recreate the scene of the accident and pose some interesting questions, most of which remain unanswered to this day. Several sections after the end of the chapters outline the evidence for questioning Patton’s death, and go on to reveal the rest of the lives of the other characters in the story.
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Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard
ISBN: 9780805096682. 352 pages, maps, illustrations
Adult Non-Fiction, Military Science