Grant

Ron Chernow is already stablished as the biographer of the XIX century America. His books on Washington, Hamilton, Grant, Rockefeller and Morgan can be read as the great chronic of politics and finance of the nation in the making. Some of those books are slightly better than others, yet they form an admirable, already essential, opus, and this precise one, the life of Ulysses Grant, ranks high in this little great canon. General (later President) Grant is one of the great men of the XIX century America, or perhaps of recent history. The man was a celebrated soldier, an excellent writer, twice President of the USA and a figure made a model of perseverance, strong will and stoicism - one of the more recognizable recent authors of the said stoicism, Ryan Holiday, had Grant as one of his central examples in his celebrated (and multi-million seller) "The Obstacle is the Way". Ulysses Grant was also a good husband and doting father. And then an alcoholic and a poor (a very poor) business man, who in spite of his evident success, was always in the verge of bankruptcy. All the previous is in the book, in a tale that runs through the best part of the XIX century and which has as secondary characters President Lincoln and Queen Victoria, amongst others. The tale is well told, the ups and downs of the man well drawn and the story flows. The event that made Grant - the American Civil War - is in the book, but as a background, secondary to the General who won it. At the end, we know a lot of a fascinating character, and also much on a fascinating country, still looking for its place in the world. The book is deeply researched and well written, with the trade-mark, almost recognizable, magnificent sober prose of Mr Chernow, making its 900 plus pages to go quick. Only a small flaw, a moot. The book sides too much with its subject. The author obviously admires its main character (who doesn't), but he shows the admiration too much. After every mistake made by Grant comes not only the explanation, but the justification. It paints a too neat of a picture of an evidently flawed man. Making his flaws clearer wouldn't have made Grant worse, only more human.

This book does an excellent job of telling the story of Grant's life and death. From his upbringing in Ohio, to his military experience, to business failure, back to the military for triumph, to politics, being scammed, writing his memoirs and dying. The author weaves such a great story it is like reading fiction. It's a fascinating character study of a very humble person with many failings who gets plucked by history to become the great man only to fall back again. My only criticisms are that the author is clearly biased against all businesspeople--anable or unwilling to differentiate between the good or bad--and tries too hard to emphasize the virtues of minorities (Ely Parker) and some women (Susan B. Anthony) in the story while finding it too easy to find the flaws in other woman (Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Grant) and many men (for example, Sheridan and Sherman). The author falls in love with his subject, as all biographers are wont to do (except if they are writing about businesspeople), so he fails to call Grant fully to account for his treatment of his essential benefactor, Washburne (who plucked him from obscurity and later sought political office against Grant's wishes). The author deserves credit, though, for telling enough of the details to allow one to come to their own judgment. This was a blast to read, and I flew through over 1,300 pages in less than 2 weeks.

Loved this book, comprehensive coverage of Grant.

The second biography of U S Grant that I have read and far more readable. Tends to concentrate on Grant the man and not just his achievents of which there many. His tale is a lesson to us all about triumph over adversity

Mr Chernow's biography gets the highest praise from me. It is beautifully written and a pleasure to read. While I knew some of Grant's life, especially the period around the Civil War, I knew little about either his early life or his period as President (save the views that he as President he was corrupt and naive). This work allows me to see Grant in the round and even to connect his upbringing to his actions in later life. Of particular interest were the small vignettes of the other personalities that he encountered. A book for anyone who would like to understand the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction. Highly recommended.

Very enjoyable and thoroughly research biography of one of the leading generals of the American Civil war and a two term president . My only criticism was the continual references to his drunkenness , it was a recurring theme that added little . Clearly an honourable man, made by war and broken by his friends. Interesting to note that Grant sent Federal troops into the Southern States to protect civil rights in the 1860"s , as did JFK in the 1960"s. He was the first US president to visit Jerusalem which is topical , given the opening of the US embassy. The only two term president between Lincoln and Wilson. A life cut short by his addiction to tobacco which had less coverage than his drinking . A fascinating history.

Ron Chernow has written a magisterial, but eminently readable, 959-page account of the life of Ulysses S. Grant, the Union military genius who won the Civil War, and subsequently the two-time President who championed the freedom of the former slave population of the South through his policy of Reconstruction. Grant emerges as a flawed individual who battled a liking for alcohol and who was overly naïve in his judgement on people, particularly those looking to use him for financial or political gain, but whose legacy to the US is immense, parallel to that of his political mentor Abraham Lincoln. This is a superb biography which has been extensively researched, yet which reads like a novel. Thoroughly recommended.

Excellent ouvrage clair et bien documenté, j'ai appris des masses de choses sur ce général et président assez méconnu.

The whole story materialises in Mr. Grant’s portrait on the cover: what a successful man despite all the inner and outer tensions! The whole book has been so valuable for my own reflections. Thank you so much Mr Grant & Mr Chernow.

Extraordinario! Si leyeron las memorias de Grant, este libro está visto desde la versión de muchas otras personas, principalmente corrrespondencia de allegados. Este libro lleva a Grant a niveles muy superiores a los que el mismo se clasificaba. Sin duda fue quien dio continuidad a los peoyectos de Lincoln.

Good so far ..

Good biography very thorough and a great read.