Ulysses S. Grant: Memoirs & Selected Letters (Loa #50)

by Ulysses S. Grant

Book Overview

Twenty years after Appomattox, stricken by cancer and facing financial ruin, Ulysses S. 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, intelligence, sense of purpose, and simple compassion are evident throughout this vivid and deeply moving account, which has been acclaimed by readers as diverse asMark Twain, Matthew...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0940450585
• ISBN13: 9780940450585
• Release Date: October 1990
• Publisher: Library of America
• Length: 1199 Pages
• Weight: 1.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.2" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

the words of a pivotal American

In 1885, Samuel Clemens convinced Grant, who was wallowing in debt from a failed business deal and seeing a doctor for a chronic sore throat, to write his memoirs. This he did, and this book also contains selected letters and a chronology of Grant's life. Grant finished the book (two volumes, both included here) in great pain and promptly gave up the ghost. You will not find a more objective narrator. No childish good guys and bad guys, heroes and evildoers for Grant. Rigorously but fairly pointing out the weaknesses in his opponents, and sometimes in the generals he served with (Halleck is notorious), Grant never fails to mention their strong points as well. For example, of his colleague Ewell, later a Confederate general, Grant notes, "He was a man much esteemed, and deservedly so, in the old army, and proved himself a gallant and efficient officer in two wars--both in my estimation unholy." He refers to the Mexican War and the Southern Rebellion. There is something awesome about Grant's objectivity and bravery in the field. Horses having been shot out from under him, comrades felled nearby, his sword broken by a Confederate bullet, he notes simply that in his time, it's the duty of generals to be shot at. War is not a poem of glory to Grant. It is a grisly business, often propelled by paranoid ideologies, to be gotten through as quickly and efficiently as possible. The sight of entire hillsides covered with bodies did not cure him of romantic notions of battle because he never possessed any to begin with. The reader may well suspect him of being what people call an old soul, someone who knew, even when young, that below all medals and monuments and patriotic justifications lie heaps of forgotten corpses. If Grant could be said to possess any weakness that influenced his accounts, it would be an excessive modesty similar to that which confined him to wearing a private's uniform (he had a lifelong fear of being castigated for looking too good in uniform). The facts and backgrounds of his doings are plainly stated, and in the solid, plain-spoken, sturdy prose which Clemens admired, but they seldom point out the historical significance of Grant's actions outside the immediate military context--for unlike MacArthur and Patton, Grant was no narcissist. Every promotion found him doubtful, reluctant, and obedient to the core in terms of his interpretation of his duty. Grant's inability to see through the scoundrels that gathered around him during the Presidency evidently did not apply to his role as a military commander. He was clear, for example, that the Mexican war was one of deliberately provoked imperialism. "The Mexican war was a political war, and the administration conducting it desired to make party capital out of it." (Sounds familiar, except that needing to provoke hostilities, as Polk sought to do, is no longer necessary. And yet: "...the man who obstructs a war in which his nation is engaged, no matter whether right

A must read

I originally read this book as part of a Masters Level History course at the University Of New Orleans (I wasn't in the program, I just took the class for fun). 2 months, and hours and hours of research later, I turned in a 22 page book report. This is one of the best 'autobiographies' that you will ever read, as well as one of the finest books on the Civil War. Grant was poor, having lost most of his money on poor financial decisions, when he set out to write this. He undertook the project as a way to provide for his wife, however after beginning the writing process, he grew to like it, and his 'memoirs' evolved into a classic. One should note, that this book is really his memoirs about the Civil War. There are only a couple dozen pages dedicated to his childhood and West Point years. Through his memoirs, one gets a better glimpse into the decision making of the general that they called a butcher. On his decision to assault Vicksburg in 1963, Grant wrote "There was no telling how long a seige might last. ...it was the beginning of the hot season.... There was no telling what the casulaties might be among Northern troops working and living in trenches". Grant understood war. He understood that most deaths weren't caused by bullets, but by desease. He also understood that in a battle of attrition, the North would prevail. This is not to say that there aren't any flaws in this book. As with all memoirs, certain accounts can be a little self-serving. Grant's accounts of Cold Harbor and Shiloh are somewhat different then James McPherson and Shelby Foote would have you believe, and in fact in describing his actions at Shiloh he almost contradicts himself. Over all though Grant's writing reveals a very humble person. He gives Sherman credit were credit is due. The other great thing about this book is that he goes into great depth to explain things to readers who don't have a lot of military knowledge. Grant describes such things as the erecting of telegraph poles as well as the procedure used to destroy railroads. If you chose to read this book, please read this edition, I have two other printings of this book, and they either lack the letters or are of inferior quality. The letters in the back shed greater light on Grant the Person, and the quality of this edition is outstanding. You will find cheaper editions, but you will be dissappointed.

Best book ever by a US President

Granted (sic) that there are few serious rivals(Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia" and Eisenhower's "Crusade in Europe" come to mind but don't measure up), this is a remarkable literary achievement by an "uncommon common man." Not only is it an indispensible, if not flawless, narrative of the cataclysmic events of the Civil War, the circumstances under which he wrote make its very creation a triumph of will and ability. As historian Brooks Simpson has noted, Grant's character was so complete that nobody could believe he was real. But he was, and the proof is in this book, which contains not only the "Personal Memoirs" but many invaluable letters revealing the man as well as the general. Though this edition lacks an introduction and other scholarly apparatus to enhance its value, the sheer scope of Grant's writings available here probably make it the best current presentation of his unparalleled view of the war. Also, the early chapters on the Mexican-American War (which he detested) are most enlightening in showing some of the sources of his future greatness. There were two great tragedies of Grant's public life. First, American Indians and African Americans suffered greatly while he was president, and it was a shame that he didn't (couldn't?) do more on their behalf. But in fairness, could/would anyone else have done better? Probably not. The earlier tragedy was that he was prevented from winning the Civil War early on, by the jealous ambition of rival generals and the circumspect nature of Union strategy. Unfortunately, the impediments that led to the slaughter at Shiloh ensured that that battle would set the tone for the rest of the conflict. If Grant had been given free rein in 1862, several hundred thousand lives would have been saved---but without the abolition of slavery and Reconstruction, there would have been a different tragedy. General Grant made some grievous tactical errors during the war, but was able to learn from his mistakes. It's quite misleading to think of him as a heavy-handed butcher who prevailed by grinding down opponents no matter how many men he lost. By 1864 that may have been the only way to defeat Robert E. Lee. But Grant's victories before then were consistently marked by speed, boldness and strategic brilliance whenever he was permitted to act independently, as well as great sensitivity to carnage and death. Has any general ever been better at capturing enemy armies (and thus sparing lives), rather than bloodily smashing them? Perhaps the best way to compare Lee and Grant is to see the former as the last great general of the 18th century, while the latter was the first great one of the 20th century. (A.L. Conger, "Rise of U.S. Grant" helped begin the revival of his reputation; J.F.C. Fuller, "Grant & Lee" is a well-balanced comparison.) But the "Memoirs" document---with artless modesty---Grant's consummate skill at maneuver well before he introduced modern total war. They also contain the classic pass

Get this edition for the letters

Grant's memoirs are the greatest books in American literature. Gore Vidal, Gertrude Stein and other literary figures have acknowledged their preeminence. Even if you know or care nothing about the American Civil War, these books are essential reading for any educated person. Grant wrote simply, yet beautifully, and he was dying in agony of throat cancer when he penned these books. The story of the writing of the Memoirs is one of the most amazing and courageous tales in American history. Imagine racing against death to complete an epic story, the proceeds of which would provide for his family after his death. What an amazing man!This edition of Grant's memoirs is wonderful because the appendix contains several hundred letters he wrote over the years. Most of these missives were written to his wife, Julia, and they shed an enormous light upon this shy man's character. Grant's letters show him to have been a tremendously gentle, decent man, with a great sense of humor and profound love in his heart for his wife and family.This is an excellent edition, which will bring to you only one of the greatest books written in the English language, but also a selection of Grant's letters. Both make for engrossing, gripping reading.

An American's Autobiography

Grant's Personal Memoirs and Selected Letters 1839-1865 Library of America EditionThis is one of the most important books written an American. There is something huge and seething about these memoirs. To be sure it is not from the cool tone; Grant was old fashioned in that way, and these are not confidential memoirs. This is the story about a down at the heels middle-aged man working as a clerk in Galena, Illinios shop when the Civil War started and how that man would become the nation's first four star general. But don't think of this as a success story in the ordinary sense. This lucid and clear story is one not of a man's success but of a nation's torment. Throughout the book Grant goes out of his way to praise his subordinates for his successes. Grant's modesty however does not obscure or hide his ability. There are many reasons why Grant was the best general of the Civil War, but one that is often overlooked is that Grant wrote the best orders. We know from others that he would haunch over his desk for hours writing. These orders, some of which are included in the autobiography, are models are concise and breviloquent writing. From these orders we can tell that he was involved in every element of his troop's victories and defeats. Grant gave great attention to details, and was meticulous in his preparations, and planning. There are a number of editions of Grant's "Personal Memoirs" in print, but I am recommending the Library of America edition because it contains the Report of Lieutentant-General U. S. Grant of the Untied States Armies dated July 22, 1865 and a selection of his letters. The letters to his family are particularly valuable because they show Grant at his most personal and intimate.