Saber Exercise 1914

Before George S. Patton Jr. led armies, he taught men how to fight with steel. Written and illustrated by Patton himself, Saber Exercise 1914 was the official U.S. War Department training manual for swordsmanship—crafted at Fort Riley while Patton was still a young lieutenant and fencing instructor. This facsimile edition faithfully reproduces every detail: Patton’s precise instructions, original illustrations, and photographs capturing his personal demonstrations of mounted and dismounted saber technique. But this is more than a military manual—it’s a window into the making of a battlefield legend. Raised in a family of warriors, Patton inherited the sword not only by training but by blood. His grandfather fell in combat, saber in hand. Patton refined his own skill on the world stage, placing fifth in fencing at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, then studying under one of Europe’s most elite masters in Saumur, France. When he returned, he designed the revolutionary Patton Saber—an innovation that demanded a new system of cavalry training. Inside this volume: Complete training curriculum for saber use in combat, as approved by the U.S. War Department Detailed illustrations and rare photographs of Patton in action Personal insights from Patton on combat readiness, discipline, and warrior mindset A companion to his lesser-known work, Diary of the Instructor in Swordsmanship at the Mounted Service School Before tanks. Before glory. There was the saber...and a soldier named Patton. For military historians, swordsmanship enthusiasts, and Patton admirers, this manual is more than a relic—it is the steel-boned blueprint of a warrior becoming legend.