Grant, and memoirs and selected letters, and more on. Grants synthesis of the war literature is as true today as it was in 1885. Mark twain had helped his friend find a publisher, and in 188586, the initial printing of 200,000 two octavosized volumes were sold only by subscription. Read an electronic edition of ulysses grants famous personal memoirs. Grant, comprising a full and authentic account of the famous soldier, from his earliest boyhood to the present time. Oct 10, 2017 grants book, never out of print and viewed as an american masterpiece, was a lastditch effort to ensure his familys financial security after he had been swindled out of his investments. The book outlines grants entire life including detailed accounts of. Twain created a unique marketing system designed to reach millions of veterans with a patriotic appeal just as grants death was being.
The ghost that haunts grants memoirs the new york times. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the civil war memoirs of ulysses s. Mar 08, 2018 i was aware of fullers book on grant and lee, ive even browsed it, but not that he had written one on only grant, ill might have to check that one out. It is considered one of the most important works of modernist literature and has been called a demonstration and summation of. Indeed, the whole first page of chernows fivepage acknowledgments is about the papers of ulysses s. Grants book, never out of print and viewed as an american masterpiece, was a lastditch effort to ensure his familys financial security after he. Grant, written by his wartime assistant, adam badeau, had sold poorly. All too often he is caricatured as a chronic loser and an inept businessman, or.
His father was strict and had definite ideas about many things, including grants education. Grant, the 18th president of the united states, focused mainly on his military career during the mexicanamerican war and the american civil war, and completed as he was dying of throat cancer in 1885. There, ulysses began to put his money into grant and ward, a wall street investment firm coowned by his son buck. This is the first complete annotated edition of grants memoirs, fully. Seven years of research on grant s memoirs and documents are presented in this book. Grant, the 18th president of the united states, focused mainly on his military career during the mexicanamerican war and the american civil war, and completed as. All the action takes place in and around dublin on a single day june 16, 1904. Grant consumed what was being written about the war and was unhappy with much of it. You have to concentrate too much to keep your place going back and forth across the page.
American ulysses offers a revisionist portrait of grants presidency. What drove ulysses grant to write about the civil war. Grant presidential library within the mitchell memorial library at the mississippi state university in starkville, which inherited grants papers in 2008. Grant, civil war hero and twoterm president, had always declined offers to write his memoirs.
Apr 04, 2019 im on my 4th grant bio in as many weeks, but so far my favorite has been the newest, ron whites american ulysses, particularly its treatment of grants world tour, which was by far the best treatment of that phase of his life aside, of course, from edwina campbells excellent citizen of a wider commonwealth. Grant and their current institutional home, the ulysses s. No 55 personal memoirs by ulysses s grant 1885 the guardian. When grant was a teenager, his father announced that hed applied to west point on grants behalf and that. Oct 15, 2016 american ulysses offers a revisionist portrait of grants presidency. Dates on the title pages and pages match, 1885 and 1886 with 49 maps and illustrations, including two steelengraved frontisportraits and two etched views with tissue guards for both portraits. Wars produce many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true id.
When grant was a teenager, his father announced that hed applied to west point on grant s behalf and that grant would be attending college there. He reminded twain that the military history of ulysses s. Grant by william mcfeely mcfeely won the pulitzer prize for his biography of grant. The life, campaigns and battles of general ulysses s.
Jan 25, 2010 the revision of grants reputation would seem to be an uphill battle. Grants other writings, however, have not received the same acclaim, even though they show the same literary skill. Bush, credit grant with influencing their own writing. The larger point of whites book, which challenges the reader with detailed dissections of the civil war battles that. A very worthwhile account of many of the major battles in detail and the a clear strategic vision that grant possessed. The stylistically dense and exhilarating novel is generally regarded as a masterpiece and is constructed as a parallel to homers odyssey. The revision of grants reputation would seem to be an uphill battle.
His memoirs were written in an attempt to take care of his family after his passing, which he did very well. Grant has 150 books on goodreads with 26297 ratings. Grant, a union general during the civil war, served two terms as president, from 1869 to 1877. Chernow asserts that both grants command of the overland campaign and his presidency have been seen in an undeservedly negative light. His memoirs were already on the reading list, i should have written that. Grants book itself is a classic, but this paperback printing is highly unreadable. And john russell youngs book, around the world with general grant, published in 1879, had been a complete flop. The larger point of whites book, which challenges the reader with detailed dissections of. I was aware of fullers book on grant and lee, ive even browsed it, but not that he had written one on only grant, ill might have to check that one out. White that means to correct what used to be the conventional wisdom about grant. His life and character by hamlin garland garland was a popular 19th century writer who wrote a onevolume account of grants life. Grants personal memoirs of is an autobiography by ulysses s. Completed just days before his death and hailed by mark twain as the most remarkable work of its kind since the commentaries of julius caesar, this is the nowlegendary autobiography of ulysses simpson grant 18221885, 18th president of the united states and the union general who led the north to victory in the civil war. Grants writings complete and unabridged including his personal memoirs, state of the union address and letters of ulysses s.
The dramatic story of one of americas greatest and most misunderstood military leaders and presidents, this is a major new interpretation of. Famous for his military acumen and for his part in saving the union during the american civil war, ulysses s. Even when clemens, his good friend and cigarsmoking buddy, broached the idea, grant demurred. Im on my 4th grant bio in as many weeks, but so far my favorite has been the newest, ron whites american ulysses, particularly its treatment of grants world tour, which was by far the best treatment of that phase of his life aside, of course, from edwina campbells excellent citizen of a wider commonwealth. Is james joyces ulysses the hardest novel to finish. Oct 10, 2017 grant is yet another book like last years american ulysses, by ronald c. The son of an appalachian ohio tanner, grant entered the united states military academy at age 17. Ulysses simpson grant, 182285, commander in chief of the union army in the civil war and 18th president 186977 of the united states, b. The book is deeply researched, but it introduces its scholarship with a light touch that. The fact that grant wrote a memoir of such eloquence while dying from cancer makes it all the more powerful a book.
The focus of the book is grants military careerhis service in the. The american civil war from the point of view of one of the most. He didnt need the money and he was not a literary person. Brands as a novel does, the best biography creates a fully. Grant also remains known for his twovolume memoirs, considered among the greatest military memoirs ever written. With kaleidoscopic, trenchant, pathbreaking insights, elizabeth d. Military career grant spent his youth in georgetown, ohio, was graduated from west point in 1843, and served creditably in the mexican war. Ulysses simpson grant born hiram ulysses grant was generalinchief of the union army from 1864 to 1869 during the american civil war and the 18th president of the united states from 1869 to 1877. The twovolume set was published by mark twain shortly after grants death. His father was strict and had definite ideas about many things, including grant s education. May 08, 2009 ulysses simpson grant born hiram ulysses grant was generalinchief of the union army from 1864 to 1869 during the american civil war and the 18th president of the united states from 1869 to 1877.
Grants book is one of the great books ever written and will stand the test of time. 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. Stranger still, he barely acknowledged in his book that he had served two terms as. The twovolume set was published by mark twain shortly after grant. Grant, the 18th president of the united states, written by american historian and biographer ron chernow. Grant finished his remarkable memoirs on july 20, 1885, three days before his painful death. Personal memoirs of ulysses s grant, includes both volumes optimized for kindle jun 12, 2001. Grant is an autobiography from the 18th president of the united states and was published by mark twain shortly after grants death in 1885. A straight up close and personal look in the mans life by the man himself. The book outlines grants entire life including detailed accounts of his service during. The first volume, as well as a portion of the second, was written before i had reason to suppose i was in a critical condition of health. Grant is yet another book like last years american ulysses, by ronald c.
A major new biography of the civil war general and american president, by the author of the new york times bestseller a. The man in general grant is in all of his writings and no other. Out of the army, out of office, and out of favorthat was his life now. The novel is constructed as a modern parallel to homers odyssey. The dramatic story of one of americas greatest and most misunderstood military leaders and presidents, this is a major new interpretation of ulysses s.
Samet has produced the most ambitious edition of ulysses grants memoirs yet published one hundred and thirtythree years after its 1885 publication by mark twain, elizabeth samet has annotated this lavish edition of grants landmark memoir, and expands the civil war backdrop against which this monumental american life. Grant, original name hiram ulysses grant, born april 27, 1822, point pleasant, ohio, u. One contemporary critic wrote that no other american president has told his story as powerfully as ulysses s grant. In ron chernows grant, an american giants makeover. Samet has produced the most ambitious edition of ulysses grants memoirs yet published one hundred and thirtythree years after its 1885 publication by mark twain, elizabeth samet has annotated this lavish edition of grants landmark memoir, and expands the civil war backdrop against which.
Brands as a novel does, the best biography creates a fully realized world. Letters written during the authors struggle to publish ulysses reach 10 times guide price published. Matthew arnold found the author to be humane, simple, modest. Grant former us general and us president in two volumes hardcover charles l.
As this was written by grant at the end of his remarkable life it has little rancour and a clear view of all the major participants their strengths and weaknesses. The book was commissioned and published by mark twain and was written as grant was dying of throat cancer, which almost prevented him from finishing it, according to grant in the books preface. Jan, 2016 letters written during the authors struggle to publish ulysses reach 10 times guide price published. Ulysses is a modernist novel by irish writer james joyce. Grants book is clear evidence of the strength of his affections, the clearness and force of his intellect, and the invincible determination of purpose triumphing over death. White that means to correct what used to be the conventional wisdom about.
Ulysses, novel by irish writer james joyce, first published in book form in 1922. Grant and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Grant grant s memoirs might be the finest that have. Stylistically dense and exhilarating, it is generally regarded as a masterpiece and has been the subject of numerous volumes of commentary and analysis.
1546 8 1365 970 787 1106 746 952 1339 994 1328 1384 184 418 899 1024 792 349 1181 500 494 1006 738 46 950 915 541 305 1168 992