Books by Ulysses S Grant

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant "are well observed, often humorous, invariably charming, penetrating and lucid. On every page, his narrative has the simple directness of the finest English prose." Robert McCrum, The Guardian.The Personal Memoirs, "perhaps the most widely acclaimed of all American memoirs" (The New York Times) have equal value as history and as literature and are so beautifully written that at first many believed that it was the work of Grant's friend, Mark Twain.The Personal Memoirs cover President Grant's life including his seven years of poverty as a hardscrabble farmer just before joining the Union Army. They record his recollections of the Civil War and Reconstruction, expressing his sadness at the defeat of the South: "[I felt] sad and depressed ... at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, though the cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which people have fought." As a war hero, widely credited as the General who "saved the Union." he was easily elected President in 1868 in the first Presidential election after the civil war and was re-elected in 1872. During his tenure, he oversaw the forceful prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan, the promotion of African American rights and Native American rights and safety, and the appointment of minorities to high governmental positions.In 1884 Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer, and, having been swindled out of his savings, he embarked on The Personal Memoirs to provide for his wife's financial future. Mark Twain, aware of Grant's financial straits, published the work under very generous terms. The book, completed in the month before Grant's death, was a huge financial success, with his widow receiving the largest royalty check to date. Critic Edmund Wilson, ranking Grant with Walt Whitman and Henry Thoreau, believes writing that this powerful autobiography is "a unique expression of the national character. [Grant] has conveyed the suspense which was felt by himself and his army and by all who believed in the Union cause. The reader finds himself on edge to know how the civil war is coming out."Robert McCrum concludes in The Guardian: "Throughout this very substantial autobiography, like the great man he was, Grant is supremely generous to his enemies, loyal to his friends and associates, and always devoted to another civil war hero, his president, Abraham Lincoln. The overall effect is both intimate and majestic."Read it for a gripping eyewitness account of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner. He went to West Point rather against his will and graduated in the middle of his class. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was appointed by the governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment, quickly rising to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. In February 1862, he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers. At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, "I can't spare this man-he fights." For his next major objective, Grant then maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, cutting the Confederacy in two. ISBN for Volume 1 is 9781582188935

Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner. He went to West Point rather against his will and graduated in the middle of his class. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was appointed by the governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment, quickly rising to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. In February 1862, he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers. At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, "I can't spare this man-he fights." For his next major objective, Grant then maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, cutting the Confederacy in two. ISBN for Volume 2 is 9781582188942

Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs begins with the author's formative years and his military service, continuing through the U.S. Civil War and the author's time as President of the United States.Various battles such as Monterrey, and sieges such as Vera Cruz, are recounted in this volume, with Mexico's actions and abilities as an enemy much detailed. Grant is keen to narrate the experience from his perspective as a junior officer, bringing perspective of both the strategic planning and the tactical maneuvers such conflicts entailed together with the morale of the rank and file ahead of each skirmish. Together with U.S. Grant's own recollections we find appendices in the form of original correspondences sent and received regarding the Union and Confederate forces. At the time he authored his memoirs in the mid-1880s, Grant was determined in spite of illness to add to the burgeoning historical narrative as a reliable source. With this autobiography, it is indisputable that he achieves this goal.

Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs begins with the author's formative years and his military service, continuing through the U.S. Civil War and the author's time as President of the United States.Various battles such as Monterrey, and sieges such as Vera Cruz, are recounted in this volume, with Mexico's actions and abilities as an enemy much detailed. Grant is keen to narrate the experience from his perspective as a junior officer, bringing perspective of both the strategic planning and the tactical maneuvers such conflicts entailed together with the morale of the rank and file ahead of each skirmish. Together with U.S. Grant's own recollections we find appendices in the form of original correspondences sent and received regarding the Union and Confederate forces. At the time he authored his memoirs in the mid-1880s, Grant was determined in spite of illness to add to the burgeoning historical narrative as a reliable source. With this autobiography, it is indisputable that he achieves this goal.

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant is an autobiography by Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, focused mainly on his military career during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. It was first published as a two-volume set by Mark Twain shortly after Grant's death. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant has been highly regarded by the general public, military historians, and literary critics. Positive attention is often directed toward Grant's prose, which has been praised as shrewd, intelligent, and effective. He portrayed himself in the persona of the honorable Western hero, whose strength lies in his honesty and straightforwardness. He candidly depicts his battles against both the external Confederates and his internal Army foes.

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant is an autobiography by Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, focused mainly on his military career during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. It was first published as a two-volume set by Mark Twain shortly after Grant's death. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant has been highly regarded by the general public, military historians, and literary critics. Positive attention is often directed toward Grant's prose, which has been praised as shrewd, intelligent, and effective. He portrayed himself in the persona of the honorable Western hero, whose strength lies in his honesty and straightforwardness. He candidly depicts his battles against both the external Confederates and his internal Army foes.