Customer Reviews

The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 18: October 1, 1867 - June 30, 1868

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"The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" is a project begun in 1962 for the purpose of publishing all the known letters written by Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one was published in 1967 and there are now twenty-four volumes in the series. People who follow Grant's career are aware of the inestimable value of this project. The Papers contain all known correspondence written by Grant and letters received by him. The editing of the series is unparalleled and the volumes represent primary source material at its apex.

Those who believe Grant was a "drunkard" or a "butcher" should read his own words, which show Grant's humor, pathos and unique personality. Masterfully edited by John Y. Simon, these volumes are a "must have" for anyone with an interest in U.S. Grant as a general, a politician and as a man

The twenty-six (and counting!) volumes comprising all the known extant writings of Ulysses Grant are indeed a remarkable example of published primary source material. While every volume contains much material that is admittedly of trivial importance to even the most rabid Grant scholar, each book in this series also contains fascinating nuggets of information not found anywhere else. Anyone with even a casual interest in USG is sure to discover something worth reading in every volume. In gathering together not only all of Grant's known correspondence, but relevant peripheral documents, the editors of this series are doing a truly Herculean job and deserve great commendation.

I have only a few quibbles with the series. The first involves something over which the editors had no control. I refer to the fact that, in the first few volumes (particularly Volume One,) Grant's descendants insisted that certain passages in Grant's letters to his fiancee-turned-wife Julia Dent that had been crossed out (either by Julia or other family members) not be published. This idiotic decision is not only extremely frustrating for the reader, but, ironically, damaging to Grant himself. By all accounts, the deleted passages contain nothing that could be considered detrimental to Grant's good name, but by leaving them out, these descendants unwittingly gave the impression that there was something to hide. Hopefully, in an "Appendix" volume at the end of the series, the editors will be sporting enough to include whatever deleted passages can be transcribed, and the series will at last be considered complete.

My other complaints about this series are more minor. While each volume contains copious, and frequently illuminating, footnotes, the editors occasionally fail to provide enough context. That is to say, a brief, undetailed letter of Grant's will frequently be followed by several pages of footnotes providing other letters and documents on the same subject, without giving much information explaining what, exactly, it all meant. The reader who is not already fully informed on the subject being addressed is sometimes left feeling confused about what exactly is being discussed, and what its relevance may have been.

Another drawback is, simply, the price. While these books are certainly handsomely--and obviously expensively--printed and bound, those of us who study history as a hobby rather than as a profession could wish for editions that were more cheaply done, and thus more affordable. Unless you are fortunate enough to have access to a good academic library, these extremely expensive (even when you buy second-hand) volumes are simply out-of-reach for many people. That's a great pity, because in these books is an "insider's view" of Grant that does not fully come across in any regular biography.