I have ‘met’ a plethora of interesting people reading hundreds of biographies over the years. With some, I am content just knowing the basics; others have left such a mark on me that I will read any book I can get my hands on.
About four years ago, I was looking for something to watch. I ignored the suggestion of Patton for several weeks, turned off by the running time, until one day, I could no longer ignore the face of General Patton (aka George C. Scott) staring back at me. After all, GSP Jr. was no stranger to me; I’d come across his name several times before in many of the WWII books I had read. The next three hours flew by, and by the time I went to bed, I had ordered several more books.
In the case of General Patton, the woman behind the man had to be someone extraordinary, and Beatrice Ayer Patton did not disappoint. I did some research, quickly realizing there was a bigger story to be told. I finally met the subject of the book I had always dreamed of writing. Mrs. Patton was a most pleasant companion during the last four years of researching and writing, from visiting the places near and dear to her heart to conducting interviews and digging through thousands of letters.
I hope you enjoy reading Lady of the Army as much as I enjoyed writing it.
ADVICE FROM IR APPROVED AUTHOR STEFANIE VAN STEELANDT: “IN ORDER TO WRITE, YOU NEED TO READ.”
An independent scholar and blogger who spent the last twenty years studying biography, Stefanie Van Steelandt grew up near Belgium’s Liberty Road, which General Patton and his Third Army followed during WWII. Currently living in New York City and working on her second book, Ms. Van Steelandt spent nearly four years researching and writing Lady of the Army.