Blood, Guts, and Grease

Jon Mikolashek's "Blood, Guts, and Grease: George S. Patton in World War I" examines a period of Patton's career that is often overshadowed by his later fame during the Second World War. While most readers associate Patton with the tank battles of North Africa and Europe in the 1940s, this book turns attention to the formative years of the First World War, when Patton was still developing the leadership style and combat philosophy that would define his later legacy. Mikolashek argues that the experiences Patton gained during this earlier conflict were essential in shaping the officer who would go on to command armies in the next global war.

The book traces Patton's path from a young, ambitious cavalry officer to one of the pioneers of American armored warfare. Before World War I, Patton had already built a reputation for personal bravery and a strong desire to prove himself in combat, having served under General John J. Pershing during the Pancho Villa Expedition in Mexico. When the United States entered World War I, Patton saw an opportunity to advance his career and gain the kind of battlefield experience that had eluded many officers of his generation. Mikolashek details how Patton was assigned to help establish the American Expeditionary Forces' Tank Corps, a role that placed him at the forefront of a new and largely untested form of warfare.

One of the strengths of this book is its focus on Patton's involvement in the development of American tank doctrine. At the time, tanks were a relatively new weapon, and there was little established theory on how they should be used in combat. Mikolashek shows how Patton threw himself into this challenge, studying French and British tank tactics, working closely with mechanics and engineers, and developing training programs for the soldiers under his command. This period allowed Patton to demonstrate his talent for organization and his willingness to embrace new technology, qualities that would later prove critical to his success as an armored commander in World War II.

The book also covers Patton's combat experiences during the war, most notably his participation in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, where he was wounded while leading his tank unit into battle. Mikolashek uses this episode to illustrate Patton's personal courage and his hands-on leadership style, both of which became hallmarks of his later military career. The author does not shy away from discussing Patton's flaws, including his sometimes reckless behavior and his tendency to seek personal glory, but he presents these traits within the context of the era's military culture, which often rewarded aggressive, high-visibility leadership.

Mikolashek's writing is clear and well-organized, making the book accessible to readers who may not have extensive background knowledge of World War I military history. He draws on primary source material, including Patton's personal letters and diaries, to provide insight into the young officer's mindset during this critical period. This approach helps humanize Patton, showing him not as the larger-than-life figure of later popular memory, but as an ambitious and sometimes uncertain young officer trying to find his place in a rapidly changing military landscape.

The book is particularly valuable for readers interested in the history of armored warfare and the development of tank tactics in the early twentieth century. By focusing on this often-overlooked chapter of Patton's life, Mikolashek fills a gap in the existing literature, most of which tends to concentrate on his later achievements. The connections drawn between Patton's World War I experiences and his subsequent success as a tank commander in World War II are logical and well-supported, offering readers a more complete understanding of how his military philosophy evolved over time.

Overall, "Blood, Guts, and Grease" offers a focused and informative account of a lesser-known period in George S. Patton's career. Mikolashek succeeds in demonstrating how the lessons Patton learned during World War I laid the groundwork for his later reputation as one of America's most notable military commanders. The book is a worthwhile addition to the study of both Patton's personal history and the broader development of American armored warfare during the early twentieth century.