21st Century Patton: Strategic Insights for the Modern Era | RealClearDefense

Great Article -- and excellent read!
"Patton’s flamboyance—his showmanship—was borne out of book written by a French physician in the 19th century: Gustave Le Bon’s The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind. Le Bon’s The Crowd is regarded as one of the pioneering works of crowd psychology. It is unlikely, however, that Kay Summersby would have known the markings and marginalia that Patton scribbled in his copy of The Crowd when she called him “flamboyant.” Nor did she know how deeply Patton had studied the traits and behaviors of the leader who can wield and shape a crowd. Patton has numerous notes in his copy of The Crowd, but one in particular is interesting. On page 57 of his copy, Patton made three hash marks, clearly highlighting Le Bon’s comments on what impresses a crowd—something that the general would use to great effect during the war:

Given to exaggerations in its feelings, a crowd is only impressed by excessive sentiments. An orator wishing to move a crowd must make an abusive use of violent affirmations. To exaggerate, to affirm, to resort to repetitions, and never to attempt to prove anything by reasoning are methods of argument well known to speakers at public meetings."