Sherman preferred having someone he trusted in charge, and Grant needed to have a talented and loyal lieutenant. The friendship between Grant and Sherman really did win the war. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, focused mainly on his military career. Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War by Charles Bracelyn Flood Sherman once said of Grant, “He stood by me when I was crazy and I stood by him when he was drunk and now, sir, we stand by each other always.” I was skeptical of this book as I began reading it, but eventually was completely won over to the thesis. This work seems particularly relevant right now as we try to reevaluate Civil War personalities.ĥ. The second half is about how we remember him. Grant: American Hero, American Myth by Joan Waugh Waugh asks the important question, “Why did Grant’s star shine so brightly for Americans of his own day, and why has it been eclipsed so completely for Americans since at least the mid-twentieth century?” The first half of this book is about Grant’s life and accomplishments. It’s a laudatory volume, but still an enjoyable and essential read for anyone interested in the Union commander.Ĥ. The book was based on extensive interviews with soldiers and family members who knew Grant well.
Grant: His Life and Character by Hamlin Garland Garland was a popular 19th century writer who wrote a one-volume account of Grant’s life. Was it really possible for Grant to defeat Lee, while keeping casualties down?ģ. Alas, McFeely never proposes what alternatives were available to Grant. Grant had no organic, artistic, or intellectual specialness.” McFeely also believes Grant was a butcher who didn’t value the lives of his men highly enough. He writes, “I am convinced that Ulysses S. McFeely is extremely critical of the general. Lovers of Grant might be disappointed, however. It’s well-written and based on impressive archival research. Grant by William McFeely McFeely won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Grant. Or he may have wanted to end the story on his crowning achievement.Ģ. He was dying of cancer while writing and perhaps didn’t have time to examine the later years. Grant’s memoirs only cover the period up until the end of the Civil War. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also.” The writing here is remarkable for its clarity. It has classical force.”Ī poet has described Grant’s writing as “fatless prose.” Upon taking command of the Union Army, Grant wrote General Meade, “Lee’s army will be your objective point. One historian, who has been critical of Grant, said of the memoirs, “There is conciseness, totality, and strength, but what is perhaps most striking is the timeless quality of the prose. Grant Grant’s memoirs might be the finest that have ever been written by a president. The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Was he a battlefield genius or a butcher? Did he drink too much or was he merely the target of nasty rumors? Was he corrupt as President or just taken advantage of by his advisors?īelow are five great books on Grant that provide different answers to those questions.ġ. Grant is a fascinating character who has generated considerable controversy among Civil War historians. Grant that instantly became a bestseller. It would be decades before a new form of the terrorist organization would rise up again.Ron Chernow, who made Alexander Hamilton a household name, has a new book out on Ulysses S. Grant ignored complaints from local authorities that he was overstepping his authority, and by 1872, the KKK had been almost completely wiped out across the South. Federal troops moved in and arrested many Klansmen, and the courts issued harsh sentences. As Ron Chernow details, he pushed Congress to give him the authority and firepower to do something about the KKK - and once he had these things, he moved decisively.
But the terrorism that rose up in the South in response to the newly freed former slaves taking part in the political process was surprising in its ferocity and blatancy - the recently formed Ku Klux Klan burned buildings, openly murdered black citizens, and worse. He was convinced that once the freed slaves were able to vote and exercise political power, they would gain equal status in society. As The Guardian reports, Grant was a fervent believer in the power of the vote.
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