Grant, Ulysses Simpson

Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)

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U.S. Grant in his own words...
Review of Memoirs of US Grant
A Masterpiece
A History Buff's Wet Dream...
essential

Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)
Ulysses S. Grant
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0940450585

Book Description

Grant wrote his "Personal Memoirs" to secure his family's future. In doing so, the Civil War's greatest general won himself a unique place in American letters. His character, sense of purpose, and simple compassion are evident throughout this deeply moving account, as well as in the letters to his wife, Julia, included here.

Customer Reviews:

U.S. Grant in his own words..........2007-06-26

U.S. Grant is often said to have been a failure at everything in his life except his marriage, war, and his memoirs. The latter, written as he was dying of throat cancer in 1884-1885, provide a straightforward account of his years in uniform during the Civil War.

Grant passes quickly over his Ohio boyhood and time at the United States Military Academy. His service in the Mexican War and his financial misfortunes out of uniform between the wars get only slightly more coverage. His story really begins with his return to uniform in 1861 as a commander of Illinois volunteers. The narrative follows Grant's campaigns in Missouri, Tennessee, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, his elevation to supreme command of the Union Armies, and the final grinding agony of the war in Virgina. The account ends with the cessation of hostilies in 1865.

Grant's memoirs are remarkable reading for a number of reasons. First, they provide insight into the first-rate military mind of a consistantly successful general. Grant's ability to determine the essentials of a situation and remain focused on them are evident. Second, the memoirs are a classic example of clear, simple, English narrative. Third, they display the considerable modesty of a naturally reserved man, a departure from the egotism often found in the personal memoirs of famous men. Grant himself continues to be something of a mystery to historians; these memoirs do not really lift the veil of his sense of privacy.

The Union Army of the Civil War had more than its fair share of politicians in uniform and politically-minded generals. Grant was not immune to spinning history his way; careful-eyed scholars have found more than a few instances where Grant remembered only part of the story or settled a few scores with old opponents. Nevertheless, Grant's memoirs are a valuable resource for understanding the conduct of the Civil War, not least because Grant became such a key figure in the winning of it.

Grant's memoirs are highly recommended to students of the Civil War, and to scholars seeking to understand the art of war in the midst of rebellion.

Review of Memoirs of US Grant.......2006-07-10

General Grant's use of the English language is very interesting and informative. Absolutely a pleasure to read.

A Masterpiece.......2006-02-22

This book is a must-read for any Civil War or American history buff. Grant's writing is consistently clear, elegant, beautiful. He gives an engaging account of his wartime experiences that are accurate to the best of his ability, and he writes with introspection and humility. The personal letters at the end of the volume reveal much about this fascinating man, and are a welcome addition. Please read this one! Another wonderful book in this series is the volume containing Frederick Douglass's autobiographical works.

A History Buff's Wet Dream..........2006-01-17

This is certainly a great book, and in parts, it is a good book. Grant has a very terse, matter-of-fact style, which makes for easy reading. The bulk of the book is devoted to the Civil War, and there are dry patches, and multitudes of "We went to the ridge, and then to the river, and moved our artillery up to the picket" and such-like. But that is what happened, and so you can't fault Grant for his meticulous detailing of troop movements, correspondence with fellow officers, etc. As I said, the great majority of the book is devoted to the Civil War, and there is not a word about Grant's tenure in the White House. Personally, of all topics covered by Grant, I find him to be most fascinating on the subject of the Mexican-American War of 1847. This is not something commonly focused on in history classes, but Grant's account is riveting. Additionally, Grant's remembrances of Lincoln are very interesting, as is his almost awed reverence for the military abilities of Sherman. The book is long, but it doesn't seem long, and if you have a love of history, this is indispensable stuff.

essential.......2005-10-04

A unique chronicle of one who saved the Union. Lucid, entertaining, and expansive. A rare view of one of the most important lives in the 19C. Highly recommended

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (The American Civil War)

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Grant on Grant: The Most Impartial View of U.S. Grant
Grant
the greatness within a seemingly unremarkable man
A Class Act
Master of Strategy as Well as Language

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (The American Civil War)
Ulyssess S. Grant
Manufacturer: William S. Konecky Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)
The Passing of Armies: An Account Of The Final Campaign Of The Army Of The Potomac

ASIN: 0914427679

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 of U.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.

Customer Reviews:

Grant on Grant: The Most Impartial View of U.S. Grant.......2007-05-22

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.......2006-07-09

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

the greatness within a seemingly unremarkable man.......2006-05-17

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.......2006-01-15

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.

Master of Strategy as Well as Language.......2006-01-04

The plain fact is U.S. Grant seldom gets the credit he deserves as a general. Conducting offensive operations into enemy territory is far and away the most difficult strategic task a commander can master and Grant did it for 4 years with consistent success. Writers usually reduce his accomplishments by insisting it was entirely the superioity of numbers and equipment that gave him victories, completely ignoring the fact that every other Union general who attacked the south and failed had those same advantages. Add to his mastery of strategy the fact that he was quite simply one of the best writers of his day. His prose is elegant, clear, and impossible to misunderstand. This memoir is informative, honest, and wonderfully written. Mark Twain referred to it as the greatest book in the English language. Grant was a man whose qualities are not instantly apparent. When you study him enough, you learn that he was a man capable of intense concentration and inexhaustible determination. It is worth noting that during the war, Grant almost never moved an army back in the direction from which it had come. He only went forward, determined to complete whatever task he had been given. Grant's writing and his military career prove that sometimes simplicity is a special kind of genius.

Average customer rating:

Great finish in an outstanding trilogy
Very Affecting Novel on the last years of the Civil War in the East
Moving finale of the Civil War trilogy
A fine study of the last year ...
Great book!

The Last Full Measure
Jeff Shaara
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345434811
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Amazon.com

Author Jeff Shaara rounds out the Civil War trilogy started by his late father Michael Shaara, whose book The Killer Angels describes the Battle of Gettysburg. Just as Jeff Shaara's Gods and Generals covers action prior to Gettysburg, The Last Full Measure picks up with Confederate General Robert E. Lee's retreat from Pennsylvania and continues through the end of the war. Shaara focuses on the characters of Lee and Union commander Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, both of whom play prominent roles in the earlier books. He also introduces a new one: Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general who would finally defeat the South--something no soldier before him could manage. The Last Full Measure is often exciting and poignant, and fans of The Killer Angels and Gods and Generals won't be disappointed. --John Miller

Book Description

In the Pulitzer prize-winning classic The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara created the finest Civil War novel of our time, an enduring bestseller that has sold more than two million copies. In the bestselling Gods and Generals, Shaara's son, Jeff, brilliantly sustained his father's vision, telling the epic story of the events culminating in the Battle of Gettysburg. Now, Jeff Shaara brings this legendary father-son trilogy to its stunning conclusion in a novel that brings to life the final two years of the Civil War.

As The Last Full Measure opens, Gettysburg is past and the war advances to its third brutal year. On the Union side, the gulf between the politicians in Washington and the generals in the field yawns ever wider. Never has the cumbersome Union Army so desperately needed a decisive, hard-nosed leader. It is at this critical moment that Lincoln places Ulysses S. Grant in command--and turns the tide of war.

For Robert E. Lee, Gettysburg was an unspeakable disaster--compounded by the shattering loss of the fiery Stonewall Jackson two months before. Lee knows better than anyone that the South cannot survive a war of attrition. But with the total devotion of his generals--Longstreet, Hill, Stuart--and his unswerving faith in God, Lee is determined to fight to the bitter end.

Here too is Joshua Chamberlain, the college professor who emerged as the Union hero of Gettysburg--and who will rise to become one of the greatest figures of the Civil War.

Battle by staggering battle, Shaara dramatizes the escalating confrontation between Lee and Grant--complicated, heroic, deeply troubled men. From the costly Battle of the Wilderness to the agonizing siege of Petersburg to Lee's epoch-making surrender at Appomattox, Shaara portrays the riveting conclusion of the Civil War through the minds and hearts of the individuals who gave their last full measure.

Full of human passion and the spellbinding truth of history, The Last Full Measure is the fitting capstone to a magnificent literary trilogy.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great finish in an outstanding trilogy.......2007-04-04

I think this book, and the two preceding it should be required reading in school. I had no idea how horrific this war was, particularly more so as the brutalities committed on both sides were against our own. There were so many moments when I wanted to stop and cry for the loss of life, and especially at the end when the one man who was capable of healing the country and bringing us all back together as one nation, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.

The research was impeccable and telling the story from the viewpoints of the various generals absolutely fascinating. The honorable Robert E. Lee, Chamberlain (loved his gracious salute to the surrendering army), and the ever fascinating U.S. Grant.

One quote from so many in the book that just brought tears to my eyes: "Yes, it was horrible, horrible indeed. But he had to tell himself that, remind himself to see it that way. There was no sickening revulsion, no outrage, no indignation at the barbarism. It was just one more scene from this war, one more horror, one more mass of death, blending together with all the rest."

Highly highly recommended, and will definitely open your eyes to the horror of war.

Very Affecting Novel on the last years of the Civil War in the East.......2007-03-20

This is the novel that it seemed that Shaara came into his own. This part of the Civil War was incredibly brutal and Shaara depicts this well. The campaign that Grant and Lee waged was epic and Shaara brings out the humanity of these two men. This book seems just a notch below the "Killer Angels" and is superior in many respects to "Gods and Generals". It is populated by a very human Grant (this book made me want to read more about him) and a very ungodlike Robert E. Lee who propel the story. Chamberlain and his struggles are also depicted and are very relevant because his actions in the last year of the war were as heroic as his actions at Gettysburg. Appomattox is also depicted very movingly. Hopefully this novel will eventually be made into the definitive Civil War film.

Moving finale of the Civil War trilogy.......2007-01-24

I echo the positive sentiments previously expressed. Let me add that the chapters covering Lee's surrender and Chamberlain's salute are among the most moving I have ever read.

A fine study of the last year ..........2007-01-14

... of the American Civil War. I would say this is an excellent history for those who do not particularly have the patience or care to read a history book.

Set as a novel viewing the events of the war through the eyes of it's major players, the story begins with Lee's army at the swollen banks of the Potomac after his retreat from the disaster at Gettysburg. Although the novel does not include the recruitment process of Grant for command of all Union forces as Lt. General (a rank last held by George Washington), nor the strategy session between Grant and his favorite, Gen. W.T. Sherman; it does give a glimpse of why Lincoln chose this man to led the Army.

With the selection of Grant the focus of the war is changed from the dubious capture of Richmond as a means to defeat the South to the defeat of Lee himself. Grant sums it up in a sentence to Gen. Meade (who he leaves in charge of the Army of the Potomac) saying, "Where Lee goes, you will go too." Grant knows that the fighting heart of the South is not in Richmond, but in its most popular leader, Gen. R.E. Lee. When Lee is beaten, the war will end ... and of course, history bears this out.

The tale takes us through the Union defeat in the burning thickets and forest of the Wilderness; Lee's (and Stuart's) brilliant disengagement and race to Spotsylvania and the mule shoe salient -- where the most vicious fighting of the war takes place -- the two armies positioned literally yards from each other, clubbing and stabbing one another to death over and through chinks in the log barricades. It follows Lee's move to the North Ana River where Grant's leaders make a terrible mistake in deployment, but are spared disaster because Lee remains in his tent, too ill to take advantage of the situation. The fight moves further south to Cold Harbor and the wholesale slaughter of Union troops in Grant's biggest mistake of the war. Over 7,000 men are killed in twenty minutes of battle. And finally to the siege of the strategic rail center at Petersburg.

Ultimately Lee will leave Petersburg and march his army west only to be dogged by the Union and finally give up the fight as hopeless at Appomattox.

Although slow moving at times, the average reader will come to know the last year of the Civil War in a way that standard history texts cannot tell it. This is the most critical period of time for each nation's survival. If Lee can hold out for a few more months and Lincoln is not reelected, the pacifist movement in the North will permit the Confederacy their independence and the Union will be broken. With the defeat of Lee in Virginia and the victories of Sherman in Georgia, the South will give up the fight and the Union preserved. We all know the eventual outcome of the struggle. This book gives us the personalized details of how desperate a fight it really was.

Some of the more avid history buffs might be a bit disappointed at the coverage of some events (such as the battle of Cold Harbor), but all in all, this is a fine book on the greatest event in American history. Well written and very readable.

*** Highly Recommended ***

~pjm~

Great book!.......2007-01-11

Jeff Shaara does it over and over again. I cant tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I have read all his books on the Revolutionary War and the Civil War and I feel like I was actually there! He is certainly a great writer and I would recommend his books to everyone.

The Civil War: In the Words of Its Greatest Commanders : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant : Memoirs of Robert E. Lee

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Grant's "Memoirs" and Memories of Lee in one nice Gift Book

The Civil War: In the Words of Its Greatest Commanders : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant : Memoirs of Robert E. Lee

Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts

ASIN: 1571458379

Book Description

This new edition of two of the greatest works to chronicle the Civil War provides the unique perspective of that great conflict as it appeared to its greatest generals. It is illustrated with over 400 drawings and photographs drawn from historically contemporary sources. The illustrated abridgement of the Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant is contained in this work. Fast-paced, colorful, lucid and laced with flashes of humor, it provides the most authoritative of all contemporary accounts. All the topics that are not covered in the excerpts are summarized by the editor. Historians have always lamented the fact that Lee, who died only five years after his surrender to Grant, was never able to write his personal memoir of his role in the Civil War. The most detailed and revealing view of this great general in action is by General Armistead L. Long in his classic Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. The edition of Long's Memoirs contained in this work is a shortened version of the original. Peripheral matter has been summarized and full texts of official correspondence and extended quotations by other writers have been deleted. What remains is vivid first-hand portraits of Lee just as the author set it down over a century ago.

Customer Reviews:

Grant's "Memoirs" and Memories of Lee in one nice Gift Book.......2002-10-26

This is a lavishly illustrated abridgement of Grant's wonderful "Personal Memoirs" and of Confederate Officer Armistead Long's "Memoirs of Robert E. Lee", two of the major works of the Civil War (Lee never did get around to writing his own memoirs).

Book Description

The underappreciated presidency of the military man who won the Civil War and then had to win the peace as wellAs a general, Ulysses S. Grant is routinely described in glowing terms-the man who turned the tide of the Civil War, who accepted Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and who had the stomach to see the war through to final victory. But his presidency is another matter-the most common word used to characterize it is "scandal." Grant is routinely portrayed as a man out of his depth, whose trusting nature and hands-off management style opened the federal coffers to unprecedented plunder. But that caricature does not do justice to the realities of Grant's term in office, as Josiah Bunting III shows in this provocative assessment of our eighteenth president.Grant came to Washington in 1869 to lead a capital and a country still bitterly divided by four years of civil war. His predecessor, Andrew Johnson, had been impeached and nearly driven from office, and the radical Republicans in Congress were intent on imposing harsh conditions on the Southern states before allowing them back into the Union. Grant made it his priority to forge the states into a single nation, and Bunting shows that despite the troubles that characterized Grant's terms in office, he was able to accomplish this most important task-very often through the skillful use of his own popularity with the American people. Grant was indeed a military man of the highest order, and he was a better president than he is often given credit for.

Customer Reviews:

A Man of Great Character.......2007-02-17

Ulysses S. Grant was a simple man (a "guy's guy" if you will) whose quiet, dignified leadership and composure helped the nation through some of the worst days of the Civil War. It seems odd really to think of a military commander (or a military man of any rank or position) to possess the qualities that Grant did. Humble. Straightforward. Sensitive. And yet he was all these things.

He had to contend with the same horrors that Lincoln had to face: the most disruptive and bloody years the nation ever suffered through. And following the war (rather than accept retirement after having served) he accepted a call to the presidency, and with it, the challenges of Reconstruction. The simple statement, "Let us have peace," still echo down as a strong reminder to us, to those who never had the chance to meet him... Grant really was the right person for the times in which he passed.

The author, Josiah Bunting III, deserves credit and our thanks for having written a very good book. It's language is engaging. As a reader, I never thought I'd be able to sit through pages of descriptive narration of battles, army movements and strategy. It was never really something I could stomach in any of my history classes, and yet Mr. Bunting had me at every move. I was fascinated and along for every moment of the ride.

One can't help but be struck with the haunting realization that the Civil War was never a thing written in stone: it was avoidable. As with any other historical moment, it was something that came, something that followed the actions of other leaders (Franklin Pierce, Stephen Douglas, James Buchanan all spring to mind) who couldn't see that they were walking down a dangerous path. And yet, the war also lifted some men into national prominence: men of great character... men like U. S. Grant.

A Contrarian Perspective on Grant's Presidency.......2006-08-01

This is one of two brief biographies of Grant (1822-1885) I recently read, the other written by Michael Korda and included among the volumes which comprise the Atlas Books/HarperCollins' "Eminent Lives" series, with James Atlas serving as general editor. Although both cover much of the same material, there are significant differences between their authors' respective approaches to the18th president of the United States.

For example, Korda duly acknowledges the problems which awaited Grant after he was elected to his first term in 1869. "What did Grant's reputation as a president in, however, (and continues to do so today whenever journalists and historians are drawing up lists of the best presidents vs. the worst ones), was the depression of 1873, which ushered in a long period of unemployment and distress, made politically more damaging by accusations that the president's wealthy friends were making money out of it." Given that the United States was growing too fast, in too many different directions at once, and the inevitable consequence was corruption and an unstable economy, it would have taken a more astute man than Grant to slow things down or clean them up."

It is soon obvious in this volume that Bunting disagrees with, indeed resents the fact that Grant is generally remembered "as a general, not a president, [which] explains in part the condescension - there is no better word for it -- from which pundits and historians have tended to write of him." Bunting asserts that if judged by the consequences of Grant's common sense, judgment, and intuition, his presidency, "so far from being one of the nation's worst, may yet be seen as one of the best."

Korda indicates no inclination to view Grant's presidency as "one of the best." He duly acknowledges the problems which awaited Grant after he was elected to his first term in 1869. "What did Grant's reputation as a president in, however, (and continues to do so today whenever journalists and historians are drawing up lists of the best presidents vs. the worst ones), was the depression of 1873, which ushered in a long period of unemployment and distress, made politically more damaging by accusations that the president's wealthy friends were making money out of it." Given that the United States was growing too fast, in too many different directions at once, and the inevitable consequence was corruption and an unstable economy, "it would have taken a more astute man than Grant to slow things down or clean them up."

This last observation by Korda is consistent with a contemporary assessment of Grant by the Edinburgh Review, one which Brooks Simpson quotes in his own study (Let Us Have Peace: Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of War and Reconstruction 1861-1868), and which Bunting also cites: "To bind up the wounds left by the war, to restore concord to the still distracted Union, to ensure real freedom to the Southern Negro, and full justice to the southern white; these are indeed tasks which might tax the powers of Washington himself or a greater than Washington, if such a man is to be found."

With all due respect to Grant's admirable personal qualities, I remain unconvinced by Bunting's eloquent but - in my judgment - problematic endorsement of Grant's
leadership as president. The same "buck" that stops on a desk on a battlefield in Virginia also stops on a desk in the Oval Office.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Korda's biography as well as Grant's Personal Memoirs. Both Korda and Bunting cite a number of other sources worthy of consideration.

Excellent, general introduction.......2006-05-03

If you know nothing about Grant, this is the perfect place to start. Unlike other biographies in this series, which talk almost exclusively about each man's presidency (i.e. the Washington bio), this gives you an overview of Grant's entire life, from childhood to death. Appropriately, most of the book centers on the Civil War and the presidency, but you get to see what led up to Grant's actions during those times. "Faults" like his drinking are covered but also explained. You get a well-rounded view of the man. Like the best biographies, it makes you want to know more. I am now moving on to Grant's own "Memoirs."

Excellent biography of an underestimated president.......2006-01-09

Bunting's contribution to the Grant historiography is accessible to the high school student and informative to the seasoned historian. He brings to life a man whose presidency is overshadowed by his military success and presents a convincing case for the importance of the Grant presidency to the health and growth of the American nation. Bunting's Grant is compact, powerful, and concise. It is essential reading for those seeking to understand Grant beyond the surrender at Appomattox.

U.S. Hero.......2005-03-28

Josiah Bunting III has written a wonderful short, clear work on the life of one of our greatest Americans. While there are many fine books on Ulysses S. Grant now avaiable, this one is recommended for the reader seeking a first or refreshed understanding of this often undervalued leader. I especially liked the insights of the author, a former army officer, when describing Grant's military life from West Point, to Mexico, through the obscure years of peace, to the rocket ride initiated by the onset of the Civil War that propelled Grant from a nobody to top commander in the field.

Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory

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now what?
good read
Entertaining but very disappointing
Did the South Win?
Excellent "alternate history" of the Civil War

Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory
Newt Gingrich , and William Forstchen
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312342985
Release Date: 2005-05-26

Book Description

The remarkable finale of Gingrich and Forstchen's New York Times bestselling Civil War series A ugust 1863. Having pursued the remnants of the defeated Army of the Potomac up to the banks of the Susquehanna, General Robert E. Lee is caught off balance when news arrives that General Ulysses S. Grant, in command of over seventy thousand men, has crossed that same river. The two brilliant generals will now meet in a massive battle that will decide the outcome of the war. As with Gettysburg, Never Call Retreat will focus on an operational battle, a slugging match between two armies, this time with both armies led by brilliant commanders. In Never Call Retreat Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen bring all of their now criticallyacclaimed talents to bear in what is destined to be an immediate classic.

Customer Reviews:

now what?.......2006-08-15

The first volume covers the battle of Gettysburg, though with strategic maneuvers beyond anything contemplated by the actual participants. Like any successful counterfactual history, the authors are careful in their initial changes - in fact, most readers will not even be aware of the changes in the battle to after the end of the first day's fighting, but by this point many small changes have already occurred - enough changes in fact to lead Lee to a strategic masterstroke on a par with Jackson's Chancellorsville march. From here the story rapidly diverges from what we know as history, but never beyond possibility, and it's amusing to see various participants like Sykes, Sickles, Joshua Chamberlain and others perform in this parallel universe.
The battles scenes are excellent and provide a closeup look at the experience of individual troops. They note often how the opposing sides would arrange unofficial truces when the battles end. You'll probably suspect that the climactic battle of the second book won't resolve everything since there's still that third volume! But that never subtracts from the tension & suspense of these books. Great history - my only regret is that Gingrich didn't start writing novels earlier, rather than spending so much time fighting other battles in Congress.

One small annoyance is the tendency of the authors to put anachronistic quotes in the mouths of their actors. The most prominent one was during a race between the armies towards the coast in which a general remarks let the man on the farthest edge of the flanking troops touch the sea with his sleeve" - a statement actually made 50 years later by the German general during their flanking attack through Belgium. There are several more of these pillaged pedantries scattered thru the books, but their effect is minimal.

good read.......2006-07-29

Gingrich and Fortschen have written an excellent conclusion to their alternative history of the Civil War. AS I stated in my review of the first book, those of us who grew up in the south have lived with the "what if?" Questions our whole life. The first volume of this series posits a Confederate victory in the Gettysburg campaign. But even with that victory could the Confederacy have pushed the campaign to victory and what would have been required to acheive that victory.

The authors have done an excellent job of taking into account the difficulty of capturing Washington and the overwhelming superiority of men and material the Federal forces had. To win this war, it would have required a quick knockout after July 4, 1663. this book shows why this would have been difficult. The difficulties in controlling a captive population, sabotage, internal weakness of the confederate government all are taken into account in this book. I think the embrace of "colored" troops and the army of workers is probably a stretch.

The book involves a short period around on final conclusive battle in Maryland, not far from the site of the Battle of Sharpsburg. The carnage is overwhelming, but in comparison to Cold Harbor, it seems feasible. The authors show an excellent knowledge of the area the battle is fought on.

I enjoyed the trilogy. It was fun fiction, but it also helps the reader to address the 'what if's" Recommend

Entertaining but very disappointing.......2006-07-14

I read all three in this series of "Alternative History" and found the first two fascinating reading and all three were page turners. The last, however left me with more issues that I could not resolve. The end result was as expected. Lee surrenders. I could accept all of the alternative presentations and battles but I could not accept George Armstrong Custer being killed in a battle. What will happen at the "Little Big Horn"?

Did the South Win?.......2006-04-03

"Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant-The Final Victory. Thomas Donne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York. 496 pages with maps and numerous Civil War Photographs. Hardcover 2005/Softcover 2006.
"Never Call Retreat" is the dramatic conclusion to the Civil War trilogy penned by Newt Gingrich, past Speaker of the House and William R. Forstchen, Ph. D., history professor at Montreat College which attempts, in part, to answer the question: "Could the South have won the American Civil War?".
The "yes or no" answer to tha question is forcefully and with knowledgeable insight presented in the conclusion of this spellbinding fictionalized account of the final weeks of the war. Before the conclusion is reached many notable persons and their actions are presented. Custer, Longstreet, Jackson, Stuart, Sheridan and Sherman all are provided their due in the pages of historical time and place.
Lincoln, Grant and Lee, being the principal players in this the bloodiest conflict endured by this nation are shown to be men of strong religious backgrounds and beliefs. All abhor the human suffering and loss endured by the combatants. They are also shown to be cognizant of the pain, worry and heartbreak borne upon the mothers, wives, sweethearts, children and other family members.
"Never Call Retreat" does not skin over the events of the day. The vivid details of moving an artillery piece to the line of battle over a road knee deep in mud down to including the loss of a trooper's boot sucked up by the mud brings the reader to feel he is by the near wayside observing if not in the mud itself straining and sweating in compnay with the combatants.
The action(s) provide hours of excitement worthy of the James Bond 007 thrillers such as: two steam locomotives sent hurtling down the tracks towards each other to collide head on at the center of the bridge. The resulting explosion caused by the impact plus the tremendous rupture of the steam boilers renders the bridge to the devastation and destruction intended.
Also the maniac charges of the Confederates again and again against the three-inch ordnance rifles loaded with double cannister (100.50cal steel balls) is as strong an epistle of man's animal indecencies as this reviewer has had occasion to have read. Grant's compassion is revealed when he orders his artillery commander: "For God's sake, Henry hold fire", stopping the harvest of human flesh likened to the sweep of a sickle through a field of wheat. "Never Call Retreat" should be required reading and study by all politicians, especially those arm-chair types who advocate military action but have never been on the receiving end of shots fired in anger.
The filling of canteens down stream from the scene of battle with water streaked pink by blood is another meticulous description of the gruesome nature of warfare.
The reader is again and again skillfully brought into the narrative to be one and the same as if he is subjective rather than objective in nature. He becomes an insider rather than an observer while reading the insightful narrative of the building of the pontoon bridge. The descriptive wording of the difficult straining to implant a king-pin to secure the bridge spans is felt as is the spray of the waters of the river.
After the defeat General Robert E. Lee addresses the Confederate Assembly with words that are as meaningful as the words of Atticus Finch (a.k.a. Gregory Peck) in his summation to the jury in "To Kill a Mockingbird". He asks that the hostilities cease and that all, North and South, start to mend and bring the opposing forces into a unified union.
The novel alternates between the White House, The Northern and Southern armies in a time sequence used by the author W.E.B. Griffin. The days/dates do not relate to the times of the actual war, and the reader must keep in mind that this is fiction.
Could the South have won the war? The authors say NO! I suggest you read the book and draw your own conclusion.

Excellent "alternate history" of the Civil War.......2006-03-23

This historical novel is the third and final part of a trilogy that began with Gettysburg, and as the title suggests, this volume chronicles the final stages of the Civil War. The trilogy begins during the Battle of Gettysburg, and describes how the course of the war might have changed had General Lee taken General Longstreet's advice at the end of the second day of battle. What follows is a riveting account of the rest of the "alternate Civil War". The authors describe strategy, tactics, and battle scenes with great realism, and all the developments were easier to follow than the "real thing". Character development was very thorough and added a great deal to the over all understanding of the events (I hope not too much "fictional license" was taken).

Overall, this book was an excellent read, as was the entire trilogy. I think they would be worthwhile to the most casual student of the Civil War.

Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship

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Fresh, Stimulating, and Thought Provoking Comparison of Two Remarkable Generals.
Interesting Comparison Between Lee and Grant
Unique Unbiased View of the Generalship of Both
A Very Enjoyable Book, Very Interesting & Very Creative
Outstanding Analysis by the Clausewitz of the 20th Century!

Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship
J. F. C. Fuller
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0253202884

Customer Reviews:

Fresh, Stimulating, and Thought Provoking Comparison of Two Remarkable Generals........2007-04-09

Grant and Lee, A Study in Personality and Generalship, published in 1932, compares quite favorably in its detailed research and readability with works by modern writers and historians like Shelby Foote, James M. McPherson, Gary W. Gallagher, and Stephen W. Sears. This work by Major General J. F. C. Fuller is notable for directly challenging the conventional wisdom that Grant was little more than a "butcher" and that his eventual success was almost entirely due to the North's larger population and more abundant resources. In Fuller's view Grant was not only the greatest general of the Civil War, but ranks among the greatest strategists of any age. Fuller generated even more controversy with his contention that Robert E. Lee in several respects had major failings as a military leader.

Controversial or not, Major General J. F. C. Fuller was no ordinary soldier writing about the Civil War. Fuller was a highly respected British military strategist and noted author. In the 1920s he collaborated with B. H. Liddell Hart in developing new ideas for the mechanization of armies. Ironically, their recommendations were more readily adopted in Germany than in Britain, France, or the U.S.

Grant and Lee, A Study in Personality and Generalship, is a relatively short book, around 300 pages. Fuller writes with clarity and precision. He makes careful use of firsthand accounts; he paid particular attention to opinions of staff officers, as men in these roles were likely to have gained greater insight into the personalities of Grant and Lee. He also utilized the opinions of foreign witnesses of the war, like Colonel Fremantle, as a check on insiders' observations. His sources were identified through extensive end notes as he realized that his findings would be controversial. He includes statistics on battle losses to illustrate that the persistent belief that Grant's losses were abnormally high is simply a myth, and that Lee's percentage losses were actually higher.

There are many exceptionally good books on the Civil War, but there are few that are as readable as Fuller's Grant and Lee, and offer such a fresh viewpoint (albeit, now nearly 75 years old, but one that remains stimulating and thought provoking). Grant and Lee, A Study in Personality and Generalship, is available in a reprint edition (1982) by Indiana University Press. Five stars.

Interesting Comparison Between Lee and Grant.......2005-06-23

Whatever your view of Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant, Fuller's book will challenge you to think long and hard about your beliefs concerning both generals.

As a Southerner, I have to admit that Fuller makes a compelling case for Grant being the better general between the two. One instance is where he confronts the idea that Grant was a butcher because of the heavy casualties during the Wilderness-Spotsylvania Campaign. While Grant indeed suffered the heavier losses, the percentage of losses was acutally lower than Lee. In fact, this was a common occurence in many battles in which Grant commanded.

The book's contents are as follows:

1. The Two Causes - the two nations, presidents, armies and other North/South factors both generals had to operate within.
2. The Personality of Grant - modesty, common sense, courage.
3. The Personality of Lee - humility, tact, audacity.
4. The Generalship of Grant and Lee, 1861-1862 - description of the battles fought by both generals during both years (Shiloh, Fort Donelson, Antietam, Fredericksburg, etc).
5. The Generalship of Grant and Lee, 1863 - Vicksburg, Gettsyburg, Chattanooga, Chancellorsville.
6. The Generalship of Grant and Lee, 1864-1864 - Spotsylvania, Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Appamattox.
7. The Two Generals - comparison and contrast between their two styles and personalities.

One other interesting point mentioned by Fuller was perhaps making the Confederate capital in Atlanta instead of Richmond. I have often thought how such a move would have affected the fighting in Virginia, Georgia, and my home state of North Carolina. Something interesting to ponder!

I highly recommend the book. Read and enjoy.

Unique Unbiased View of the Generalship of Both .......2005-01-20

If you read the introduction to this book, you will understand that Fuller has set out to write a brief but direct book on the Generalship capabilities of Grant and Lee. In the introduction, Fuller notes that Henderson's classic book on Jackson is more a romantic study than one that is an objective view. He goes further to say that a full study of Jackson gives a different appreciation. A respect for his maneuvering and desire to fight but also his idiosyncrasies and secrecy that Fuller indicates would cause one to question Jackson's sanity. With that introduction, you are prepared for the author's blunt assessment of both Generals. The book is brief concentrating more on strategy than just battlefield tactics. He concentrates on the critical battles of the war and the general effect the war has as a whole not just the eastern theater. In Lee, he notes that he was not a grand strategist but one that fought with intuition. As a General, he excelled on fighting on the defensive as showed in the final campaign. However, Lee preferred fighting aggressively and his errors show at Gettysburg and Malvern Hill. In the case of Chancellorsville, Fuller notes that Lee should have used the wilderness more often as a greater asset for defensive maneuvers instead of coming out in the open into battle. That like a spider, he should have waited for opportunities to attack and withdrawal with the protection of cover. He further indicates that Lee had a poor operating staff and his administration impaired supply and clarity of orders as all were given verbally and minimally. Grant on the other hand was a former quartermaster, was well organized and had a global plan of the war hence his simultaneous operations with the western theater and his multiple prong attacks in the east. Fuller notes that at first his objective was to follow Lee and not concentrate on the Richmond. But later he changed to maneuver so that Lee had to react to him as opposed to the reverse. Grant was often accused of having little imagination but as Fuller notes, he did not have the imagination to inflate numbers that were against him (McClellan) but he was rational in knowing that the Confederates had limited manpower. Through his intuition, Lee had success against the earlier Union generals but as Fuller points out, he could not fathom Grant.

The book is critical of both; however, as an overall commander, Grant comes across as much more able and Lee a totally different commander highly capable on the defensive but not as much a hands on commander as most would previously think. Both men are stripped bare; the author offers a unique unbiased view of the war without the human frailty of sentiment.

A Very Enjoyable Book, Very Interesting & Very Creative.......2003-08-05

This is a small book, but don't judge it by its size. It is a great little book. Grant & Lee, with such different backgrounds, lead two great armies in the strangest of times. In the end, with no grudge, the two men get to know and respect each other. But the story of how these men fought & how they thought so similarly in the battlefield and how they were both so noble and courageous help show that two men that could not have been more dissimilar, ended up being so alike serving their causes. I highly recommend this book. Very entertaining, and very educational.

Outstanding Analysis by the Clausewitz of the 20th Century!.......2002-08-24

The oft-repeated view, especially from Confederate defenders, is that Grant won though he was a drunken butcher indifferent to high casualties whose triumph was inevitable because of superior manpower and supplies. John Frederick Charles Fuller, the British Major General, and along with Liddel Hart one of the top military strategists of the 20th century, provides overwhelming evidence to lay this view to rest. Grant practiced maneuver warfare when he could, and his Vicksburg campaign (not just a siege, rather a series of five battles), along with Jackson's valley campaign, are the two greatest campaigns of the war. In his final Overland campaign, Grant could not maneuver much because Lincoln required that he keep substantial forces between Lee's army and Washington. By a thorough analysis of Grant's and Lee's battles throughout the war, Fuller makes the case that Grant was among the best generals ever, and greater than Lee, who was also great but had his limitations (after Order 191 was lost and recovered by McClellan's troops before Antietam, Lee would only issue oral orders, and his subordinates were often confused by them; Grant was known for crystal clear written orders, following the example of Zachary Taylor under whom Grant (and Lee) had served in the Mexican War). Rating Grant so highly will of course be heresy for neo-Confederates, but there is no question Grant has received unfair treatment even among historians. Another Fuller book, "The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant" adds more details to the defense of the claim that Grant was an excellent general. In assessing the relative greatness of Grant and Lee, one should keep in mind their age difference and the difference in upward mobility on the two sides during the war. Lee was 14 years older than Grant, Lee was already a Colonel when the war started and still serving on active duty, whereas Grant had left the army as a captain after the Mexican War. At the start of the war, Winfield Scott, who had served in the War of 1812 and masterminded in the Mexican War the amazing defeat of a country of 20 million people with 12,000 invading troops, was the greatest soldier on either side. However he was old and so fat he could no longer ride a horse; his campaigning days were over. After Scott, Lee was the best soldier on either side at the start of the war--and Lee was offered command of the Union army but turned it down. However Grant rose through the ranks because he learned quickly from his mistakes at Belmont, Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and Holly Springs. By the end of the war Fuller's analysis shows Grant was clearly the superior general, and not just because he had superior numbers. Even the oft-cited mistake at Cold Harbor, according to Fuller, is exagerrated. Fuller summarizes the overall casualy numbers during the war: the ratio of killed and wounded to total forces engaged for Grant was 10%; for the whole Federal army it was 11%; for the whole Confederate army it was 12%; and for Lee, it was 16%. One must be fair to Lee and not lose sight of the fact that he was an exemplary, even a saintly individual who must always be acknowledged as among the great American generals. But the simplistic, grossly unfair judgment of Ulysses S. Grant is revealed here as a sham which must stop. Under the razor-sharp and penetrating analysis of Fuller, one of the greatest military historians of all time, the conventional, common opinion of Grant is shown to be balderdash. Ulysses S. Grant was one of the greatest generals the U.S. has ever produced. Though written many years ago, Fuller's book is still relevant to this ongoing national discussion, and is a must read for anyone who wants to compare Union and Confederate generalship. Regarding Grant's drinking, Fuller doesn't discuss this, but this too is greatly exaggerated. He was indeed a binge drinker. When I asked the renowned Civil War historian Ed Bearss about this, he said Grant got drunk about four to six times during the war, always when he was away from his wife (she was with or lived near him during some campaigns and he was always lonely without her). Moreover, in the Civil War one could usually tell when battle was near, and there was usually inactivity during the winter months. The circumstances are not comparable to a modern general's always being on call in the nuclear age. Grant's occasional binge drinking never once affected his generalship, in public functions he usually would not drink at all, being a semi-recovered alcoholic except for the occasional binge. The stereotype is that Grant was constantly drunk during the war. This too is an unfair assessment not based on historical fact. Read this book and will see just how wrong the stereotype of Grant's generalship is, and how good a general he was.

The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant (Da Capo Paperback)

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A British general of World War I looks back and is impressed
The Best Analysis of Grant as a General
General Grant...and more

The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant (Da Capo Paperback)
J. F. C. Fuller
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306804506

Customer Reviews:

A British general of World War I looks back and is impressed.......2005-09-10

An earlier reviewer commented on the paucity of General Fuller's source material. In May of 1929, Fuller wrote this passage (in all the orotund glory of its semi-colons) in his preface: "Here, then, is the gist of this book--to write living history as well as truthful history--a difficult task; for in my opinion all history has been diluted with about seventy-five per cent. of falsehood; and more especially official history, which is normally meticulously accurate in fact and utterly false in spirit.... In order to decipher [Grant's] generalship I have relied on three sources: the official records--the bones of my subject; the personal memoirs and various historical works--the muscles; and my own intuitions and deductions which I may liken to the nerves. This latter source may be very defective; yet I feel not more so than the other two."

This famous book was written by one of the relatively few critics with real (as opposed to armchair) high-level military knowledge and experience. Both were gained, moreover, on battlefields bearing closer resemblance to those of Grant than anything seen since. For what it's worth, General Fuller remains the highest ranking non-participant military man ever to write at length on the American Civil War (which in Fuller's day was still officially and legally designated by Damnyankees, at least, as "The War of the Rebellion." My unreconstructed Confederate ancestors, naturally, had other ideas.)

Fuller's book had a profound effect in Europe. Until its publication, accepted European military opinion held that the U.S. Civil War was no more than a series of military riots conducted by armed mobs. After this book and its analysis of the brilliant campaign that led to the capture of Vicksburg and of the multi-pronged assault that withered and then destroyed the Confederate States of America, the unassuming, unimpressive-looking Grant emerged as one of the great captains of history.

A few--a very few--new details have been unearthed in the seventy-six years since General Fuller handed his manuscript over to his publishers, but no large-scale analysis of Grant as a soldier and commander has surpassed this one.

The Best Analysis of Grant as a General.......2000-11-09

I find this book to be the best detailed analysis of the generalship of U. S. Grant available. Written by one of the most outstanding military writers in the world, it presents a thought provoking and convincing picture of one of our greatest generals. It pictures General Grant as one of the greatest strategists of all times and gives many convincing arguments to back up the claim.

The book covers other aspects of his csreer and comments on his capabilities and shortcomings. It is not completely lauditory, as it points out his many failures as a tactician as well as other shotcomings. Substantiation and analysis of his actions make for a very convincing account. It is especially effective when read in conjunction with his memoirs.

I highly recommend it.

General Grant...and more.......2000-02-09

The paucity of source material utilized by General Fuller is more than offset by the lucidity of his commentary, and his keen insight into the military mind and psyche. Grant, the man, appears to have been a hobby of Fuller's, and while there are better analyses of the details of Grant's campaigns and battles, the reader leaves this book with a sense of knowing and understanding Grant, and believing that Grant's personality was the critical factor in the Union's 1864-1865 Virginia compaigns. The assessment of U.S. Grant is Fuller's personal assessment, nevertheless, when this reader finished the book he hoped Fuller was right. Essential Civil War reading. There's also some interesting commentary on the theory of military strategy and tactics.

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An excellent book!
Good One Volume Biography
Remarkable Book - A Must Read
Great Book of an Unheralded General and President
Grant saw the big picture and carried forward Lincoln's intent

Grant
Jean Edward Smith
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (The American Civil War)

ASIN: 0684849275

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Hiram Ulysses Grant--mistakenly enrolled in the United States Military Academy as Ulysses Simpson Grant, and so known ever since--was a failure in many of the things to which he turned his hand. An indifferent, somewhat undisciplined cadet who showed talent for mathematics and painting, he served with unexpected distinction in the U.S. war against Mexico, then repeatedly went broke as a real-estate speculator, freighter, and farmer. His reputation was restored in the Civil War, in which he fulfilled a homespun philosophy of battle: "Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can and as often as you can, and keep moving on." Given to dark moods and the solace of the bottle (although far less so than his political foes made him out to be), Grant was ferocious in war, but chivalrous in peace, and offered generous terms to the defeated armies of Robert E. Lee. His enemies on the battlefield of politics showed him little honor, and they had a point: Grant's presidency was marked by a legion of corrupt lieutenants and hangers-on who built their fortunes on the back of a suffering people, and for whose actions Grant's reputation long has suffered.

Recent history has been kinder to Grant than were the chroniclers of his day, not only for his undoubted abilities as a military leader, but also for his conduct as a president who sought to rebuild a shattered nation. Jean Edward Smith, the author of fine biographies of John Marshall and Lucius D. Clay, offers compelling reasons to accept this program of revision, while acknowledging the shortcomings of Grant's administration. Surely and thoughtfully written, this sprawling but swiftly moving book stands as a true hallmark in the literature that is devoted to Grant. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Ulysses S. Grant was the first four-star general in the history of the United States Army and the only president between Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson to serve eight consecutive years in the White House. As general in chief, Grant revolutionized modern warfare. As president, he brought stability to the country after years of war and upheaval. Yet today Grant is remembered as a brilliant general but a failed president.

In this comprehensive biography, Jean Edward Smith reconciles these conflicting assessments of Grant's life. He argues convincingly that Grant is greatly underrated as a president. Following the turmoil of Andrew Johnson's administration, Grant guided the nation through the post-Civil War era, overseeing Reconstruction in the South and enforcing the freedoms of new African-American citizens. His presidential accomplishments were as considerable as his military victories, says Smith, for the same strength of character that made him successful on the battlefield also characterized his years in the White House.

Download Description

Jean Smith has written a complete one-volume life of Ulysses S. Grant, the triumphant Union general and--in Smith's opinion--the underestimated president. He defends Grant's generalship, showing how his strategy brought victory to the Union, and offers a convincing reevaluation of Grant's two terms in office. Grant will stir controversy among historians and will be avidly read by anyone with an interest in the Civil War.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent book!.......2007-06-02

This book does an excellent job of dispelling common misconceptions of US Grant. I was captivated from page 1 and recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading history and/or biographies.

Good One Volume Biography.......2007-05-23

Bought this biography since I am reading one on each of the presidents. What a roller coaster ride Grant had in his life. He went from the lowest of the lows after he was kicked out of the army to being the president. It is one of those only in America stories.

Thought that the writing was excellent and easy to follow. I did not give it 5 stars since I felt that the author spent too much time in the book talking about the alleged alchoholism of Grant. This could have easily been handled in a couple of pages somewhere in the book and then we could have moved on to the public life of Grant. But overall I thought that it was a great book and recommend it.

Remarkable Book - A Must Read.......2007-05-06

There are many wonderful, positive reviews for this book, which go into great detail. For the most part, I agree with them, and also encourage you to read those reviews. I will keep this one short. If you are a history buff, read this book. If you are a student of the Civil War (amateur or otherwise), read this book. If you are an American, read this book. It is that good. It really does read like a novel; I couldn't put it down. This book opened my eyes to look at one of America's greatest military leaders and statesmen in a whole new light. It should have won the Pulitzer Prize (it was a finalist in Biography in 2001). William S. McFeely's heavily biased, morose, 1981 biography, "Grant", did win the Pulitzer. So sad. I do believe Ulysses, himself, would have appreciated the irony.

Great Book of an Unheralded General and President.......2007-03-04

Like others, I found this book very well written and an excellent source about a gentleman who was great as a general and US president.

As a general, he did have high casualties, but as stated by another reviewer, it was along the lines of Lee (his opponent). I love what President Lincoln said when people called for Grant's removal after the battle of Shiloh: "I cannot spare this man. He fights." (To all managers, v-p's, presidents, and CEO's of businesses around the world, think about that line when you are told of a difficult manager.....)

Also, Grant's success as a general cannot be argued. He won just about every major conflict he was in. I know some might point out the Battle of The Wilderness and Cold Harbour, but they did end up as a draw. And Grant did what Lee did not suspect in maneuvering his troops as he did. (Amazing considering the technology they had then...)

I was taught in my school years that Grant as a President was among the worse we could have had: drunk, corrupt, no-good person. Yet, you read in Smith's book that Grant did a heck of a lot more than Johnson and other presidents. Grant seem to carry Lincoln's work forward, and it made me wonder what would have happen in US history if Lincoln was not assasinated.

In any case, I am hoping that people realize that there is a lot more to Grant and the truth is out there. Grant is getting another chance by historians now, and I hope he gets the due-high praise that he deserves.

Jean Edward Smith really shows Grant on how he should be seen. If you are interested in this man, I highly recommend Smith's book for you to start your research of Grant or to add to your library of great generals and/or US presidents.

Grant saw the big picture and carried forward Lincoln's intent.......2005-08-10

This is an excellent and engaging work. It qualifies why the rumors of Grant mislead. Also, it explains why Grant succeeded where others failed. The book illustrates how he saw the battlefield of modern warfare; and how trains enabled Lee to shift troops and outcomes. He developed a strategy to press Lee on all fronts simultaneously, which ultimately stretched the Confederate resources and won the war.

The book details his attention to detail and avoidance of risk to his personal income. How that avoidance led him to decline Andrew Johnson's attempt to use him to break a congressionally imposed limit on Presidential authority. Also, how Johnson's attempt led to use Grant directly to his exercise of Presidential authority because it was perceived as anti-reconstructionist behavior.

The book illustrates that politically, he saw the country as a whole not as parts. It explains how he pursued reconstruction and the earliest stab at civil rights - well before Theodore Roosevelt or Harry Truman. He held no bitterness toward the South and laid a solid foundation to remake the nation.

Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph Over Adversity, 1822-1865

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Another Look at U.S. Grant
Balanced and Thoughtful
Best, most scholarly biography of Grant
Fawning hyperbole
Justice for General Grant

Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph Over Adversity, 1822-1865
Brooks D. Simpson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395659949

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.

Customer Reviews:

Another Look at U.S. Grant.......2006-06-05

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.......2006-03-16

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.......2005-12-30

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.......2005-10-28

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/phrases in 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'.

Justice for General Grant.......2005-01-04

It is hard to imagine that Ulysses S. Grant could still be controversial 140 years after the end of the Civil War, but judging by the reviews posted for this book one has to assume that this is the case. As a native of the American South it would be easy for me to join in with the negative reviewers but I was quite impressed with this book. While I must respect all opinions expressed in this forum and assume that all reviews are honest and sincere, I can't help but suspect that some of the unhappiness with this book is rooted in a dislike for Grant.

First of all, I found the author's writing style to be quite good and very readable. There were to be sure a few dry areas but not many. Unfortunately, most of those dry areas are to be found early in the book and that may explain why some readers were turned off. The author has also mastered the use of quotes, which seems to be a problem area for many historians. When Professor Simpson uses a quote it is used in perfect context and it is always just the right length. Many historians have the bad habit of including far too many quotes that are far too long and end up distracting the reader so this author's mastery of the technique was a welcome relief. Simpson has also done an excellent job of researching his subject although the Southern point of view is conspicuous in it's absence.

Simpson is fond of his subject as are most biographers but he does not hesitate to criticize Grant when criticism is called for. For example, Grant's claims that he was not surprised at Shiloh are treated with the contempt such claims deserve. The author makes it very clear that Grant was indeed surprised and that his claims to the contrary are pure nonsense. Simpson also spends a great deal of time handling the questions about Grant's drinking habits. Grant has been trashed for years as a drunk; an attack that overlooks the fact that within the 19th century military hard drinking was the norm and not the exception. Simpson does not in any way dismiss the drinking charges however and at times the professor makes it abundantly clear that he does not really believe Grant's version of some of the events that may have involved alcohol. On the other hand, Simpson points out that Grant was absolutely not the alcoholic that many make him out to be.

Overall, Simpson has given us a very clear portrait of General Grant. The reader will see both Grant's weaknesses and his strengths. Most clearly one begins to see a man whose greatest asset was his self-confidence. This was a man who had faith in his own judgment but was more than willing to make changes in his plans as events he couldn't control came into play. He was probably not a greater tactician than many other Civil War generals were, but he made things happen. For example, General Rosecrans had devised a plan to relieve the siege of Chattanooga before Grant arrived. Grant adopted much of this plan but the difference was that Rose