Bill O'Reilly's 'Killing Patton' claims that the general was killed on Stalin's orders

Bill O’Reilly’s latest book in his series about the deaths of historical figures, “Killing Patton,” hits bookstores today and puts forth the theory that the World War II general was murdered on Joseph Stalin’s orders.

In an interview with USA Today, O’Reilly, who also co-wrote “Killing Kennedy,” “Killing Lincoln,” and “Killing Jesus” with writer Martin Dugard, pointed to a car crash that left Patton paralyzed. It occurred in Germany in 1945 when his vehicle hit a US Army truck after the truck came into his path. He died less than two weeks later.

“We believe he was poisoned in the hospital” by Russian forces, O’Reilly told USA Today, because Patton was speaking out against them.

“His final moments can’t be examined or explained,” O’Reilly told the New York Post’s Page Six. “I’m not conspiratorial, but documents surrounding it have disappeared. I hope the Army or Pentagon reopen the case.”

As for the titles of the books in his series, O’Reilly told USA Today, “I'm a snappy guy. I do things in a flamboyant way. I want to get your attention.” 

He said the book doesn’t only center on the World War II general of the title but examines the conflict as a whole.

“Wartime things exist of which we have no idea,” O’Reilly said in an interview with Page Six. “Our side wasn’t all good. Eisenhower and Patton, who had mistresses, were glory seekers, not buddies. In this book, they’re human beings.”

Here's a sample of the "Patton" audiobook.

O’Reilly and Dugard’s last few books have been bestsellers. The previous title, “Killing Jesus,” occupying the first, second, and third spots on the IndieBound hardcover nonfiction bestseller list for multiple weeks after its release last September.

But if O'Reilly's books have been popular, they have not been free of controversy. “Killing Lincoln” sparked debate after its publication in 2011 when some readers complained of what they said were errors in the book. The staff at Ford’s Theatre made headlines when they refused to stock the book in the theater’s gift shop because of claims that it was inaccurate.

“If the authors made mistakes in names, places, and events, what else did they get wrong? How can the reader rely on anything that appears in ‘Killing Lincoln’?” historian Edward Steers Jr. wrote in a review of the book that appeared in the magazine North and South – The Official Magazine of the Civil War Society.