In Defense of My Saber

Before he charged with tanks, he fenced with steel—and with words.
In In Defense of My Saber, a young Lieutenant George S. Patton Jr. mounts a spirited defense of the cavalry saber he designed—the Model 1913, later known simply as the “Patton Saber.” Written between 1913 and 1917, these four articles chronicle the rise and fall of Patton’s beloved weapon as the realities of modern warfare began to eclipse centuries of mounted tradition.

Included in this volume:

• All original photographs of Patton demonstrating his swordsmanship with precision and pride

• Patton’s impassioned arguments for the utility of the saber in a mechanizing battlefield

• A behind-the-scenes look at the military bureaucracy that approved, manufactured, and then quietly shelved his invention

• Historical comparisons of sabers and swords, examining how subtle design changes shaped tactics across centuries

With his trademark mix of logic, bravado, and martial poetry, Patton doesn’t just defend his saber—he defends a fading way of war, even as the world races toward trenches, tanks, and total mechanization.

Long before the thunder of tanks, Patton drew a straight-edged sword—and took a stand.
He invented a saber, wrote its story, and fought for its place in a vanishing age. This is more than a technical manual. It is a love letter to the warrior's blade from the man who would one day master modern war.