George S. Patton is one of the most controversial, celebrated, and popular military leaders in American history, and his accomplishments and victories have been greatly documented. Yet Patton spent years in the Army before garnering national attention and becoming a highly-regarded and respected military leader. This work explores Patton's beginnings as a driven and intrepid soldier and his battles leading up to the Great War - military experiences which would be influential in his development as a commander.

Drawing upon Patton's papers and archival documents in the National Archives, this is an early-career biography of the eminent military leader. It begins with his exploits as a relatively junior but ambitious Army officer who, due to his family's wealth and influence, was able to join General John J. Pershing's American Expeditionary Force (AEF). This assignment would ultimately change his life in two ways: it would make Pershing the mentor Patton would emulate for the rest of his life, and it would catapult his military career as the first tanker in the US Army.

This study follows Patton's trajectory, from the creation of the Tank Corps and the Light Tank School, to Patton's eventual successes and injuries during the Battle of Saint Mihiel, the attack into Pannes, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

The book is published by Columbia University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"Blood, Guts, and Grease ably fills in an all-too-forgotten period in George Patton's crowded life." (Thomas Bruscino, US Army War College)

"This important work is not only an origin of a legend but the account of a man who becomes a leader…." (Vincent P. Mikkelsen, American Military University)

"Blood, Guts, and Grease deserves to be read."(ARMY Magazine)