Excellent biography about a great man. So disheartening to read/listen to the struggles in the south that did not get resolved for another 100 years (well almost...). It is very interesting to look at the roles/views of republican and democrat parties then and now. The continual reference/ discussion of logistics concerns and discussions of construction and transportation really highlight the total effort/industry used in the war.

I enjoyed this book. One of the three books written in the 2010s that have helped to rehabilitate and reevaluate the reputation of Ulysses S. Grant. I admire Grant as a man, his life story is immensely interesting and inspiring.

This was a good book, but not great. I found there were way too many odd diversions from the narrative, the notable one that stands out to me was a very long description of the Battle of Gettysburg, a battle in which Grant did not take part. Yes, Gettysburg is a pivotal moment in the Civil War, but when I read a book about Grant, I want to focus on what he is doing. The book is informative however and is a really good introduction to the life of Grant. I was hoping for a bit more depth and that's why I can only give this 4 stars.

As a side note: I love the cover for this book. That picture of Grant is one of my very favourite from the Civil War.

Good general life of US Grant. From his early days in Ohio and Illinois to his education at West Point. Grants failures in business to his great successes in the Military. Several tales that have tainted Grants' history is given its origin in hate and jealousy which gave false tales during Grants life and continues until the truth finally comes out in Books such as Brands. Grant's Military life and his desire to retire from public life after the Civil War, but thanks to the time in need he continues his public life until he spends two terms in office as President of the US. Grant's family fortune lost thanks to one of his son's partner's scheme that left Grant and family stuck and in debt. Thanks to Grant's friendship with Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and his help publishing Grants book to give Julia and family a wage to live after Grants death.

NOT Brands' best work

First, there's one majorly wrong historical interpretation. Seeing that made me read the rest of this book in general with a more critical eye.

And that is that Brands perpetuates the myth that Gen. George Thomas had a McClellan-like sloth in the days before the Battle of Nashville in December, 1864. This myth has been convincingly refuted for some time.

Other issues I have with the book? I think Brands is too charitable on Grant's Reconstruction work as president, and doesn't delve enough into issues of how good a president he was in general, vis-a-vis things like naivete about corruption in his staff and cabinet, etc. In fact, the book is kind of thin on in-depth coverage of his presidency in general.

Also, other than noting Grant's devotion to his wife, Julia, he delves little into their marriage and questions about how much her vanity, etc., may have "driven" him.

And, with that, "thin" is perhaps indeed about the best overall way to describe the book beyond errors of historical interpretation.

Compared to a Brands work like "The Age of Gold," this was a disappointment.

Historians have always been fairly uneven towards Ulysses S. Grant. They have praised him as a military leader and savaged him as a political leader. Somehow a man who was considered wise, self-confident and honest during the Civil War came to be seen as naive, ill-prepared and out of his depth as a President. It seems almost as though history describes two different men when it comes to General Grant and President Grant.

Brands' biography is very balanced and even-handed, and in contrast to many he allows as many pages for Grant's pre-war and post-war years as he does to his Civil War generalship. He doesn't skate over Grant's failures or attribute more to him in the way of military genius than he deserves. In that sense, this book is a success in adjusting some of the historical views of Grant, although there is little new insight or revelations.

But I never got much of a sense of the man reading this book; it perhaps spent too much time focusing on the bigger picture, and generally in a biography the smaller details are often the most illuminating. So I have to say, if I was recommending any biography of Grant, I would point readers towards Jean Edward Smith's book as opposed to this one.

The writing was more of that of a fiction work than a biography and the pace was fast moving. It was the first book I have read by H.W. Brands and am planning to pick up his other book on my next book haul.
Grant had a simple upbringing. His relationship with his father was not a positive one, clearly stemming from childhood. However, his father did petition for Grant's name for West Point which is what I think was the best course of action he could have done for his son. Unfortunately for Grant he was not a businessman as his father seemed to want for his son and that savvy lack seemed to be the cause of the issue, in my mind.
Grant was a solider. It was just a part of him. The Mexico War was his starting ground of his Military Career. Unfortunately his inability to handle his drink was the major take away from that war. I truly disclaim all the "drunk" claims against Grant. He wasn't a drunk - he just could not handle his drink. Grant was in favor for any president who could keep America out of war and voted accordingly. He did vote for Lincoln. At the beginning of the war he did offer his services to the government but because of his Mexico reputation he was turned down - or not seen as a person of value and volunteered in his state's militia.
Grant benefited from Lincoln's support during the Civil War. Grant fought for Lincoln as a General Lincoln deemed he should (after dealing with lackluster generals such as Meade). A general respect for one another came out of their professional relationship. Grant deeply admired Lincoln and echoed Lincoln's message throughout his presidency. Anther relationship that was of satisfaction for Grant was that of William Sherman - the loyalty those men showed one another is extremely rare.
Grant and Robert E. Lee were first acquainted during the Mexico War. They seemed the perfect candidates to go up against one another. Both men were able to guess correctly what the other was going to do. When Lee surrounded to Grant it was as an ordinary day - not the end of the Civil War, Lee supposedly had to remind Grant the reason for their meeting.
Grant could have been in President Lincoln's theater booth if it wasn't for Mary Lincoln's crazy behavior and Julia Grant refusing to spend time with her. Julia Grant flatly refused the offer saying that they were leaving to visit their children. Grant heard of the incident and rode back that same night.
Grant never gave speeches or even campaigned for the presidency - a quality that we should bring back to our current elections - Grant's election put him in the ranks of George Washington - his military success being rewarded into the presidency. Sherman was one to question Grant entering the political arena and Grant felt it was his duty.
President Grant filled his cabinet with his friends and of course scandals mounted up, the Gold scandal being one of them. The KKK got their start in Tennessee. President Grant ordered Union troops in the South that was causing issues, such as rioting and murdering innocents. Grant was a sympathetic to the Indians and listened to their grievances the best he could. He mainly kept the county out of foreign affairs. The impression was that he was quite relieved to be leaving the White House, although Julia loved being the First Lady and wanted to stay in the limelight. Grant's name was put up for the upcoming elections and Julia was dismayed that he didn't entertain the thought.
Grant's death was quite as sad as he was racing to finish his memoirs because of another bad business investment that he made and was insanely painful. His funeral procession mirrored that of Lincoln's.
I have a hardcore crush on Ulysses Grant know - he was humble a quality we don't see any more. The love between Grant and Julia is such a sweet one, Grant adored Julia and portrayed so in his letters to her. He did everything that was asked of him and more.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would.
For starters, I think the title is really audacious and establishes expectations that the author is unable to meet.
This book has an odd structure for a biography. While it is roughly chronological, the narrative is uneven. For example, the author spends very little time on Grant's early life. This is common for many biographies. However, the author spends some of the early narrative on the early life of Sherman. In fact, this was one of my biggest pet peeves. I know that Sherman was a good friend to Grant, however, this book is not a biography of Sherman.
Additionally, the author spends large portions of the narrative describing major events of the Civil War in which Grant did not play a part. It seems like either the author's focus was too broad or he felt free to include his rabbit trails.
Despite all the negatives, I did enjoy the book. I am, however, looking for a better biography.

I saw H. W. Brands at a local library event - I can't express how excited he made me to read this book. It was a longer read - but he did an exceptional job exploring US Grant and his role in history. But more importantly he gave a wide overall picture of American history around Grant. The chapters during Grant's presidency were slower for me, but that could just be b/c of how unfamiliar I was with that time period. It was well written and informative w/o being overwhelming. I will soon be picking up Brands' other books hoping to get the same experience through the other periods of American history.