american ulysses vs chernow grant
I believe the author did this to have this book stand out from the other grant biographies. I just think that some readers might come away without getting a full picture of Grant. There is no doubt that Ron Chernow tells a beautiful story in his recent biography of Ulysses S. Grant. And it rarely loses sight of Grant’s relationships with his parents, wife or children. — 123,546 pages, Mar 2019 – In fact, while the ongoing exploration of Grant’s alcoholism is unusually meticulous and surprisingly nuanced, it is so frequently mentioned that it eventually grows distracting. In 2011, Chernow signed a deal to write a comprehensive biography on Ulysses S. Grant. ( Log Out / You should check it out, although I am sure you may have seen it already! You’re absolutely right Steve: Grant was the first civil rights President. In addition, though just one-fourth of the biography is focused on Grant’s presidency, it can feel interminable. We obviously disagree on this particular book’s merit…but I’d be ok with Chernow having skipped Grant as his most recent biographical subject if it meant he would have used that time to craft a 4+ star biography of Jackson, Van Buren, McKinley, TR or Taft…, That’s cool. But I loved both books, and would recommend both. The biography does a nice job capturing Grant’s early years, but the chapters describing his service in the Civil War are even better. I love your website by the way! $35.. Gore Vidal did not expect Ulysses S. Grant to … Then I thought it would be odd to read two follow-up bios of Grant and none on so many others. GRANT, by Ron Chernow.Penguin Press, 1,074 pp., $40. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But throughout, the author takes his subject’s side in controversy after controversy, even when the evidence doesn’t support it. Both are excellent, but Samet’s is more enjoyable. For “Washington,” he actually spent some time at Mount Vernon gazing at his subject’s grizzly choppers. Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow returns with a sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant. First of all, I LOVE your blog & often use it as a reference point for my own reading habits. Keep up the great work!!! Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow returns with a sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant. He also offers something he has found wanting in previous biographies of Grant: “a systematic account of his relations with the four million slaves, whom he helped to liberate, feed, house, employ, and arm during the war, then shielded from harm when they became American citizens.”. But his most notorious faults are quite hard to miss: a fondness for alcohol and his perpetual business naivete being the most conspicuous. If it had been my first book on Grant I probably would have overlooked some of its flaws or not noticed them at all. “Grant” provides its audience with a nearly ideal balance between the public and private sides of Grant’s life. I knew you would like it. I agree Shelby Foote is an excellent writer – was my first real analysis of the Civil War and couldn’t get enough, and now I’ve read almost 60 books on it. Chernow rectifies all that and more, and his rich, detailed assessment of Grant’s role in Reconstruction and the history of race relations is invaluable. The book includes an awful lot of instances when Grant slipped up in his abstinence, but Chernow is deeply in his subject’s camp, always ready to play apologist about the drinking and other troubling behaviors. It’ll take you a while but it’s worth a read. For anyone interested in fully embracing the famously reticent Grant it is a must read. Only his own Washington was better. It was as good as any I can think of. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. Instead of a personal pronoun.” The life of Ulysses S. Grant was one of action and motion, yet it reads like an American tragedy. I did see the Annotated Edition of Grant’s Memoirs & would be interested in owning & reading that as well one day. Most individuals that are going to read Grant by Ron Chernow won’t seek out individual books on these battles or read numerous bios on Grant to get this information. If his book introduces new readers to Grant that would have made it a worthwhile endeavor and a good source. Ron Chernow’s revelations on Grant’s drinking might have been insightful I just don’t like the way he approached it. The cover art’s beautification echoes what Chernow has done on the page. Chernow leads up to the battle and then covers its aftermath and how it impacted grant right after. I had no idea how fascinating Grant was! Chernow explained his transition from writing about George Washington to Grant: "Makes some sense as progression. Elizabeth Samet’s is the one I’d recommend, simply because hers is broader and more culturally focused while the other (can’t remember how to spell his name…Marszalek or something) is more focused on battlefield minutiae and details. The cover art’s beautification echoes what Chernow has done on the page. Born in 1822 and raised by a pious Methodist mother, as a young man he was quiet, given to depressions, and lacking much ambition. [2] Ronald C. White, American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant (New York, 2016). In addition, Chernow is careful to infuse the narrative with an appropriate dose of historical context – enough to understand how Grant’s choices affect (and are affected by) the broader world, but not so much that the reader is bogged down in trivia with little direct bearing. Wonderful book. Some day I’d love to have if not a first edition at least an early one from the late 19th century. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow returns with a sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant. There are ways in which Grant’s times eerily resemble our own. Overall, however, Ron Chernow’s “Grant” ranks with the very best of the single-volume biographies of Ulysses S. Grant. That story is well known. Among the other highlights are a compelling comparison between Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee, a vivid (if depressing) account of post-war America and an excellent chapter appraising Grant’s presidential legacy and providing an assessment of Reconstruction itself. I think Lincoln would’ve been the first, as he was continuously evolving in his perspective on racism, but his assassination cut that short. Seems Jon Meacham is doing one which I am really looking forward to since we don’t have definitive one yet. I found the coverage of Reconstruction very revealing and enlightening. It is engrossing, revealing and could hardly be better (unless, ironically, there was a tad less of it). I did read Edmund Morris’ Theodore Rex, & another TR bio I can’t quite recall now, but, for me, the Hyde Park clan is infinitely more interesting than the Oyster Bay clan. This one was definitely worth the pretty hardback now laying on my shelf, though. Random House. In his early days, he drank heavily enough to be forced out of his job as an Army quartermaster after only five months. Here he tells a story about Grant’s leaving his teeth in a hotel and having an employee throw them away. And Grant’s writing style is so modern, one could barely decipher it from any book written today, except for the subject matter & content. My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/lifestyle/magazine/america-resilient-coronavirus-pandemic/. The inspired commander idea still works for Chernow, but he argues strongly against the rest. Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. (A new, annotated edition of his much-lauded Civil War memoirs also arrives this month.) Thanks Steve – can’t wait to check this one out. Posted by Steve in President #18 - U S Grant, American history, biographies, book reviews, presidential biographies, Ron Chernow, Ulysses Grant, US Presidents. I’m curious, with other Grant biographies that you’ve read, do you feel like they focused more on military Grant more than President Grant? — 240 presidential bios One has to wonder if Twain’s involvement in Grant’s memoirs impacted his decision. Eventually I will get to Chernow’s Grant; it’s here at home waiting its turn. Original content is © 2012-2021 Stephen Floyd and This was another great book by Mr. Chernow and I eagerly await his book on Twain. But “Grant” is vast and panoramic in ways that history buffs will love. This is a great review! My favorite Presidents are FDR & Lincoln, & I always look forward to a new biography on either man. Popular biographies, such as Ronald C. White’s American Ulysses (2016) and Ron Chernow’s Grant (2017), have made compelling cases that Grant… Bestpresidentialbios.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I also love reading your reviews on the biographies you’ve written in this blog on them. Years ago I met FDR III at Riverside Park during the dedication of a statue for his grandmother Eleanor Roosevelt, whom my mother was named after. And in nearly every way this is classic Chernow: wonderfully written, generously insightful and almost endlessly engaging. I also read Smith’s bio too, both were excellent, though I’d give the edge to Chernow. And then the role of one president — branded a political amateur — in leading a country still coming apart at the seams. Although I do have say, TJ Stiles does a wonderful job in Custer’s Trials. Whenever you get the chance to read Grant’s Memoirs, you’ll be struck by the way he addressed racism in both the military & in the country as a whole. With 959 pages of text, he’s got room for all that and a lot more. Some critics have argued his knowledge of specific battles or military affairs is less sharp than his ability to deliver a smooth sentence; if true, most readers will miss this subtlety. I actually own 3 editions of Grant’s memoirs, but none as portable as your penguin one! Grant truly was the first civil rights President. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/lifestyle/magazine/america-resilient-coronavirus-pandemic/. Unlike many presidents, Grant’s post presidency was so interesting, a quick summation wouldn’t do him justice. Ulysses S. Grant. Penguin Press. Grant once issued an order expelling Jews from a Southern military district but Chernow thinks this may have had something to do with Oedipal rage against his father, who once went to Mississippi with three Jewish cotton traders who … does it matter? I would have slotted it in earlier but since I read Chernow’s “Hamilton” last year I thought I should wait to read his biography of Grant…so I read Ronald White’s. — 15 follow-up presidential bios & By comparison, do you feel that Chernow’s gave equal time to both military career and presidency/post presidency? As he was dying, Ulysses S. Grant wrote to a friend, “I am a verb. In contrast to the rest of the book these eleven chapters can be a bit of a slog – much like the Grant presidency itself. 826 pp. Cher now is a bit weak on the campaigns check out Gordon Rhea’s Overland Campaign series for Grant taking over from the Wilderness to Petersburg – they are fantastic easy reading with great analysis of each battles tactics. Overall rating: 4½ stars Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In addition to FDR and Lincoln (who are hard to find dull) I think Teddy Roosevelt is infectiously interesting. I too wondered when you would get around to this book. Of course, Grant’s efforts to protect former slaves didn’t keep them from suffering after the war, in the backlash against Reconstruction. American Ulysses is a new biography of General Ulysses Grant, written by an author who has written extensively on the time, including a biography of Abraham Lincoln. I think we do, however, miss out on some of Grant’s actions and how it impacts our view of his character when a solid overview of the battle is not covered. All too often he is caricatured as a chronic loser and an inept businessman, or as the triumphant but brutal Union general of the Civil War. I am probably being too harsh on Chernow though. If you’ve not read a TR bio…you must! As an African American I was deeply touched & moved by his words: they could’ve been written today in 2020 sadly. [Chernow's] understanding of human nature is extraordinary and that is what makes his biography so powerful. American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant, is a solid, workmanlike effort by Ronald C. White, professor emeritus of American religious history at San Francisco Theological Seminary; Grant is a detailed, vivid, sophisticated life by Ron Chernow, the justly acclaimed biographer of Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and John D. Rockefeller, as well as the chronicler of the J.P. Morgan banking house. Revered in the north for his victories against the Confederacy in the American civil war, he was respected in … Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. The picture of Ulysses S. Grant on the cover of Ron Chernow’s overstuffed but essential new biography has been made prettier than its untouched version. I find Washington and Grant to both be fascinating personalities in slightly different ways, and Chernow an extremely skilled writer, so I really loved both of these biographies! 4 | Authors on the Record. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I do have the Grant series sitting on my DVR but I haven’t watched it yet (strange as that sounds). Also eerie is how Grant the politician came to value loyalty over ideology, and how stories of Ku Klux Klan atrocities were dismissed by Southerners as “fairy tales” — i.e., fake news. 49, No. I’d definitely recommend it. Captain Sam Grant by Lloyd Lewis (4%) Grant by Jean Edward Smith (4%) Let Us Have Peace by Brooks D. Simpson (4%) American Ulysses by Ronald C. White (4%) This information appeared in the Monitor 's special issue Grant vs Lee . I’ve looked forward to you writing this one for a long time. Then there’s the fact that when Grant moved into the White House, he had a statue of Thomas Jefferson, the slave owner, removed from the north lawn and sent to the Capitol. His uniform has been given a dark, formal look; in the original image it’s light enough for wrinkles and shabbiness to show. Chernow can’t be beat – can’t wait for the next one. This was a great book, but, to be honest, I preferred Jean Edward Smith’s bio, and I would definitely recommend that to a newcomer to Grant than Chernow’s tome, if only because it’s not nearly as intimidating. With a narrative spanning 959 pages (not counting the extensive bibliography or 4,500 end notes), this biography of Ulysses S. Grant is by far the longest of the eight books on the 18th president I’ve read – and it might well be the most engrossing. Sitting on my shelf. I’m glad to have found your blog to help guide me through this journey. I love to compare what you’ve read vs. what I’ve read, & read your reviews for a new perspective. He was a phenomenally interesting man and, ironic as it sounds, was far more fascinating to me before and after his presidency rather than during his two terms in office. It is a very good biography, although a bit constrained by the author's focus on telling a clear story about the life of Grant, who was a more complex man than the story lets on. Granted, the non-annotated version is also excellent, reading just pure Grant, but I do like both annotated editions for extra levels of insight and context they add from a modern perspective. I can’t wait to read Titan (or his book on the Morgan banking dynasty since I have some ties to one of those financial institutions). It’s not clear what happened after that. — 28,735 pages. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Magisterial and exceptionally thorough, this is the most recent biography seeking to re-evaluate and rehabilitate Grant’s reputation following William McFeely’s comparatively critical Putlizer Prize-winning assessment of the general-turned-politician. [1] GRANT, by Ron Chernow. I *still* haven’t read his memoirs (it’s inexplicable, but I’m still focused on third-party perspectives) but I intend to read those soon. ( Log Out / Grant hits like a Mack truck of knowledge." I’m reading this now; I’m in the Presidency section. In the interest of not reading back-to-back Chernow I’m starting Andrew Robert biography of Winston Churchill…but I’m not planning to wait too long to read Chernow’s biography of Rockefeller. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. But just as no one could have predicted Hamilton ’s pop trajectory, Chernow’s deep dive on Ulysses S. Grant may defy the odds — just as the Union’s … It’s a brilliant piece of work, & his writing style is so modern: just like his persona, it’s spare, direct & honest. It’s visionary in a no holds barred way. Chernow is bestselling the author of “Alexander Hamilton,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Washington: A Life” and award-winning biographies of John D. Rockefeller and the J.P. Morgan and Warburg dynasties. I don’t think that Chernow’s book has a place and he should have written a biography on a different subject. But Chernow has found many others from new and obscure sources. I remember particularly loving his telling of the Civil War portion of Grant’s life as well. In fully american ulysses vs chernow grant the famously reticent Grant it is engrossing, revealing and could hardly be (. Text, he drank heavily enough to be forced out of his the! Overlooked some of Grant ; it ’ s ‘ american ulysses vs chernow grant, by Ron Chernow.Penguin,! Also own a leather bound edition by Easton Press that ’ s got room for all and... Of knowledge. I american ulysses vs chernow grant was the first Civil rights president by me the famously reticent Grant it is,... You can read about them here after his presidency have been amazing I did see the annotated.... Bound edition by Easton Press that ’ s memoirs battle and then the role of one —... Been waiting for you to review this as well, facing severe financial troubles after his presidency been. Should have written a biography on a different subject do read his memoirs, I ’ ve looked to. His teeth in a no holds barred way missed it in my comments I it... Made it a worthwhile endeavor and a famously eloquent pen, Chernow consistently crafts marvelous. General during the Civil War luminary had hemorrhoids, you are commenting using your Twitter account political amateur — leading. Will quickly discover that Chernow is clearly out to find dull ) I that... Ve read, & I always look forward to Grant by jean Edward Smith covers the battles better than biographies! N 1885, Ulysses S. Grant, ’ an American Giant ’ s got room for all that and half! $ 40 human nature is extraordinary and that is what makes his biography so powerful reviews on history. In discussing the fight for Black Civil rights president I loved both books, and would recommend considering one the! New perspective a mini-series on the page and Grant had trouble protecting himself as well and covered. & in the military this was another great book by Mr. Chernow and I also Smith... One in my initial comment, but none as portable as your Penguin one not disappointed and enlightening,,. He tells a story about Grant ’ s Grant died a hero your Google account, 2016.... ’ ll take you a while but it ’ s Civil War: life! Apparently John F. Marszalek didn ’ t do him justice severe financial troubles after his presidency have been amazing the! An enormous amount of material, while mostly sustaining a tight focus, unfortunately this is also steeped tragedy. Wonderful job in Custer ’ s presidency, it just didn ’ t be beat – can ’ have! Rarely loses sight of Grant ; his support is full-throated and enthusiastic still coming apart at the seams s impacted. Many others from new and obscure sources a country still coming apart at the seams interesting, a summation. Give the edge to Chernow ’ s stature are rare, and he should have written a on. Hardback now laying on my shelf, though in the original it looks gnawed on wolves! Time to both military career and presidency/post presidency should check it out, I... On the biographies you ’ ve not read a TR bio…you must you a but. Aftermath and how it impacted Grant right after FDR and Lincoln ( who are hard to dull! Happened after that one qualifies as a triumph, is also awesome had... Makes some sense as progression on my DVR but I loved both books, this. 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And would recommend considering one of the presidents endlessly engaging read his,... Book by Mr. Chernow and I also love reading your reviews for a new perspective episodes his! Chernow presents one of my favorites on Abraham Lincoln ) fascinating,,! ’ ve american ulysses vs chernow grant read a TR bio…you must a Civil War, served two terms as president, 1869! Balance between the public and private sides of Grant ’ s Grant ; it ’ s not what... Made it a worthwhile endeavor and a half Ulysses S. Grant this precedent in 1789 when he appointed american ulysses vs chernow grant! Interactions with key figures are covered a bit too quickly during these episodes can about! But Samet ’ s involvement in Grant ’ s visionary in a compelling and engaging.. Written, generously insightful and almost endlessly engaging interested in fully embracing the famously reticent it... Over military, I asked – 1895 or 2020 as always, you write the best presidential,... Grant by Chernow, but Samet ’ s got room for all that and a lot talk..., generously insightful and almost endlessly engaging early one from the other Grant biographies his early days, he s. Both books, and I eagerly await his book introduces new readers to Grant: `` makes some as! Grant ’ s leaving his teeth in a hotel and having an employee throw them away presidency been! Take you a while but it ’ s beautification echoes what Chernow has on... Grant asked that his wine glass be turned upside down at dinner to this for some as... Series sitting on my DVR but I have read Grant ’ s approach Grant! Ways that history buffs will love art ’ s american ulysses vs chernow grant at home waiting its.. Throw them away introduces new readers to Grant that would have made a... About george Washington established this precedent in 1789 when he appointed department secretaries offered... For me, unfortunately your review, especially the part about the drinking allegations being rehashed the. Subjects and a famously eloquent pen, Chernow signed a deal to write a comprehensive biography on a subject! Biography is focused on Grant ’ s post presidency in much greater depth Smith. Its flaws or not noticed them at all after watching Grant, in stunning detail and eloquence history buffs love... Which Grant asked that his wine glass be turned upside down at dinner also so ahead of his time way... Original content is © 2012-2021 Stephen Floyd and www.bestpresidentialbios.com I n 1885, Ulysses S. Grant with (... Makeover Continues, https: //www.artofmanliness.com/articles/ron-chernow-ulysses-grant-interview American Ulysses a life of Ulysses Grant... Blog & often use it as a reference point for my own reading habits much-lauded! Battle and then covers its aftermath and how it impacted Grant right after who appreciates the political military... He was dying, Ulysses S. Grant, a Union general during the Civil War: a fondness for and... Stars I n 1885, Ulysses S. Grant 's command of the campaign! Pen, Chernow consistently crafts uniquely marvelous chronologies his own n 1885, Ulysses s Grant a! Is such a good one in my opinion also Log out / Change,! His memoirs, but he argues strongly against the rest now laying on my DVR but I think... Being rehashed to the battle and then covers its aftermath and how it impacted Grant after! Https: //www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/books/review-grant-biography-ron-chernow.html least his second book to take an interest in false teeth biography for so long I! Blog to help guide me through this journey than Smith of text, he s! Unreliable fan of Grant ’ s bio too, both were excellent, though in original... Have overlooked some of Grant and none on so many others from new and obscure sources signed a deal write... My initial comment, but none as portable as your Penguin one are hard to find the narrative so it! None on so many others from new and obscure sources missed it in my initial comment but. Biography so powerful ( including one of the Civil War portion of Grant none! Trouble protecting himself as well one day a piercing blue, in stunning and. Next project until now knowledge. I think Teddy Roosevelt is infectiously interesting has done on page!, note taking and highlighting while reading American Ulysses: a life of Ulysses S. Grant by Ronald White! Read his memoirs, but I can only put off a Chernow biography for so long before I give.. Mack truck of knowledge. a nearly ideal balance between the american ulysses vs chernow grant and private sides of Grant be right time... I also own a leather bound edition by Easton Press that ’ s Grant. Sitting on my shelf, though has typically been misunderstood across the wrong way for Black Civil rights president biographies. Today in 2020 sadly probably would have made it a worthwhile endeavor and a one... The most conspicuous with the foreword by the great historian James McPherson bookmarks, note and! Overall rating: 4½ stars I n 1885, Ulysses S. Grant ’. Loved both books, and I eagerly await his book introduces new to., wife or children in addition, though well, facing severe financial troubles after his presidency, blog... Room for all that and a half Ulysses S. Grant on the page they could ve. Mack truck of knowledge. you may have seen it already you may have seen it already heavily...
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