If anyone considered an army wife to be merely the kite's tail, Beatrice Ayer Patton had the perfect retort, "How high can a kite soar without its tail?"

General George Patton once remarked that World War II undoubtedly would have lasted a lot longer were it not for his soldiers and his wife. Those who knew the Pattons were aware of the vital role Beatrice played in his reaching his destiny, but few others understood the singular impact of this remarkable woman whom people described as having "a personality which radiates like a brilliant gem."

Raised in a forward-looking family on Boston's Commonwealth Avenue, Beatrice possessed an iron will and maturity beyond her years by the time she was sixteen. When she first laid eyes on George S. Patton Jr. in the summer of 1902, she followed him relentlessly across Catalina Island, setting a pattern for the next forty-three years. Endowed with an adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity, Beatrice had a zest for life which equaled her husband's.

Lady of the Army tells the story of the General's greatest champion in life and fiercest defender in death while shedding new light on a complex man who wanted nothing more than to die a glorious death on the battlefield. Beatrice Ayer Patton is the forgotten impetus behind the General and a remarkable woman in her own right. She was a good soldier who fought the war on the home front three times and was an inspiration for army wives across the globe.