Ulysses S Grant (Commanders in Focus)

Rating:
Summary: Ulysses S. Grant (Commanders in Focus)
Review: This review concerns one of the titles in Brassey's "Commanders in Focus" series. The books are presented in soft-bound form, much in the style of the Osprey Military series of books. The book is an overview of the military life of Ulysses S. Grant, with a postcript of his life afterwards as the 18th President of the United States.

The book consists of 128 pages and is illustrated throughout. The illustrations are of the standard variety, many portraits of generals -both Union and Confederate with a small amount of period engravings and still photographs. The title also includes very general battle maps, with little detailed information. There are also only seven maps, which is suprising considering the number of engagements that could be covered.

The book is broken up into ten chapters. Chapter one includes his early life through West Point and the early battles in his career at the beginning of the civil war. This includes Shiloh and Corinth, in which I believe Shiloh should have received more attention, since this engagement help to define his resolve and character in battle. Chapter two is all about Vicksburg, and chapter three takes Grant from Chattanooga to Culpepper. The crucial war years are covered in chapter four as Grant moves East to go against General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. This chapter is probably one of the best, describing the tactics involved on the different fronts, the Wilderness, Bermuda Hundred, Spotsylvania, and so on. It is interspersed with soldier recollections and battle reports from the officer's on the field.
Chapters five and six are very good , as they delve into Grant as a commander, and Grant's character as a leader. This information is an added bonus- giving insight into the workings of Grant as a "modern" miltary man. There could be much more added to these chapters, and the book as a whole, but obviously in this condensed format - some information is left out.

Chapter seven and eight could be better also. They are short biographies of General Grant's Union foes and the adversaries of the confederacy. The problem is two-fold. There is not enough background information about the inner circle political-military struggles between the Generals, and many more are left out. Most notably are General Albert Sidney Johnston, and Simon Bolivar Buckner, just to name a few. The human interest stories of these men interacting with Grant (especially Buckner) would have lent more information in regards to Grant's military mindset.

All of this information is available in greater detail in other titles. This volume does give a general overview as Grant as a military commander. I would recommend it to those wanting the basic feel for the commander and the period in which hhe fought. However, the information contained will not be new to those with more than a general knowledge of the civil war. The book also suffers from a lack of detailed battle maps, and very standard photographs of the period.