COMMENTS

• 
  04/26/2010 at 9:30pm

  TAFC_Staff

  Great question, root17.
  
  Patton did in fact read "Infantry Attacks", as did many other military leaders. It's not certain whether or not he read "Achtung Panzer!" but several sources confirm that he spoke fluent German, including the account of his interrogating of German SS commander Major General Anton Dunckern.
  
  Here's the link. We'll have to further look into some of this.

  http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/patton.htm

  from Patton
• 04/26/2010 at 11:59am

  DoreeSimon

  johnson_dawg, what were the other films that you analyzed? That seems like a really interesting thesis!

  from Apollo 13
• 
  04/26/2010 at 7:52am

  robstone

  you're right, johnson-dawg. the most admirable thing about the film was its depiction of battle and confusion in battle--it even confuses the viewer. there are certainly differing accounts of what happened in mogadishu. in fact, DoreeSimon just posted how matt eversmann was unhappy with his portrayal.
  
  what we liked about the film was it's very loyal adaptation of mark bowden's book, which was heavily researched. couple that with the military advisors and authentic equipment used and we've got what appears to be an impressively accurate retelling.
  
  from a storytelling perspective, it's got its issues, but we're looking at it as a piece of history brought to the screen. there were definitely omissions, and probably for various reasons. from the american point of view, it didn't take much of a political stance, and that was kind of a relief.

  from Black Hawk Down
• 
  04/25/2010 at 2:07pm

  root17

  Question on "Patton"
  
  At the battle of El Guettar, Patton exclaims, "….I read your book." Rommel's book as seen in the movie scene where his aides wake Patton in preparation for this battle is titled "The Tank in Attack." The book Rommel actually published (in 1937) was titled "Infanterie greift an" (about infantry actions in WWI). He was working on a follow-up book to be titled "Panzer greift an" but it was never published before Rommel's forced suicide in 1944. His notes were translated into English with the sometimes title of the book that was on Patton's night stand, but that was long after this battle.
  
  One book Patton might have read is "Achtung Panzer! The Development of Armored Forces, their Tactics and operational Potential", by Heinz Guderian, the architect of the German blitzkrieg attack with tanks and planes into France in 1940 (published in 1937). However, the 1937 edition was published in German, and I'm unsure if Patton could read German or if an English translation was available by this time. Anyone have any info on this?

  from Patton
• 
  04/23/2010 at 2:35pm

  johnson_dawg

  There are always different reasons for telling a story. In Blackhawk down I was very disapointed with the overall project. I was able to read Mark Bowden's collection of accounts from the survivors of the battle and seperate accounts from Night Stalkers and I don't feel like the movie told the story completly. I was impressed that they were able to show the pressures of the battle and the pure confusion that followed, but many of the stories were altered due to either political reasons or to simplify an already chaotic story. Some of the actors were a little awkward, but overall it isnt the most inaccurate movie out there, but it is far from the best.

  from Black Hawk Down