GRANT

Rating:
Summary: just another Grant book
Review: This book basically says nothing new about the man. Most of his life is covered but there is nothing that has not appeared in other Grant bio's. There was more to the man than Smith took the time to uncover no matter how many sources he used.

Rating:
Summary: An OK book, but very dry
Review: This is a plodding look at Grant's life with nothing new in it. It's all been said by better writers and historians than Smith, who has no experience in the politics of Reconstruction or on Ulysses S. Grant. Trust Bruce Catton, no one except Catton wrote about Grant with the same amount of intelligence and knowledge. The chapters on the Civil war in this book are especially basic and contain not one shred or original thinking. There are also a number of mistakes in these chapters.

Grant was an intensely interesting and great man. This is a pro-Grant book all the way, but leaves much to be desired.

Rating:
Summary: Considers almost every major historical issue
Review: This is an excellent and complete history of the life of Ulysses S. Grant. It is certainly complete form the viewpoint of Civil War activities of the general, relying on all known sources -- from Grant's letters to his military orders to analyses by others from the war.

Particularly good is the analysis of Grant's presidential administration, treating his role in quashing the Ku Klux Klan; his policy toward American Indians; his role in the attempts by Jay Gould to corner the gold market. This book is strongly recommended for understanding the Reconstruction period politics; also for Grant's role in disarming the 1876 constitutional crisis over the election -- one very similar to the crisis the country faced in the 2000 presidential election.

The only important topic not treated well is the aspect of the Civil War that William Tecumseh Sherman represented: war on civilian support for the rebellion.

In addition, Smith's writing style is crisp and lively; full of anecdotes. The author's side-by-side contrasting two views of Grant expressed by the Adams' brothers is a classic. And Smith's own appreciation of Grant's writing style caused me to seek out the general's Memoirs after reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Revisionist History
Review: This is the only biography of Grant I've read, so my rating is not based on any comparison of it with other books. On its own terms it succeeds quite well. Grant's entire life including his Civil War years and his presidency are linked together through the thread of his character and personality. The book offers a fascinating revisionist critique of the his presidency. Grant fought for the rights of African Americans and Native Americans at a time when the country showed little interest in them. Grant had both the courts and public opinion against him, yet his courageous efforts proved him to be far ahead of his time. After Grant left office, African Americans would be denied civil and voting rights for about 90 years. The scandals of administration were bad, but they conceal the greatness of the man and what he achieved. Historians have generally ranked Grant last or near last in rankings of presidents. But especially when you compare Grant to Johnson, for whom Grant served as General-in-Chief for the period in between the Civil War and his election as president, the ranking is ludicrous, as is obvious from Smith's book. Johnson was a disastrous president, yet the former is always ranked higher than Grant! Some of the reviews seem to have missed this point. The biography is not meant to be the comprehensive word on Grant's drinking or his family life. It is an immensely readable general biography, with an implicit argument underpinning the narrative that Grant was much better than he has been betrayed by historians. And that is what makes it a remarkable book.

Rating:
Summary: Underappreciated Great American Hero
Review: Ulysses S. Grant is my summer reading obsession for 2002. I began with his Memoirs, followed with Julia Dent Grant's Memoirs and put it all together with Jean Edward Smith's wonderful biography. Smith tells Grants story, the greatness along with the human weaknesses, with excellent clarity. His research is complete (all sources are meticulously noted) and follows the trail of rumors of Grants personal failings along with his great triumphs in war and peace.

Thanks to Smith's research and clear writing style, Grant's character is shown to the reader. He was certainly one of the greatest generals of all time, he was not a habitual drunk, and he was not an impotent President dragged down by constant scandals within his administration. In fact, the Grant presidency had its fair share of accomplishments that are often overlooked. Grant loved his family, defended his friends with total loyalty (sometimes blindly so) and always served his country as best he could; throughout his entire life.

Thank you Jean Edward Smith for bringing Grant's story back to our attention. This work is long overdue and will certainly cause many historians-and history buffs alike-to reexamine their appreciation for this great American.

Rating:
Summary: The True Nature of Ulysses S. Grant
Review: While this book reveals nothing new, Jean Edward Smith has authored an interesting, well written biography of U. S. Grant. Grant grew up in southern Ohio and at age seventeen his father said he was sending him to West Point. Reluctantly Grant went to West Point, and the text notes "Curiously, Grant hit it off best with Longstreet." Longstreet was best man at Grant's wedding.

Grant went to war in Mexico; the war developed Grant's military professionalism greatly influencing his military thinking. When General Taylor appointed him quartermaster Grant was bitterly disappointed. However, this assignment was very beneficial as "it taught him the intricacies of military logistics logistics from the bottom up. For a man who would go on to command large armies, no training could have been more valuable." When Grant returned after the war he got married and in 1852 was posted to California where problems developed. Lonely without his family he began to drink more than was good for him. Forced to resign, he returned home and where he failed as a real-estate speculator, freighter, and farmer.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was urged to return to the army. When "The state of Illinois desperately needed someone to sort out the chaos of mobilization and Grant filled the bill." Then when General Fremont decided to go on the offensive and gain control of the Mississippi River, he appointed Grant to command the Union advance. Jean Smith states "Fremont's selection of Grant to command the Union advance is a benchmark in American history akin to FDR's selection of Eisenhower to lead the Normandy invasion."

The text's account of Grant's generalship in the West is succinct but adequate. "Vicksburg was Grant's great victory in the West" and Chattanooga confirmed his military ability. He then was called by President Lincoln to become general-in-chief of the Union army. The next notes that "The center piece of Grant's strategy was a combined offensive by Meade's Army of the Potomac against Lee, and Sherman's Division of the Mississippi against Johnston." Grant established his headquarters with Meade's Army of the Potomac and the final campaign began in May 1864 with the Battle of the Wilderness where Grant was surprised by not anticipating the Confederate attack. Following the battle Grant correctly ".... told his staff that while the battle might appear to have been a draw, we remain in possession of the field." The text next gives a brief but good account of Army of the Potomac's campaign from the Wilderness, to crossing the Rapidan River and finally to Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

Chapter 13 "RECONSTRUCTION" and Chapter 14 "LET US HAVE PEACE" are interesting. The text observes "While Grant and Lee were taking the high road to reconciliation, the seeds of vengeance were sprouting in the North." This phase of "Reconstruction labeled Presidential Reconstruction by historians, sought to bring the white South back into the Union at the expense of Negro rights." Initially Grant was skeptical about enfranchising freedmen but later gave strong endorsement to black suffrage. The author states that Grant exhibited considerable diplomatic skill-a trait with which he is seldom credited-in pushing Reconstruction while bringing the southern states quickly back into the Union.

The sections on Grant's presidency are perhaps the best. He vigorously worked to make reconstruction succeed and fought hard to combat white supremacy atrocities in the south. When he took office in 1869 there were foreign policy issues, Cuba and the claims against Britain for the Confederate Navy's commerce raider CSS Alabama. Both issues were effectively addressed by Grant's administration. Jean Smith makes the interesting comparison that "Grant's role in American diplomacy was not unlike that of Eisenhower almost a century later. Both enjoyed enormous international statue and both provided firm yet understated guidance to United States foreign policy."

Grant initiated efforts to address the grievances of American Indians. The text reveals "He sympathized with their plight, regretted their degradation, and was determined to shepherd them into full membership in American Society." However, settlers moving west created problems as they overran Indian lands with Custer's last stand bringing Grant's Indian peace policy to the point of collapse.

The text notes, "The election of 1872 marked the high point of Grant's presidency."
His second term began with a much weaker cabinet and is erroneously often thought to represent his entire presidency. The author observes that Grant's loyalty to his appointees went beyond prudence and quotes Adam Badeau, Grant's military secretary, who said Grant "....was the most steadfast man imaginable when his friends were assailed....His political career was blighted by those he sustained,,,,"

After leaving the White House Grant and his wife toured the world where "People throughout the world opened their hearts and their doors to General Grant. He was received not as an ex-president but as the Hero of Appomattox. Upon returning home, some politicians wanted him to run for the presidency again, but he did not receive the nomination. His "daily exposure to the nation's titans of finance whetted Grant's acquisitive instincts", he was blindsided and squandered his limited assets. To earn money, Grant began writing his memoirs, which he completed shortly before his death in 1885.

While Grant is remembered as a great general, the author notes "As president of the United States, Grant had wound down government spending, reduced the federal deficit, broken the gold conspiracy on Black Friday, and weaned the country away from greenback inflation onto specie payment and a sound dollar." This alone, was a notable achievement.

While nothing new is revealed, this is a well written, easy to read biography of Ulysses S. Grant.

Rating:
Summary: Thumbs up
Review: With due respect to Candace Scott (see review above) for whom I have much esteem, I found Smith's book to be the best full biography of Grant that I have read. Smith's book tries to fit in the entire scope of Grant's life, providing almost as much space to his national political role after the war as to his miltary role during the war. There are a great many superior books on Grant's role in the civil war and better books on his last days, but few that deal with his presidency as well as this and few cover his entire life in one volume that is as easy to read.