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Summary: Rates with the finest prose........
Review: Rates with the finest prose ever written by an American. Clear, far less self-aggrandizing than the memoirs of most other famous Civil War soldiers, & at times, when Grant salutes the valor of his men, very moving. Bob Rixon
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Summary: A Great Story Meets A Great Writer
Review: That U.S. Grant is telling one of history's great tragic and glorious stories as the key actor would make this book a fine piece in its own right. He has a gift for story telling that renders his Personal Memoirs compelling and engrossing. One of the best books I have read. It is remarkable from several levels. First, it is undeniably great history. The story of our Civil War is moving enough to leave a tremendous impression upon the reader in Grant's hands. Second, this book is a great study in management. Grant succeeded where scores failed at similar command levels throughout the Civil War. He did due to his: knowledge and focus on his mission; his ability to conceive plans that served his mission; his ability to have alternatives that stayed the course; his ability to learn from mistakes and experience; his calm in the face of stress and chaos; his decisiveness and his willingness to take reasonable risks.This book surprised me by being an excellent management study. The lessons which are easy to take away from the book are aplicable to anyone who is faced with mission definition and achievement. It should be must reading in MBA programs. Grant's lack of ego is surprising when compared to other Civil War figures and high achievers who have reflected on their lives and actions. By not only focusing on things that went right for Grant, the book has a tremendous credibility borne of real life trial and error, frustration, lessons learned and later employed. A great book.
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Summary: When man and moment met.
Review: The book is for the most part wonderful. I was left with a clear understanding of how Grant got to his zenith in the Civil War, but I was left wondering what insights he had into his failed Presidency. As the book was finished 20 years after the war, this seems a curious oversight. It is, of course, an autobiography, so it is necessarily an unobjective view of things. Nonetheless, one message is clear: Grant was truly a man who met with a moment, but who clearly might easily have spent his life as an anonymous merchant in Ohio or as a mathematics instructor at West Point. Once assuming command of the Union Army, he was an efficient leader, but perhaps not a brilliant tactician. What he brought to the table was tenacity, a will to fight, something his predecessors lacked. He latched onto Lee and never let go, understanding that attrition would favor the wealthier and more populous Union. The result was victory, but at an awful toll. Grant's memoirs paints a picture of an honest, unassuming and sometimes sentimental man who was designed for this one mission. The rest of his life was unspectacular, and further reading into his Presidency reveals he had rather poor judgment in politics, but those who cherish this Union owe him a debt of eternal gratitude.
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Summary: Great
Review: The finest work of military literature ever written
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Book I have Ever Read
Review: The greatest book I have ever read. Grant writes in a way I have never seen before. Simple, yet with details and great substance. Gives you great insite into who he was, and where he came from.
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Summary: Now That's A President
Review: There's a natural tendency when reading a presidential autobiography to compare the subject to the current leader. In this case it is hard to believe that Grant and Clinton belong to the same species. Ulysses S. Grant embodied valor and probity on and off the battlefield. Bill Clinton has achieved historical profligacy in and out of his trousers. Modern day illuminati may scoff in disbelief at Grant's non-boastful statement that he never used profanity, but that is consistent with the integrity that guided his actions. Clinton will long be remembered for perpetuating the most obscene activities unimaginable within the confines of the Oval Office. While one dodged the draft, spent the war in England, and regularly lead protests against his the country, the other spent years demonstrating patriotic fortitude by fighting in an even more controversial and divisive war. Leading the Union army to victory in the Civil War, Grant stands as one as one of the most salient figures who prevented the United States from being permanently splintered. It's easy to wonder what he would think of today's widespread push for group rights that pose nearly as serious threat to the nation's cohesion. He commanded a willing army of magnanimous soldiers in a bloody war to bring the races together and now major efforts are underway to split them apart by rampant multicultural separatism a century later. Grant constantly displayed a steadfast devotion to his family just as Clinton repeated betrays his. The general saw his wife and children as often as he could during the war, and it was his desire to be reunited with his children who were then in New Jersey that kept him from accompanying Abraham Lincoln to the theater on that fateful night. Once during the war when his oldest son was fighting a life-threatening illness, he obtained permission to pay a visit but could not relinquish command of the military. Dedicated to both his duties as soldier and father (two areas where Clinton has proved less than stellar), he went to St. Louis and maintained control of the army via messengers and the telegraph. If for no other reason, this book warrants a read because it bears witness to a once-in-a-lifetime moment in history: Grant's first meeting with Lincoln. This momentous occasion was shared by the author's eldest son shortly after his recovery form the nearly fatal ailment. There are two major aspects of General Grant's life missing. His victory over alcoholism is not mentioned nor even alluded to. In the late 1800's this affliction was probably not widely viewed as a disease. Rather it was seen as a weakness of character. Grant most likely was ashamed of this deficiency and did not want to be seen either as immoral or a victim-another far cry of the current "it's not my fault that I can't keep my pants on" attitude of the present commander in chief. The second lacuna is his presidency. The book ends shortly after the war and throughout only passing references are made to his tenure in the highest office in the land. Grant knew he was dying when he wrote this work-it was his effort to provide for his widow (the deviation from Clintontonism here goes without saying), and the millions in royalties it earned fulfilled this final goal admirably. Perhaps cancer prevented the second volume which no doubt would have done justice his presidency. Still, this work is enough to explicitly contrast his differences from Clinton. The war record proves that Grant was a somewhat underrated president and a most extraordinary man; now we are stuck with a grossly overrated president who could not be underrated as a man.
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Summary: Great American History from two great Americans
Review: This book is alive! How many 125 year old books are still page turners? This one is. This was Grant's last great effort (and ghost-written with Mark Twain). What could be better? Twain has an energetic writing style that is still highly readable and Grant had an amazing life! It was a best-seller in its day and still makes for great reading today. No lover of American History can say their library is complete without this book. Want to splurge? Get the original through [a rare used book seller].
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Summary: An Unexpected Masterpiece
Review: This book probably tells more about Grant than any biography. In fact, none of his biographers seem to be able to do him justice. Grant's personal diffidence may have played some part in this. The clarity of expression and lean, strong use of the language tells us much about the type of man that Grant was. Grant seems to be an ordinary man who took advantage of his opportunities and whose guiding principal was perseverance and more perseverance. In fact, many of us are drawn to him because he seems to have been so ordinary, not regal, aristocratic, handsome, imposing. He had many problems that are common, business failures and alcoholism. Yet Grant finally got a real chance and took advantage of it. He was not without his moments of brilliance. The Vicksburg campaign was marvelous strategy. The relief of Chattanooga was complex and brilliantly executed. His final move against Petersburg and the railroads, trapping Lee's army, was solid and, in the final analysis, effective. Grant is still something of an enigma. These memoirs do not solve that, but contribute to our understanding of this great figure in our history. After having studied much literature about him, I find myself drawn to this plain spoken, hard working man, much more so than Lee or Jackson. Some of Grant's character shows here. It helps if you have read a great deal of civil war history prior to picking this up. Bruce Catton's books on Grant and on the Army of the Potomac would be a good place to start.
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Summary: The Greatest Book Ever Written!
Review: This is not hyperbole. Read it and you will agree. Not only was Grant the greatest General in our history, he was also the greatest writer. He is my idol and I think he is too little understood and appreciated today. An exceptional reading experience!
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Summary: Found volume 1 of A book written by U.S. Grant
Review: We have found volume 1 of a series of books written by U.S. Grant. The book is called " Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. I was wondering the value or any information you have on this book to be e-mailed to me.
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