U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth (Civil War America) [Hardcover]

Joan Waugh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Civil War America | Publication Date: October 15, 2009

At the time of his death, Ulysses S. Grant was the most famous person in America, considered by most citizens to be equal in stature to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Yet today his monuments are rarely visited, his military reputation is overshadowed by that of Robert E. Lee, and his presidency is permanently mired at the bottom of historical rankings.

In an insightful blend of biography and cultural history, Joan Waugh traces Grant's shifting national and international reputation, illuminating the role of memory in our understanding of American history. She captures a sense of what led nineteenth-century Americans to overlook Grant's obvious faults and hold him up as a critically important symbol of national reconciliation and unity. Waugh further shows that Grant's reputation and place in public memory closely parallel the rise and fall of the northern version of the Civil War story — in which the United States was the clear, morally superior victor and Grant was the emblem of that victory. After the failure of Reconstruction, the dominant Union myths about the war gave way to a southern version that emphasized a more sentimental remembrance of the honor and courage of both sides and ennobled the "Lost Cause." By the 1920s, Grant's reputation had plummeted.

Most Americans today are unaware of how revered Grant was in his lifetime. Joan Waugh uncovers the reasons behind the rise and fall of his renown, underscoring as well the fluctuating memory of the Civil War itself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

How does national memory determine national heroes? Waugh, a UCLA history professor, probes the subject in an engaging study of the making of Ulysses S. Grant's reputation. At the time of his death in 1885, he was perceived as on a level with George Washington by former Unionists and Confederates alike. His memoirs were a bestseller. His image combined the honorable soldier and the generous victor: a heroic war leader who believed in the ideal of national reconciliation in both regional and racial contexts. Even Grant's flaws were part of his greatness, linking him to his countrymen in a distinctively American fashion. That image began to change as lost cause romanticism nurtured reinterpreting the Civil War as not merely tragic but arguably unnecessary. The eclipse of this approach has restored Grant's reputation as a general. Now his presidency is the target of criticism: corrupt, ineffective and above all incomplete in terms of the racial issue. Waugh convincingly interprets Grant as symboliz[ing] both the hopes and the lost dreams of the Civil War. But while that war remains our defining—and dividing—event, Grant's image, Waugh says, will remain ambiguous. 69 illus., 3 maps. (Nov. 15)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"The best kind of history: it is a search for truth, and one that deserves the widest possible readership."
-Army History

"Elegant and wonderfully illustrated book. . . .Waugh's immersion in the literature of Civil War memory is considerable; she does not reinvent this historiography but rather pushes it into new territory with her subject. . . .Waugh's contribution is significant. She has fused the discussion of historical memory to biography and military history."
-The Journal of Southern History

"Excellent. . . . [Has] much of value to offer. . . . As those interested in U.S. history, American studies, cultural studies, and the study of historical memory will quickly discover, in this book [Waugh] has done both Grant and us a great and precious service."
-Civil War History

"The first two-thirds of the book are as impressively distilled a brief for Grant as one is likely to find."
-The Journal of American History

"Joan Waugh adds fresh perspective on Grant and fills an important void in the scholarship….Waugh has produced a first-rate work that will go alongside other important books on Civil War memory…"
-Southern Historian

"An outstanding book. Reminds us that 'cultural wars' are not a recent phenomenon. . . . By insightfully analyzing the myths, emotions, facts, and politics of the public memory of Grant, Waugh demonstrates the critical importance of defining the past."
-H-Civil War

"A fine book. General readers will find it engaging and enjoyable, and historians interested in the memory of the Civil War will find it essential."
-North Carolina Historical Review

"An impressive study using the techniques of history and memory. . . . Deserves to be at the top of anyone's list, scholar or general reader, interested in the Grant story. . . . Highly recommended."
-Choice

"Waugh's love for her subject is palpable. Her story of Grant's last years of life, where he raced to complete his Memoirs before dying, is visceral."
-RALPH

"The publication of this book is a major event in Civil War historiography. . . . Masterfully intertwines historical fact about Grant's life with the development of his reputation. . . . A wonderful book."
-The Journal of Mississippi History

"In an insightful blend of biography and cultural history, Joan Waugh's U.S. Grant traces Grant's shifting national and international reputation, illuminating the role of memory in our understanding of American history."
-McCormick Messenger

"This is a book that should be in any serious Civil War enthusiast's collection. Ms. Waugh writes in flowing prose that makes the pages fly by. There is plenty to learn for the casual reader and more than enough material to satisfy serious scholars of Ulysses S. Grant."
-This Mighty Scourge

"Brings to vivid life a highly contentious political landscape. . . . A readable, worthwhile book which will be interesting to anyone with a desire to learn more about the process of historical memory--and about a forgotten man who deserves to be remembered."
-Journal of Military History

"A well-written and thoroughly researched examination of Ulysses S. Grant's place in public memory. . . . Waugh's enthusiasm for her subject is evident, resulting in an informative and richly detailed study. . . . An invaluable addition to the studies of our eighteenth president."
-Southwestern Historical Quarterly

"Throughout, Waugh's narrative is a sensitive and humane account that reveals the strength of combining biography and history, where the depth available in the former compellingly illuminates the larger trends and issues that define the latter."
-Civil War Book Review

"Engrossing. . . . Grant's full vindication . . . still awaits. But when it comes, we will better understand our complicated history, and historians and citizens will have Joan Waugh to thank for helping to make this belated illumination possible."
-Sean Wilentz, The New Republic on-line review

"An excellent, tightly concise but full-life biography of Grant. . . . This is not . . . traditional history, or revisionist history, but rather an exquisite act of recounting and balancing those and other perspectives while drawing them all toward a greater understanding."
-The Weekly Standard

"An engaging study of the making of Ulysses S. Grant's reputation. . . . Waugh convincingly interprets Grant as 'symboliz[ing] both the hopes and the lost dreams' of the Civil War."
-Publishers Weekly

"[A] vigorous and highly readable study"
-The Washington Times

"A well researched and scholarly work that Civil War enthusiasts will enjoy. "
-Library Journal

"A Washington Post Critic's Favorite Book of 2009"

"An impressive book that will engage both the general reader intrigued by the American Civil War, as well as scholars interested in questions of memory and commemoration."
-Journal of Illinois History

"Exceptionally thoughtful and valuable. . . . [Written in] clear prose that is readily accessible to the serious general reader. . . . [A] fine study."
-Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post

"Waugh finds an interesting range of answers to a simple question: Who was Grant?"
-The Associated Press

"Brilliant and unsettling. . . . Part biography, part military history, part social chronicle charting the rise and fall of Grant's reputation, U.S. Grant is a sobering reminder of the vicissitudes of fame. . . . Waugh's well-researched and vibrantly written book . . . restores luster to a lost American hero."
-The Chicago Tribune

"Joan Waugh's eagerly awaited and important book on Grant is original and provocative. She writes with an astute perspective on how each contextual stop along the way in her history of Grant's memory is really all about the politics of that particular moment. This book will make a lasting mark in Civil War history."
-David W. Blight, Yale University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (October 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807833177
• ISBN-13: 978-0807833179
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who is Buried in Grant's Tomb?, December 21, 2009

By 

Robin Friedman (Washington, D.C. United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth (Civil War America) (Hardcover)

Joan Waugh's thoughtful new book "U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth" (2009) uses this now-famous question to explore the changing nature over time of American attitudes towards Ulysses S. Grant (1822 --1885). (The answer "U.S. Grant" to the question, in fact is only half correct. Grant's wife, Julia, is buried with him.) Waugh is Professor of History at the University of California at Los Angeles and the author of several earlier books on the American Civil War.

The outlines of Grant's life remain fairly well known. Grant, of course, was the leading Union commander in the Civil War and the 18th president of the United States. Born in Ohio in humble circumstances, Grant reluctantly entered West Point at the insistence of his father. He served with distinction in the Mexican War but grew bored with the humdrum nature of Army life in peacetime. He resigned his commission in 1854, likely as a result of his problems with alcohol. He then had an undistinguished career in various civilian occupations until the outbreak of the Civil War. Grant volunteered his services at the outset and rose from an obscure commander in the Western theatre to win critical victories at Fort Donelson and Shiloh. In 1863, Grant captured the seemingly impregnable fortress of Vicksburg, dividing the Confederacy in two. Later that year, he won an impressive victory at Chattanooga. Grant became the first Lieutenant General since George Washington and ultimately defeated Robert E. Lee in a series of bruising battles in Virginia. But as a soldier, Grant may be best remembered for the generous peace terms he gave to Lee at Appomattox Court House in 1865.

Grant's two terms as president (1869 -- 1876) are generally regarded as less than distinguished. Grant attempted to implement Reconstruction but proved largely unsuccessful. His administration is remembered, somewhat unfairly, for the corruption of many of his associates. Although there has been an attempt to revise his reputation as president, Grant still routinely is listed at near the bottom, with Harding and Buchanan, in various rankings of the American presidents.

Waugh combines a rudimentary biography of Grant with a detailed study of the vicissitudes of his historical reputation. She tries to understand the reasons for Americans' changing attitudes towards Grant. Through the end of the 19th Century, Grant was commonly regarded as part of a triumvirate of great Americans that included as well George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Grant was regarded as the savior of the Union for his military victories and for the spirit of reconciliation he displayed at Appomattox. But for much of the 20th Century, Grant's military reputation has frequently been denigrated in favor of that of Lee. More unfairly, Grant's military skills have been ignored and his successes attributed to his alleged talents as a "butcher." Grant's reputation also suffered as a result of the failures of his presidency.

Waugh focuses on a Grant less familiar than the General and the President. She describes the two-year world tour that Grant took following the conclusion of his presidency when he was universally feted as the greatest living American. In a lengthy chapter, Waugh describes how Grant lost all his money upon his return to the United States (Bernie Madoff -like corruption was common in the Gilded Age.) and turned to writing to support his family. During this time, Grant was terminally ill with a painful throat cancer. In the last year of his life, Grant wrote his two-volume history of the Civil War, his "Personal Memoirs" which has become a literary classic as well as a primary source for understanding the conflict. At his death in 1885, over 1.5 million people attended Grant's funeral. Then ,12 years later, an equal number witnessed the dedication of Grant's Monument, the so-called "Grant's Tomb", in Riverside Park, New York City. The monument was paid for entirely by private subscription. Early in the 20th Century it was the most frequently visited monument in New York eclipsing even the Statue of Liberty. Subsequently if fell into disrepair and obscurity which has been corrected in part only in recent years.

In the 19th Century, Waugh argues, Americans saw Grant as the self-made man who rose from humble circumstances, overcame adversity and failure, lived simply and honorably (even if his associates did not) and found his calling as a General and as the savior of the Union. Americans remembered the Grant who tried to reunite the sections but who also had a firm belief in American unity and nationalism and in the cause for which the Union fought. With the rise of the "Lost Cause" mythology, Waugh argues, Americans tended to become critical of Grant's staunch support of Emancipation and his attempt as president to enforce African American civil rights in the South. And as the 20th Century wore on, Waugh claims, Americans became increasingly skeptical of military heroes and increasingly dubious about the nature and worth of American Nationalism. Tied inextricably to both the military and to nationalism, Grant's reputation suffered as a result.

Waugh argues that it is time for Americans to revisit and reassess Grant. She writes (p. 307) "Perhaps now is the time for a new kind of tourist to the tomb ... one more appreciative and knowledgeable. Never again will most citizens feel an uncomplicated pride in Grant's achievements, or in what America has become since Appomattox, but there should be a realization that Grant's goal of national reconciliation -- as general and as president -- included principles that are vitally important today: justice and equality for all.... No living person in the postwar era symbolized both the hopes and the lost dreams of the war more than Grant."

Grant is too all-too-human in his failings to be regarded as an "American Myth". But he richly deserves to be remembered as an "American hero."

Robin Friedman

61 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who is U.S. Grant?, November 15, 2009

By 

Kcoruol (Florence, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth (Civil War America) (Hardcover)

While this book covers how such a popular general and President lost his popularity through the years of time I fear that many people know neither that he was a General nor even the President of the United States. This book is not so much a study of his life, his military career or his presidency, it does cover his great accomplishments and how they have been lost to the revision of history. A scholar of the American Civil War or of U.S. Grant I am not, but have read many books on both subjects & I'd recommend this book to anyone. I do admit it concerns me that I'm the first to write a review on this book almost a month after it's publication almost as much as I can find it no where in my large chain local bookstore where vampire love stories and books about what cats think about all day abound.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Granted, December 29, 2009

By 

Christian Schlect (Yakima, Washington/USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth (Civil War America) (Hardcover)

Here is a nice re-telling of the life and afterlife of U.S. Grant, with a special emphasis on his uncertain and changing place in the historical memory of Americans. To me there is no doubt that he deserves to have a continuing and honored place in our nation's vibrant history.

I think the book's author, Professor Joan Waugh, gets it right most of the time, especially on the fact that General Grant fought to both save the Union and end slavery. Influential "Lost Cause" historians favor the South's Lee, when we (and they) should be giving thanks it was Grant that won, given his side's cause was the morally and politically just one.

I do question why Professor Waugh skips over the still current importance of the Grant monument designed by Shrady located near the base of the U.S. Capitol. It joins with the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument as one of the three highly significant memorials to individuals on the nation's Mall and, I think, is one of the finest outdoor historical statues in America. While Grant's Tomb in New York City should be, and is, a focal point of this book, it was a mistake by the author to almost ignore the story of Washington, D.C.'s homage to this great man.

Also, readers interested in President Grant's trip around the world after his term of office ended should consider obtaining the very nicely edited version by Michael Fellman (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002) of John Russell Young's original tale.