"Pray for victory... Pray for Peace.”

Patton needed a miracle. In December 1944, rain had plagued the Allied troops daily since September. A thick ceiling of clouds had grounded American warplanes, allowing the Germans to reinforce. The sprint to Berlin had become a muddy, bloody stalemate, costing thousands of American lives.

A devout Christian, Patton telephoned his head chaplain. “Do you have a good prayer for the weather?” The resulting prayer was printed and distributed to the 250,000 men under Patton’s command. “Pray when driving,” the men were asked. “Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day.”

Then came the Battle of the Bulge. A hundred miles of frozen roads to the south, Patton needed an answer to his prayer, fast, before it was too late.

Review Quote

“Alex Kershaw . . . displays his admiration for Patton, especially in his and his army’s exploits during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944–January 1945.” —New York Journal of Books

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