Grant

Rating:
Summary: Adequate, But Hardly Definitive
Review: Most historical figures come down to us in effigies of themselves, and Ulysses Grant resides in the popular imagination today as a legendary general but a feckless president who presided over a passive administration while robber barons looted the country. I always sensed there had to be something wrong with this discordant picture of Grant, and this excellent biography set it right for me, sketching out the remarkable character traits which not only account for his success as a general, but also made him, in the author's view, a strong president who saved the country from what could have been even worse turmoil and injustice than what in fact prevailed at the end of ruinous civil war. Never particularly interested in the military, Grant as a young man entered West Point solely for the purpose of obtaining an engineering education that would facilitate a respectable civilian career. As destiny would have it, however, he graduated just in time to enter service in the Mexican War. He was exposed briefly to combat there, and he performed well enough. His actual job, though, was quartermaster, and what he displayed more than anything was an extraordinary diligence in coping effectively with prosaic, unfamiliar work and, through trial and error, accomplishing what was expected of him. Unlike many of his glory-seeking young peers, he was happy when the war ended, because he was able to return to his wife, whom he adored, and undertake the comfortable business career he envisioned for himself. Unfortunately, business turned out to be his area of incompetence, as he revealed a serial proclivity for trusting the wrong people and committing himself to luckless investments. A life of obscurity and failure seemingly would have been his lot were it not for the advent of the Civil War. As one of the few men in his home area with any military experience, he was called back to service to muster and organize local troops. Like other West Pointers, he soon found himself commanding ever-increasing numbers of men, and as he encountered combat, he did well enough to begin attracting the attention of the Federal administration. His victories at Donaldson and Shiloh demonstrated both his relentless trail-and-error approach to warfare and his imperturbability in the face of seeming defeat. At Vicksburg he captured a strategic stronghold that both sides had hitherto deemed impregnable, and in so doing, he accomplished one of the major turning points of the war. Lincoln by this time was utterly frustrated by repeated failures of his commanders in the Eastern theater, all of whom typified the flashy arrogance of 19th century military officers, but each of whom in turn had been quickly humbled by the wily and aggressive tactics of Robert E. Lee. Grant appeared to be answer to Lincoln's prayers, and being quickly promoted over the heads of more senior officers, Grant assumed overall command of the Union armies. Knowing, as Lincoln did, that the protracted stalemate developing in Virginia threatened to force a negotiated end the war on Confederate terms, Grant wasted no time in launching the bloody campaigns that finally took full advantage of the North's superior resources and manpower. He made costly mistakes, but unlike his predecessors, he took them in stride and pressed relentlessly on, destroying Lee's proud army and achieving victory for the Union in less than two years. Suddenly this quiet, dusty man was an international celebrity and, almost against his will, a rising star in American politics. After Lincoln's assassination and the welcome departure of Andrew Johnson, the presidency virtually fell into Grant's lap, as seemingly the only man capable of restoring the nation. Surprisingly well-regarded in much of the South because of his conciliatory approach at Appomattox, he nonetheless sincerely believed in the justice of Union cause. He ruthlessly suppressed the Ku Klux Klan and others in the South who sought to reverse the War's outcome, while at the same time he restrained self-serving Northern politicians trying to exploit Reconstruction for private gain. Privately, he displayed an honest concern for the plights of blacks and American Indians, as he had for the Mexicans two decades earlier, and his restraining hand probably eased the violence that afflicted these peoples. Despite his personal inexperience, he dealt with economic and diplomatic crisises with the same imperturbably that marked his style as a general. Scrupulously honest during an era that could have made him rich, he emerged from the Presidency penniless, even though he had powerful friends who tried to help him. Perhaps imagining he could now erase the memory of past failures, he turned his hand to business again, this time Wall Street, but his odd naiveté reasserted itself, and he fell victim to swindlers. Having now to cast around for means of bare sustenance, he turned to writing magazine articles, for which he was paid pittances. Mark Twain befriended him around this time and, owning his own publishing company by now, the famous author offered Grant a generous contract for his memoirs. It was probably Grant's insatiable passion for cigars that finally caught up with him, for he was diagnosed with throat cancer during this bitter-sweet period of his life. Rising to an unfamiliar challenge for one last time, he labored diligently over his book through the rigors of cancer, finishing shortly before his death. The book met critical and popular success, earning a small fortune for his widow. Jean Edward Smith is obviously partial to Grant, as biographers often are to their subjects, but even allowing for this, the story told here rings true and is deeply satisfying to American tastes. Grant typified the combination of unassuming virtues and great power that Americans tend to identify with. Like Grant himself, this biography can't really be called brilliant, but it conveys an honest, clear picture of a fascinating man, and I highly recommend it.

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.