Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
Washington, Lincoln, Grant--these were once the triumvirate of American nationalism.But, like his tomb on the Hudson, Grant's reputation has fallen into disrepair. The image many Americans hold of him is a caricature: someone "uniquely stupid," an insensitive butcher as a general, an incompetent mediocrity as president, and a drunk.Several efforts to counter this stereotype have often gone too far in the other direction, resulting in an equally distorted laudatory portrait of near-perfection. In reading the original sources, Brooks D. Simpson became convinced that Grant was neither a bumbling idiot who was the darling of fortune nor a flawless general who could do no wrong.Rather, he was a tangle of opposing qualities--a relentless warrior but a generous victor, a commander who drew upon uncommon common sense in drafting campaign plans and in winning battles, a soldier so sensitive to suffering that he could not stand to see the bloody hides at his father's tannery, a man who made mistakes and sometimes learned from them.Even as he waged war, he realized the broader political implications of the struggle; he came to believe that the preservation of the Union depended upon the destruction of slavery. Equally compelling is Grant's personal story--one of a man who struggled against great odds, bad luck, and personal humiliation, who sought joy and love in the arms of his wife and his children, and who was determined to overcome adversity and prevail over his detractors. "None of our public men have a story so strange as this," Owen Wister once observed; agreeing, William T. Sherman remarked that Grant remained a mystery even to himself. In the first of two volumes, Brooks Simpson brings Grant's story to life in an account that is readable, balanced, compelling, and definitive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Great book from an excellent professor
Simpson brings to life a man who should be recognized as one of the greatest men in American history, both in his accomplishments and in his character. As a side note, but Brooks Simpson is an excellent lecturing professor. Take a class from him, and you will be inspired.

Another Look at U.S. Grant
U.S Grant's life and military career have been explored by any number of historians over the years.Brooks Simpson's well-written biography is noteworthy for providing a nicely synthesized account based on the existing sources and some nuanced insight into Grant's military career.

Simpson passes lightly and quickly over Grant's formative years.The narrative picks up steam when Grant returns to military service at the start of the Civil War.Simpson traces Grant's growth as a military leader as he progresses in rank and responsibility from Belmont to Forts Henry and Donelson to Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, Petersburg, and ultimately Appomattox

If Simpson's narrative contains relatively few new facts, he deserves credit for not taking older accounts at face value.By careful analysis, he calls into question the longstanding tale of Grant's drunken binge during the Siege of Vicksburg.Simpson also devotes some useful attention to Grant's attitudes about slavery, which were undoubtedly complicated by his marriage and by evolving policy over the course of the Civil War.

Simpson's account of Vicksburg brings out for the reader Grant's constant need to juggle his almost insurmountable military requirements with the daunting challenge of leading a volunteer army officered in part by well-connected politicians who were sometimes less than able commanders.For example, Grant was compelled to make accomodation for the ambitious Illinois politician John McClernand during the Vicksburg campaign and for the uncooperative Ben Butler of Massachusetts during the siege of Petersburg.

Simpson does an especially good job in detailing Grant's struggle to command the whole of Union forces from a field headquarters traveling with the Army of the Potomac from 1864 to 1865.Desirous of staying away from politics in Washington, Grant strove to coordinate the movement of the Union's field forces by corresponding both directly with their commanders and through defacto Army chief of staff Henry Halleck in Washington.At the same time, Grant groped for the proper level of supervision over George Meade's long-suffering Army of the Potomac.The result is a painful but ultimately successful learning curve for Grant, who combined great persistence with great common sense and an often remarkably deft political touch in finally organizing the defeat of the Confederate armed forces.

Simpson provides a useful insight into the last year of the war in describing the deadlock at Petersburg as a result of opportunities missed by an Army of the Potomac exhausted after five months of continuous combat.

Simpson's final chapter attempts to make sense of Grant's stunning leap from store front clerk in 1861 to General of the Union armies and victor of the Civil War by 1865.Complete understanding of Grant as a person continues to elude historians; Grant's success as a leader Simpson puts down to his strengths as a person and to his character.Grant was possessed of an keenly analytical mind whose workings were often hidden by his considerable reserve.At the same time, he was keenly observant, listened well, and had the great gift of being able to simplify problems down to their essence.Grant consistently achieved success by applying practical logic, common sense and determination to his military challenges.Grant's lack of political ambition and willingness to take responsibility earned him the leeway from Lincoln to carry out his military plans.

Simpson does not spare Grant his shortcomings as a leader.Grant was desperately ambitious to redeem his military career, sensitive to criticism, often unwilling to admit mistakes, and sometimes a poor judge of character. Grant seems also to have been emotionally dependent on his wife and family and to have had issues handling alcohol.

This book is highly recommended to fans of the Civil War era looking for a fascinating and nuanced portrait of U.S. Grant.

Balanced and Thoughtful
This volume, the first of a planned two-volume biography of Grant, covers Grant's life from birth to the end of the Civil War.It is meticulously researched and well balanced.Prof. Simpson doesn't shirk from examining charges of Grant's drinking and he doesn't hesitate to show where such charges cannot be sustained and where they can be sustained.He also doesn't hesitate to criticize Grant's performance on the battlefield where necessary.This is a necessary antidote to the biased, though beautifully written, biography of Grant by William S. McFeely.Unlike McFeely, Simpson displays an understanding of the military aspects of Grant's life and dispells the myths surrounding Grant--some of them, notably Grant's views toward blacks and slavery, perpetuated by McFeely.Anyone seeking to understand Ulysses S. Grant the man and the general will find this book to be essential.One can only hope the second volume is as good as this one.

Best, most scholarly biography of Grant
This is a terrific biography of Grant. It is thoroughly researched, and meticulously documented. Professor Simpson uses his sources with refreshing transparency, and debunks many myths surrounding Grant.

Fawning hyperbole
Having read numerous books on Grant, I agree with those numerous reviewers, that the author, [Simpson], idolizes Grant. Had Simpson titled the book a "Narrative", or a "Novel", it would rate 5 stars. Attempting to pass this off as FACTUAL, and THE ONLY TRUE SOURCE is disingenuous, to say the Least.Books on Grant by Catton, John Simon or McFeeley are the standard. This book may be a fun book to read, but It lacks credibility. Below is just one example of Simpsons Hyperbole on Grant:

This is from the book, "Triumph Over Adversity". I've captioned the questionable (IMO) words/phrasesin parenthesis. I explained those on the bottom.(IMHO), the author [Simpson] spins the history, to create an imaginary Grant.[the footnotes in the 'quote' are mine. I explain the flaws pertaining to this at the bottom]
[Quote]

-On the morning of June 6, he [Grant] boarded a steamer headed north along the Yazoo for Satartia. With him was Charles Dana.

It was a sick man who left headquarters that morning, although it is unclear exactly what was the problem. Perhaps (1) it was a migraine brought on by stress (2). Others,( 3) looking to offer him some relief, had proffered a glass or two of liquor. It was bad enough that Sherman's doctor had proposed wine as a remedy, but Rawlins exploded when he encountered Grant on the evening of June 5, chatting with several staff officers who were sipping wine and asking him to join them. Rawlins retreated to his tent to prepare yet another temperance lecture in the form of a lengthy letter (4). "The great solicitude I feel for the safety of this army leads me to mention what I had hoped never again to do--the subject of your drinking," he began. Perhaps (5) his suspicions were "unfounded," but when the general, "because of the condition of your health if nothing else, have been in bed." chose instead to chat away while alcohol circulated, it was time to worry. Moreover, the chief of staff believed that "the lack of your usual promptness decision and clearness in expressing yourself in writing tended to confirm my suspicions." Rawlins admitted he might be wrong, but he wanted to make sure that Grant adhered to his March pledge of total abstinence. (6) According to one account, Rawlins gave Grant the letter the next morning, just before Grant's departure; although there is no record of Grant's response, Rawlins must have been reassured, for he did not accompany the general aboard the steamer.

What happened next has become the source of great discussion and even greater mythmaking. In all probability, (7) Grant sought relief from his pain by downing a glass of liquor; when that, far from doing the trick, made him feel worse, even woozy, (8) he retreated to his cabin. As the steamer approached Satartia, two gunboats hailed it, reporting that Union forces had abandoned Satartia and it was no longer secure. Dana notified Grant of this still reeling from his headache, Grant left it up to Dana what to do next. (9) Dana decided to return Hayes' Bluff. The next morning, Grant arose, discovered where they were (10), and ordered a cavalry detachment to ride over to Mechanicsburg to see what was going on. Dana, satisfied that Grant was better, accompanied the detachment; Grant returned to Vicksburg.

In years to come, this was not what people read and repeated. What emerged instead was a story charging that Grant got drunk on a joyride up the river. Dana himself gave credence to this story, writing in 1887 that Grant was merely on an "an excursion" on the Yazoo "during a dull period in the campaign," which allowed him to get "as stupidly drunk as the immortal nature of man would allow." Even richer was the story of newspaperman Sylvanus Cadwallader, who concocted an account featuring his heaving bottles out of the steamer's stateroom before locking the intoxicated general up--followed the next day by yet another Grant spree, capped by a wild horseback ride through the woods in which he was saved from certain disaster by a combination of luck, fate, and Cadwallader. That Dana, who surely would have heard the ruckus on the steamer described by the reporter, denied that Cadwallader was present (11) was only the most serious of several contradictions between the two accounts, which they and James H. Wilson tried to reconcile in 1890 by concluding that there must have been two trips. By that time, both Cadwallader and Wilson agreed that Grant was highly overrated (and their own contribution to his success, as well as that of Rawlins, was underrated); Dana had become disillusioned with the General.

Key components of the tale woven by this trio unravel in the face of careful reading of the evidence; nevertheless, many fine scholars, always on the lookout for a colorful story or two to enliven their narratives, and desperate for a good account of Grant actually drinking, (12) have embraced it without batting an eyelash. They have even cited Rawlin's letter in confirmation of the story (13) although it was prepared before Grant left; they ignore the endorsement appended by Rawlins; "Its admonitions were heeded, and all went well." How could that Rawlins have said that if Cadwallader's report is accurate? (14) To accept this fable, one would have to believe that an ailing Grant, alarmed as he was about the security of his lines, nevertheless decided to board a steamer headed for the threatened area just to get away from Rawlins so he could drink in private (15)--and that he knowingly invited along for the ride a representative from the War Department whose assignment was to report on his private habits and fitness for command. (16) Tucked away in a draft of his biography of Rawlins was Wilson's admission of what really happened--Grant "fell sick, and thinking a drink of spirits would do him good, took one with the usual unhappy results. (17)

Source-"Triumph Over Adversity"-Brooks D. Simpson-copyright-2000-p.206-8

1.) "Perhaps it was a migraine"--(a) the word perhaps is an elusive word, used to create doubt.

(b) Where is the source for this migraine? Since the author used no quotation marks, I assume the author used poetic license.

2.) "Stress"-No quotations on the word "stress"--did Grant have a history of stress related migraines during the war?

3.) "Others"-no quotations here either, where is the source? The author uses quotations for his sources, why none here?

4.) Rawlins seen Grant around officers drinking and went to write a letter. (This point is mentioned in the last paragraph)

5.) "Perhaps-another use of this word to create doubt

6.)"make sure that Grant adhered to his March pledge of total abstinence. "--Grant drank throughout the war, according to several sources.

7.) "In all probability, "--again, no quotations marks, and an elusive word to create doubt.

8.) "made him feel worse, even woozy"-no quotation marks, where is the source for this? How does the author know? Does feeling `woozy' mean `drunk'?

9.) "Grant left it up to Dana what to do next. "-This is what Dana wrote! Grant allowing a Dana to assume command and issue orders seems a bit of a stretch.

10.) "...Grant arose, discovered where they were..."--Why did he just `discover' this? Dana told him immediately!

11.) "denied that Cadwallader was present -Dana does not say this in his `Recollections'. (notice no quotation marks on this allegation by the author).

12.) "desperate for a good account of Grant actually drinking"--Other sources mention Grant drinking at other times. Grant did in fact, `Drink'.

13.) "They have even cited Rawlin's letter in confirmation of the story -See number four; Rawlins wrote `the subject of your drinking...", not the Yazoo trip. (it seems the author is spinning a story)

14.) "How could Rawlins have said that if Cadwallader's report is accurate? "-Rawlins wrote about a different event, not the Yazoo trip.

15.) "To accept this fable, ....so he could drink in private"-The author uses no source that is a fable, no quotation marks, his conclusion is questionable,

16.) "he knowingly invited along for the ride a representative from the War Department whose assignment was to report on his private habits and fitness for command. "--That was Rawlins job. Rawlins was placed in the position for that very thing, by Sec. Of War, Edward M. Stanton. Rawlins was not asked to come along!!!

17.) "Wilson's admission of what really happened--Grant "fell sick, and thinking a drink of spirits would do him good, took one with the usual unhappy results. "--'The usual results when Grant drank, was that he got drunk'.
... Read more

Amazon.com
Ulysses S. Grant worked with Red Cloud, chief of the Lakota Sioux, to create an arguably more humane Indian policy--"no president could have done more," argues Geoffrey Perret, whose reassessment of Grant as a politician is his biography's finest achievement. Not that he scants his subject's military genius; the relentless, aggressive campaigns that won the Civil War are skillfully outlined and analyzed. Grant emerges in this nuanced portrait as a quintessential American: he is depicted as a restless rover perpetually in search of "movement, drama, adventure." Firmly situated in his time, he nonetheless seems a strikingly modern man.Book Description
"A fast-paced, highly readable narrative . . . stimulating biography."  
--James I. Robertson

"I was impressed by the sweep and power of the narrative. Readers will find a Grant they never before encountered. A compelling book."  
--John Y. Simon, editor, The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant

Not since Bruce Catton has there been such an absorbing and exciting biography of Ulysses S. Grant. "Grant is a mystery to me,"  said Sherman, "and I believe he is a mystery to himself."  Geoffrey Perret's account offers new insights into Grant the commander and Grant the president that would have astonished both his friends, such as Sherman, and his enemies.

Based on extensive research, including material either not seen or not used by other writers, this biography explains for the first time how Grant's military genius ultimately triumphed as he created a new approach to battle. He was, says Perret, "the man who taught the army how to fight."

As president, Grant was widely misunderstood and underrated. That was mainly because he was, as Perret shows, the first modern president--the first man to preside over a rich, industrialized America that had put slavery behind it and was struggling to provide racial justice for all.

Grant's story--from a frontier boyhood to West Point; from heroic feats in the Mexican War to grinding poverty in St. Louis; from his return to the army and eventual election to the presidency; from his two-year journey around the world to his final battle to finish his Personal Memoirs--is one of the most adventurous and moving in American history.

"What distinguishes this narrative are Perret's bristling style and his skillful blend of tactical analysis and conventional biography. . . . Perret persuasively presents a man who endured and conquered all: binge drinking, rivals, false friends, and even the cancer that could not stop him from completing his memoirs."  
--Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Lee Couldn't Hold a Candle to Him
By far the finest field commander produced by the North or South during the US Civil War, US Grant saved the Union and delivered our country as we know it today. Reviled in the South as a butcher and thought of as a drunk in the North, Hiram Ulysses Grant is possibly the finest general ever produced by the United States of America, and one of its worst Presidents.

Geoffrey Perret pulls no punches in this biography. Grant failed in private life before re-entering the Army, and he says so; Grant failed in several of his early campaigns, Belmont for one, and was stunningly surprised at Shiloh, and he says so; and his Presidency was riddled with corruption, and again, Perret says so. But despite his many failures this tenacious, never-say-die individual had the backbone and determination to defeat every Confederate General he was to face and captured 3 complete Confederate Armies intact, in the field: Fort Donnelson, Vicksburg, and the vaunted Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. And he damn near bagged Bragg in middle Tennessee. To put these accomplishments in perspective, no other General Officer, North or South, captured even one.

This is a good, workman-like biography of the first modern general the US ever produced. Perret does an excellent job of focusing on his subject, Grant, and does not spend too much time analyzing his campaigns. As a result, the author moves the reader topically through Grant's life experiences and we get to know him as an individual. Intensely interesting, this work's 476 pages simply fly by. Despite the 8 miserable years of his failed Presidency and his subsequent Wall Street bankruptcy, in true Grant fashion, he works diligently to complete his memoirs, does so and restores his family's fortune 8 days before he dies. His was a most remarkable life.

Good, workmanlike biography of U. S. Grant
He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant in 1822 (how he became Ulysses S. Grant is a story in itself).This book, by Geoffrey Perret, is a good workmanlike biography of Grant.

It depicts his childhood and his journey to West Point. It discusses his marriage to Julia (with James Longstreet and Cadmus Wilcox, ironically, as two of his three groomsmen; they would be on opposing sides in the Civil War). It describes his service in the military--including some genuinely courageous behavior in the Mexican War.It also lays out his failures in the Army and his departure.His struggles in Missouri and then working in a family business in Galena, Illinois.

Then, with the outbreak of the Civil War, his opportunity to rejoin the Army and become an officer.The book traces his unassuming rise in the Union Army, from early efforts at Belmont through Forts Henry and Donelson to Shiloh to Vicksburg and so on.Ultimately, of course, he came to command all Union forces and attained the exalted rank of Lieutenant General.

After his work in the Civil War, his presidency is discussed, warts and all.Perret's view is somewhat more nuanced than those of others who have evaluated Grant's terms as President.Nonetheless, his failings are described.

Finally, his desperate dash in the race against death to complete his memoirs and secure some degree of financial security for his family.

This is not a great biography, but it is serviceable and is a nice addition to the literature on Grant.

Facts?We Don't Need No Stinkin' Facts!
This book is truly an astonishing piece of work.Considering its grotesque factual errors and bizarre misreadings of source material (more than I have ever seen in a single work of non-fiction,) the pompous writing style, the author's grating tendency to make childishly snide (and irrelevant) side comments, and--most bafflingly--the remarkable hatchet-job he does on Grant's wife Julia, I think I can state unhesitatingly that this is the most thoroughly unprofessional biography of anyone I have ever read.I find myself genuinely baffled that Perret evidently still has a career as a historian.

As appalled as I am by the thought that readers who had no prior knowledge about Grant will be led to take some of this tripe seriously, I am even more stunned by reviewers who state unblushingly that Perret's allergy to accuracy does not matter, as long as he is pro-Grant and writes in what is, to them, an appealing writing style!There are few people who defend Grant more wholeheartedly than I do (hey, I even maintain he was a pretty good President,) but I believe that a bad defense of USG can, in the long run, be as damaging to his reputation as no defense at all.My advice to Grant neophytes?Read the man's own words, in his acclaimed memoirs and fascinating private letters, as well as first person accounts like "Campaigning With Grant," and give this silliness a wide berth.

And those cracks of his about Julia REALLY set my teeth on edge.

A Fabulous Biography
There are already several reviews of this book printed here, with which I agree heartily, so I'll keep my comments brief.Perret's "Ulysses S. Grant, Soldier and President," is the twelfth book on Grant that I've read (I can't seem to get enough of this topic).Perret's writing is crisp and intelligent.He doesn't drag out his thesis in long jumbled sentences, rather, he keeps his reader focused on the point he is trying to make on each phase of Grant's personal and professional life.He exposes flaws in previous Grant biographies by proving their lack of documented evidence and holding the authors to task for their shoddy scholarship.At the same time, he does not give the impression that he intends to "show up" other Grant biographers, he just sets the record straight.

I recommend this biography to anyone who wants to understand America in the Nineteenth century.Ulysses S. Grant is the key:he saved the Union, he fought for the rights of the freedmen during Reconstruction, he was always honest-though he did make his share of mistakes - and when he erred, he accepted the responsibility for his mistakes.Grant was a devoted family man, was loyal to his friends and forgiving of his enemies.He was humble and appeared ordinary, yet he achieved amazing things.Perret's most insightful point in this work is his statement that Grant's religion was patiotism.I agree.No one ever loved this country more.

Biography by American Military Historian Adds Perspective!
Geoffrey Perret's previous work, "A Country Made By War," which is a general military history of the United States, gives him the background to put the military career of Grant in perspective. He worked closely with the editor of Grant's papers to acquire the background to write this biography. His short chapters don't go into great details on individual battles, but capture well the development of Grant's personality, generalship, and presidency. J.F.C. Fuller's "Grant and Lee" and "The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant" go into greater detail in analyzing the military strategy, strengths and weaknesses, of Grant's command both in the Western and Eastern theaters. But Perret's book is well worth reading. He captures the spirit of Grant well. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In the wake of a scandal-ridden presidency and sick with cancer, Ulysses S. Grant took up the pen at the urging of his friend and editor Mark Twain, and set down his self-effacing Personal Memoirs. The result is one of the finest--and most closely studied--first-person accounts of warfare ever written.

As commander of federal forces in the west, and later of the entire Union army, Grant oversaw some of the bloodiest actions of the war, among them the battles and sieges of Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Richmond. In his recollections of these fights, Grant praises his officers and men, who, he writes, "knew what they were fighting for." Quick, as well, to praise the gallantry of the enemy, Grant insists that the Civil War was fought not over states' rights, but over slavery, pure and simple, and he reckons that, considering postwar political and economic progress, "It is probably well that we had the war when we did."

To this abridged version--which would have benefited greatly from the addition of explanatory notes and a more useful introduction--historian Thomas Fleming adds an essay on the role of West Pointers on both sides of the conflict. Students of military history will find that essay worthy, and Grant's memoirs essential. --Gregory McNameeBook Description
From the Western frontier to the battlefields of Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Franklin, Petersburg, and Richmond, Grant saw the war from the front lines and made the decisions that affected lives on a day-to-day basis. His writings provide a revealing look into the life of the commander in chief of the Union army as well as the seminal eyewitness account of the War between the States.The Civil War Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant is a popular abridgment of his two-volume Personal Memoirs, which he arranged to have published to provide for his family after his death. (It was a huge bestseller and broke all records in American publishing at the time.) He died less than one week after completing its writing.This abridgment covers Grant's experiences in the Civil War, from the first shot at Sumter to Appomattox, giving the reader a front-line seat next to the greatest Union general of the war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another look from the top of command:
Insight is key to this book written by Grant from basically his death bed.What we learn from Grant in this book gives us an opportunity to understand his intentions, strategies and how he worked with people.Grant tries to be very fair in his writing that covers his early days as a colonel to full-fledged commander of the US Army.His style is basic and easy to understand.At times the book feels like he is giving a history lesson about the war and sometimes is vague about triumphs or failures.I was looking forward to reading about Grant's work with the battle of Cold Harbor and he was completely brief in this book considering it was a major conflict.But, this was Grant's choice to write and memoir depth is subject to author decision.Grant does pack a lot of information in and also has interesting coverage in regards to Lee's surrender.Anyone studying Grant or looking for further insight owes it to themselves to consider reading this book.

This is an abridged version
The only criticism here is that the editors saw fit to edit this masterpiece of American literature. This is a little like editing Shakespeare or the Bible. Don''t tamper with genius! This criticism aside...

General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher, bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

Though Grant's Memoirs were written 113 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them in! their entirity 30 times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. A truly oustanding book. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In 1862, a prominent Republican visited President Lincoln and called General Ulysses S. Grant an incompetent drunk who created unnecessary political problems. Lincoln, frustrated with all his generals but this one, famously replied: "I can't spare this man; he fights." Indeed, Lincoln had gone through a series of unheroic generals before settling on Grant to lead the Union's Army of the Potomac. Grant's success at marshaling the industrial might of the North eventually pounded the South into submission. This memoir, finished as its author was dying of throat cancer in 1885, is widely admired for its clear and straightforward prose. The volume was an enormously popular hit upon publication (by Mark Twain, no less), and today Personal Memoirs ofU.S. Grant ranks among the finest pieces of military autobiography ever written.Book Description
Grant was sick and broke when he began work on his Memoirs. Driven by financial worries and a desire to provide for his wife, he wrote diligently during a year of deteriorating health. He vowed he would finish the work before he died. One week after its completion, he lay dead at the age of 63.

Publication of the Memoirs came at a time when the public was being treated to a spate of wartime reminiscences, many of them defensive in nature, seeking to refight battles or attack old enemies. Grant's penetrating and stately work reveals a nobility of spirit and an innate grasp of the important fact, which he rarely displayed in private life. He writes in his preface that he took up the task "with a sincere desire to avoid doing injustice to anyone, whether on the National or the Confederate side."Download Description
Among the autobiographies of great military figures, Ulysses S. Grant's is certainly one of the finest, and it is arguably the most notable literary achievement of any American president: a lucid, compelling, and brutally honest chronicle of triumph and failure. From his frontier boyhood to his heroics in battle to the grinding poverty from which the Civil War ironically "rescued" him, these memoirs are a mesmerizing, deeply moving account of a brilliant man, told with great courage as he reflects on the fortunes that shaped his life and his character. Written under excruciating circumstances (as Grant was dying of throat cancer), encouraged and edited from its very inception by Mark Twain, it is a triumph of the art of autobiography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Grant on Grant:The Most Impartial View of U.S. Grant
It is surprising that the most balanced and impartial view of U.S. Grant should be written by Grant himself.His style of writing is clear and sparse, recounting fact as fact and without lengthy editorializing.A must read for any civil war buff or serious historian.

Grant
I think this is the only real account you can get of the civil war. It's...Great!

Better appreciation of a great American
This book really provides incredible insight into Grant and what made him a great general.In a plainspoken & straightforward manner he gives a recount of his role in the war and his military philosophy (attack).Unlike a modern autobiography we get nothing personal or confessional (not necessarily a bad thing).Any mention of drinking, or his dismal presidency are omitted and his family gets only a paragraph or two; which is fine because no one is interested in Grant's parenting or presidenting tips.

the greatness within a seemingly unremarkable man
Although Grant doesn't blow his own horn, a close reading of his campaign accounts supports the "revisionist" view that far from being a butcher of men and Lee's inferior, Grant's victories (other than Shiloh) were tactical in nature, not brute force charges. (OK, there was Cold Harbor, but that was one mistake in a year-long campaign to destroy the South before the North lost its will to fight. Time was not on Grant's side.) Furthermore, Lee, Jackson, Johnson, et. al. always had the easier side of the equation, playing defense and disrupting the North's long lines of supply and communication.

This is also an interesting study on how an apparently unremarkable person find greatness within himself when he is in his element, and how a great general can fail as a president because the leadership roles are quite different.

There is a dry wit in much of Grant's writing which makes it a fun read even if you don't care for the details of his capture of Vicksburg and his eventual destruction of the South's Eastern armies. Grant does not shy away from describing the slogging nature of the war or his mastery of maneuver warfare.

A Class Act
I concur with the really good reader reviews above. I will add that what makes Grant's prose so engaging is that it is simple, unadorned, not self flattering, not pompous. It isn't pedantic, dull or uncertain either. In a word, it is Grant. It's probably the best way that you will get to know him. It is the portrait most often attempted by his supporters and the exact opposite of the portrait painted by his detractors. So, Grant presents himself and he is authentic.

You cannot help admiring Grant for his strengths and endearing qualities, his military accomplishments and his everyman characteristics. If you take his version together with what may be valid criticisms from those less admiring, then you get a pretty well rounded view of Grant. You won't find anything in his autobiography that conflicts with that totality.

Grant only covers his Civil War in this memoir, not his Presidency. He was in the last stages of a fatal throat cancer and trying to provide for his family. He had that clarity of a man writing to tell the truth about himself. No need to lie or hide. But that's also the reason that we don't hear about some of his grievances, disputes, recollections and characterizations of his contemporaries. We could have learned a lot from that but Grant is very forgiving and like a gentleman - he just won't tell. ... Read more

Book Description
A pictorial biography by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian that presents Ulysses S. Grant in new and fascinating ways.

Acclaimed historian William S. McFeely has assembled a dramatic collection of photographs that reveals the people, places, and events that shaped the life of one of the towering figures of American history. Treating seven aspects of Grant's life (1822-1885), McFeely gives us both the private man and the public figure. Grant's view on slavery, his love life, the houses he lived in, his understanding of war—particularly the Civil War—and the trip around the world that he and his wife Julia took (with remarkable illustrations made at the time) are all here. We watch photographers create a hero out of an obscure officer and enhance our understanding of Grant's remarkable Personal Memoirs. A beautiful volume, essential for the library of any Civil War buff, this book offers a wealth of images that illuminate the man and his times in a way that words alone cannot. 100 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

As a husband, good. Photos bad
I wish they hadn't marketed this as a photo book because there aren't any. At least there aren't many photos of Grant and the ones published are really bad. I was expecting some nice rare ones, but there weren't any.

McFeely likes to write about Grant's private life, which is OK with me. Grant was one of these types of men who were uxorious around their wives, she was his best friend, lover, helpmate, a person he could talk to and make love to at the same time. They seemed very much in sync with one another and that's always nice to read a great love story. McFeely is less solid on everything else and I really didn't care much about Grant's travels. I did like the section on Grant's autobiography, which I have read and it's great. So 4/5 stars for this new effort.

Very interesting writing
I am a fan of William McFeely's other book on Grant. It's the one Grant biography I can read without getting a headache because he writes so nicely and fleshes out the human Grant. This book picks up where the other ones left off. There are chapters on Grant as a traveler, Grant on the slave issue and most of all, Grant as a husband. McFeely always had a special interest in Grant's relationship with his homely wife, Julia. Those two had special chemistry and McFeely makes hay out of that. All in all, a really good book; the photos are below average and not many of them, but Grant as a person comes out of the pages with a vibrant bang.

Not a home run
I agree and disagree with the previous reviewers. I think it's an exaggeration to say McFeely writes breathless, perfect prose. He's a great writer but not as fabulous as that. Having said that, the words are the only thing to recommend the book. The photos are non-existent! I don't know what the publishers were thinking. I have seen all the photos in here a million times. The cover photo is the same photo used on many other US Grant books. What is going on?

OK, on to Grant's marriage. I take no issue with what is presented. Basically McFeely says the thing which made the Grant marriage work was great sex and he proves how Grant did enjoy this to the hilt. Why not? When you are as rich, as successful and as famous as Grant was in his heyday, I would imagine physical relations would be high on your list. Kissinger said power was the ultimate aphrodisiac. McFeely doesn't criticize Mrs. Grant. He says she is silly, but the other reviewer blowing their fuse about this is the silly thing. He likes Mrs. Grant, he points out she had many strengths, which she did. She was a great wife and helpmate to her hubby.

The slave chapter I enjoyed. I enjoyed the chapter on his travels, which I knew nothing about. I agree that the chapter on his marriage is the heart, the soul of the book. I wish I had such a good marriage in my two efforts. Hallelujah to Grant. But the photos here are really, really bad.

Pretty book
I don't know if the pictures of Grant were rare. I don't know that many pictures of him. But I will say the writing is very good. I know books about Grant from Mr. Catton and Mr. McFeeley writes as well, if not better than the former writer. I liked the way the book was arranged. I would've liked more pictures instead of drawings.

P.S. Julia Grant WAS a silly woman. McFeeley says many nice things about her. It's not character assassination, he admires her.

OK book with some nice writing
First, I wonder why the "Reader from Canoga Park, Ca" always refers to the other reviewer and her reviews of Grant books? Every time she reviews a Grant book, this gal butts in to talk about her, NOT Grant. Talk about being obsessed, Canoga Park. My suggestion: recover from your jealousy.

The book is excellent. McFeely writes real well. The photos are disappointing and I didn't like the etching. McFeely won the Pulitzer Prize so he's obviously a good writer. ... Read more

Book Description
A fresh new look at General Grant's great battlefield victories, before and during the Civil War, and the effect that his conflicted personality had on his military career

Despite his reputation for rash decisions, brutal tactics, and intemperate behavior, Ulysses S. Grant was the only Union general who could win the war for Lincoln. Grant's aggressive strategies, swift movements and uncompromising battlefield attacks were praised in the North, feared in the South, and reviled by many of his own associates and staff. General Grant is, perhaps, one of the most controversial, enigmatic, and misunderstood generals in our nation's history.

In this new biography of Grant, acclaimed Civil War historian, Edward G. Longacre, examines Grant's early life, military training at West Point, and his later military career for insights into his great battlefield successes and his personal misfortune. Longacre, to a degree that no other historian has done before, investigates Grant's drinking as well as his devout religious affiliation with temperance movements, and the role these conflicting forces had on his military career and conduct.

Longacre's conclusions may surprise readers, but no one will doubt the research and scholarship behind them. As he has done in all his previous military biographies, Longacre challenges readers and scholars alike with a new perspective on the ever-fascinating life of General Grant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Booze On the Brain
This is a strange book, as it gives the impression that the only reason for it being written and published at all is to act as propaganda for the theory that Grant was an alcoholic.Longacre seems positively obsessed with the "drinking issue," showing scant interest in any other aspect of Grant's important and compelling life story.Every negative story ever told about Grant's alleged problem with the bottle, no matter how questionable, or even discredited, it may be, is trotted out as solid fact, while any evidence to the contrary is either ignored or casually belittled.This is not a biography; it is a prosecutor's argument to a jury.

Grant's pre-war life (nearly forty years!) is given merely a brief, shallow assessment, his post-1865 years are ignored entirely, (probably because tales of Grant's drinking sprees become few and far between after the war,) and the bulk of the book--Longacre's account of the Civil War itself--says nothing that you could not find in a million other books and magazine articles.In fact, most of "The Soldier and the Man" reads like Brooks Simpson's "Triumph Over Adversity" after being pickled in alcohol.

In short, unless you share Longacre's single-minded fascination with the notion that Grant was nothing but a white-knuckled drunk, you will find little in this book to excite your interest.

Same old stuff clumsily presented
Dozens of biographies about Grant have appeared in the past decade. The General has experienced a renaissance among historians (and those who aspire to the title.) His reputation has been enriched but the great biography has yet to be written. This book doesn't come close to greatness. It will have to settle for a boring mediocrity which is a shame, since Ulysses Grant was neither dull nor average.

This book brings absolutely nothing new to the table. It's a basic biography with no frills and little to recommend it. Longacre has written half a dozen books in the Civil War genre and they're noted to be tedious and written in an unusually spare style. No fireworks here, no novel interpretations of USG, no new facts revealed. The details of his life are laid out in a mind-numbing chronological style and the author borrows liberally from previous (and superior) Grant biographies.

It's amazing that so many authors tackle the subject of Grant but never unveil anything that wasn't known 100 years ago. Longacre quotes the same old stories that have been told a thousand times previously. His attempts to vary the standard interpretations of Grant fall conspicuously flat, though he's to be commended for the effort. Despite what anyone says, Grant was never an alcoholic and his marriage was happy. Longacre's clumsy attempts to paint the Grant marriage as occasionally strained are desperate attempts to throw some spice into the mix. Similarly, a casual exploration of the Sons of Temperance would have revealed it was not a precursor to A.A.

Essentially this is a dull book about a great man. Don't bother with this trifle. If you already know about Grant this book will teach you nothing. If you're new to the subject, look elsewhere.

Standard work with reinterpretations
De Capo Press sent me an Advance Reading copy.The book is scheduled for publication in July 2006 and this review is based on the copy.Longacre is a well-known Civil war historian with a large number of books to his credit.This is his tenth book I found published since 2000 with a quick search on Amazon, five of them are biographies of Civil War figures.The problem I have is that his books seem rushed and lack scholarship.This is a standard work on Grant with a couple of reinterpretations, something a very gifted armature could write.
The events in the book have been told and retold in general histories many times and the book adds nothing to them.The interpretation of Grant's drinking problem is very current thinking and the author struggles to place it as early as possible.Taking the word or the speculation of a single person Grant seems to have a drinking problem in Mexico.His joining the Sons of Temperance, which is not a forerunner of AA, is used as proof of a problem, well before his posting to the Pacific cost.While interesting, nothing to counter this "evidence" is given and the reader is left to accept the author's case or look elsewhere.

The interpretation of Grant's childhood might be the strength of the book.In place of the "Useless" childhood that has been generally accepted.Longacre gives us a mixed bag; Grant is honest to a fault, lacks social graces and has no head for business.Grant is also the best horsemen in the area.A skill that generates respect and money even for a young boy.This seems to ring truer than the town fool who becomes the North's best General and President.Grant is pictured as very intelligent, hard working and easily bored.His parents are shown in a very unflattering light, especially his Mother.Grant is well known to have had problems with his parents and the book bears down on this.

Julia is slower to fall in love with Grant than many stories credit, Longacre has her more resistant to his suite.He stays with the good wife, mother and supporter of Grant that history accepts.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read and a good introduction to U. S. Grant; it is not a serious bio and will not increase our understanding of the man.

... Read more