Ulysses S. Grant (1822‒85), victorious general and two-term president, is a complex and often poorly understood figure. His career went through enormous ups and downs, right down to the end of his life, when bad investments left him bankrupt. His greatest successes were military—first in the Mexican War of 1846‒48, then in the stunning victories for the Union forces in Civil War of 1861‒65—and these are the focus of this powerful and compelling memoir.
First published in 1885, when Grant was dying of lung cancer, it was an unqualified success.
In addition to their immense historical value, these memoirs are essential in revealing the true Grant. Although he does not dwell on personal details, his character comes through in his literary style, which is simple, plain, and matter-of-fact. As a general, Grant was admired for writing clear, direct, and easily understood orders, and he transferred this skill to writing his autobiography.
Historian Lloyd Lewis commented, “Grant’s superb style of writing is what [William Tecumseh] Sherman and Mark Twain thought of it—the best of any general’s since Caesar.”
What is most valuable for us today, perhaps, is that these memoirs provide a portrait of the American character at its finest: simple, unpretentious, straightforward, clear-headed, and unflinchingly honest.
Author Gore Vidal said, “It is simply not possible to read Grant’s Memoirs without realizing that the author is a man of first-rate intelligence.”
These qualities made Grant a great general. They also made him a great man. People today who are looking for inspiration would do well to read and take to heart this historical and literary masterpiece—and the legendary figure behind it.
This original classic edition also includes a new foreword by author Richard Smoley highlighting many of the book’s notable characteristics and placing it in the larger context of the time.