Martin Blumenson, 86; WWII Historian, Expert on Life of Gen. Patton
LA Times
Martin Blumenson, 86, a leading historian of World War II who wrote the U.S. Army’s official account of the D-day invasion and was perhaps the foremost authority on the life of Gen. George S. Patton Jr., died of cancer April 15 at his home in Washington, D.C.
Blumenson parlayed his early experience as a historian attached to Patton’s 3rd Army during World War II into a lifelong career, writing 19 books.
At the invitation of the Patton family, Blumenson spent years combing through the general’s letters and personal records that explored the depths of Patton’s character. His biography, “Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945,” won praise for its multidimensional portrait of the general.
