World History Quarter Book Project
Title of Book: Killing Patton                                                                                                                                                        Genre of Literature (historical fiction or non-fiction):non-fiction
Author:Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Copyright Date:2014
Number of pages (150-page minimum): 308
Setting(s): Europe and America in WWII
Main Characters – Name and give a brief description of 3-5:
Gen. Patton- American 3 star general in the European theater of WWII
Adolf Hitler- leader on Nazi Germany, axis
Joseph Stalin- leader of the USSR, allies
Winston Churchill- prime minister of the UK, allies

In about 100 words, provide a brief summary of the plot of the book. Include the time period in
which it takes place. Killing Patton takes place in the European Theater World War Two from
the Battle of the Bulge through the end of the war. It also follow the life of Hitler, Stalin,
Churchill, FDR and Gen. Patton and their involvement in the war. It goes from one person’s
involvement to another in each chapter and tells you what was happening in their life on that
day in the war. Sometimes the book goes on to tell you a historical moment in the war like the
death of Hitler and the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the car accident that caused the
death of Gen. Patton.

From whose point of view is the book told? How does this influence the story?
Gen. Patton, shows the daily struggle he had to win the war.

What is the most important event in the book? Why is it the most important? When does this
event take place in the book (page numbers)? One of the most important events is the Battle
of the Bulge, it’s important because it got the Allies into Germany and was one of the most
important events in the war, along with it being one of the longest battles in the war, on pages
102-148. Another event would be the Fall of Berlin.

Choose one character – Give a more detailed description of their role in the book, and then
compare them to someone you know personally today. Use two quotes from the book to help
illustrate your description – cite page numbers where the quotes are found.
General Patton was one of the most important generals in the war but “Patton is fond of the
finer things in life, and during the course of the Second World War, he made his battlefield
headquarters in mansions, palaces, castles, and five stores hotels”(p.1). Another aspic of Gen.
Patton was referred to as “‘Old Blood and Guts’”(p.1) by his soldiers. I would compare him to
my grandpa as he is feared but at the same time is revered and he will always help you for the
better of yourself.

Use two quotes from the book to show new things you have learned about this time period in
history. Explain what each quote helped you to better know or understand – cite page
numbers. ”He(Churchill) was devastated when he receives the news of FDR‘s death”, it showed
me how close they were and how devastated he was with the death of FDR. “ nobody stands as
Adolf Hitler enters conference room”, this quote shows how feared he was as the leader of Nazi
Germany.

How might our world be different today if the historical events in your book had turned out
differently? Use two different examples to explain your answer. It would of been that Germany
would be a Fascist Dictatorship under Hitler and his generals along with the Jews becoming
exterminated, since the war would of been won by the Germans. The border between Germany
and Soviet Russia would be a hotspot for conflict and the US many be under Japanese or Nazi
control since that would be the best area of land they may get.

What are three life lessons that can be learned from this book – how does each apply to your
life? The first one is that too much power goes straight to To your head, there’s a place in my
life because if I have too much power in my household then I may think that I own more than I
do when I get more than I should or I should have. Another life lesson is that when there’s a
power vacuum the right person doesn’t always show up like in the German depression that led
to World War II, this is in my life that when there is a power vacuum in my soul both parts tries
to get into that part and control more of the soul. The last lesson is that great leaders are
always here and that shows in my life that sometimes I feel like I have no major “leader” in my
life.
If you were to give this book an alternate title, what would it be? Explain why.
The great men of World War Two, as the book follows the life of the leaders of the major
nations in the war and their involvement in the war effort and the destruction of Nazi Germany,
along with major battles they were in, the outcome of the battles and the deaths of some of
these great men.

Explain in about 50 words why you would or would not recommend this book to your
classmates. I would recommend this book because of the historical significance of it along with
it being a important time in world history. You also get to know the importance of historical
World War II figures and the importance they had in the war, and how they influenced each
other in how they acted in the war.