Rating: 
Summary: A necessary addition to any Civil War buff's library
Review: Surprisingly enough, Grant could write. His memoirs read well and provide a fascinating first-person look into the life and personality of one of America's premier generals. This is original source information that is extremely well organinzed and interesting. While armchair historians and Civil War buffs need to stock this book in their personal libraries, General Grant's memoirs are well enough written to be of interest to the casual reader of history as well.
Rating:
Summary: US Grant--in his own words
Review: The story of Ulysses Simpson Grant is a tale about a man who rises from obscurity to become one of the most important men of the nineteenth century. Many men saw Grant, as general-in-chief of the Union armies during the late Civil War, as the savior of the nation. He was elected to two terms as President, and enjoyed such immense popularity that he was lavished with praise and gifts around the globe when he traveled the world. But Grant's origins were humble. He was the son of a tanner. As a young man he failed at nearly everything he did, and had a reputation, while stationed with the army in California, of being a drunk. Grant seemed the antithesis of greatness; yet somehow he rose to become one of the most prominent men in the United States during the Civil War. Who better to tell Grant's story than himself? His memoirs are somewhat self-serving, and Grant does not hesitate to point out the flaws of others. All too often he reminds his reader that, had things been done his way, disasters would have been avoided and everything would have been all right. There is some reason for his ego, however. Grant had a lot of critics, and was treated unfairly by many from the beginning. When his army was surprised at Shiloh, people said he was drunk. When he stalled outside of Vicksburg, they blamed it one the bottle. Grant's name was connected by some scandal or other through most of his Civil War career (as well as during his presidency). If he seeks to right some wrongs and, in the process, comes across as a little full of himself in his memoirs, who can blame him?
Grant gives great descriptions of many battles and campaigns, but sparse accounts of others. He avoids sensitive subjects (like the bottle, for example), and does tend to focus on what he did RIGHT rather than what he did WRONG. Despite these inconsistencies, however, Grant's memoirs are a great read. Grant tells his side of the story, and the result is a very entertaining read. Grant's style is engaging, and while not focusing too much on exact figures (Sherman's memoirs are much better for that), he manages to convey to the reader the most important aspects of each major action in which he was involved. Grant may not have been the best general in the war, but he was certainly the right man for the job. Read these memoirs for a look inside the complex mind of the man who took on Robert E. Lee--and actually won.
Rating:
Summary: US Grant--in his own words
Review: The story of Ulysses Simpson Grant is a tale about a man who rises from obscurity to become one of the most important men of the nineteenth century. Many men saw Grant, as general-in-chief of the Union armies during the late Civil War, as the savior of the nation. He was elected to two terms as President, and enjoyed such immense popularity that he was lavished with praise and gifts around the globe when he traveled the world. But Grant's origins were humble. He was the son of a tanner. As a young man he failed at nearly everything he did, and had a reputation, while stationed with the army in California, of being a drunk. Grant seemed the antithesis of greatness; yet somehow he rose to become one of the most prominent men in the United States during the Civil War. Who better to tell Grant's story than himself? His memoirs are somewhat self-serving, and Grant does not hesitate to point out the flaws of others. All too often he reminds his reader that, had things been done his way, disasters would have been avoided and everything would have been all right. There is some reason for his ego, however. Grant had a lot of critics, and was treated unfairly by many from the beginning. When his army was surprised at Shiloh, people said he was drunk. When he stalled outside of Vicksburg, they blamed it one the bottle. Grant's name was connected by some scandal or other through most of his Civil War career (as well as during his presidency). If he seeks to right some wrongs and, in the process, comes across as a little full of himself in his memoirs, who can blame him?
Grant gives great descriptions of many battles and campaigns, but sparse accounts of others. He avoids sensitive subjects (like the bottle, for example), and does tend to focus on what he did RIGHT rather than what he did WRONG. Despite these inconsistencies, however, Grant's memoirs are a great read. Grant tells his side of the story, and the result is a very entertaining read. Grant's style is engaging, and while not focusing too much on exact figures (Sherman's memoirs are much better for that), he manages to convey to the reader the most important aspects of each major action in which he was involved. Grant may not have been the best general in the war, but he was certainly the right man for the job. Read these memoirs for a look inside the complex mind of the man who took on Robert E. Lee--and actually won.
Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed
Review: There are many books about the Civil War, and there is U.S.Grant who places you in the middle of the War.He gives you not only the broad picture but also a wealth of vivid and often surprisingly funny and touching details. A self-effacing sense of humour is not the least of Grants many qualities.his account of the mexican war (which he hated) is at times hilarious. Though no one explains this better than Grant himself, he is essentially a modest man, always willing to share the credit and to take the blame for his own mistakes.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: U.S. Grant's Personal Memoirs is a literary masterpiece, and one of history's greatest autobiographies. It is without question the best autobiography by any former U.S. President. Grant writes about the Civil War, and he does so with ironic, terse, brilliant prose. When described by most historians, Grant often--unfairly--pales when compared with his great foe, Robert E. Lee, but this book shows why Grant was such an excellent commander (and why he won). And when you remember that Grant hurriedly wrote this while he was dying of throat cancer, and that he was fighting time to finish it so he could support his family, it gives the book added poignancy. It is also noteworthy that Grant ignores his presidency. He only writes about his early years, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. This is not easy reading, but it is worth the time. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Read This
Review: Whatever history has to say about US Grant, the president, there's a reason why his NYC memorial was the most visited American landmark until the Washington Momument was completed. It should fool no one that Grant's memoirs, written under financial pressure, and completed only days before throat cancer killed him, have become part of the American canon. If you've ever seen those upright potraits of this man, his frill-less diction and clarity will not surprise. Despite hailing from another time, this is a remarkably quick read.
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