Customer Reviews

Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph Over Adversity, 1822-1865

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The criticisms of this book are hard to fathom. Brooks Simpson's wonderful new biography of Ulysses S. Grant--one of the least-understood and most-maligned of the "Great Americans"--is full of Grant's humanity, his complexities, his enigmas, and his sensibilities. Far from white-washing Grant's drinking, Simpson points out that Grant was keenly aware that he was a classic alcoholic. That's not what was important; what was important is what Grant did about it, and how the public perceptions of him then, and largely now, have been wrong. And far from sketching a passionless, boring Grant, Simpson vividly portrays Grant's human side: his intense love for his wife and children; his struggles to measure up to the expectations of his father and his father-in-law; the hurt he felt over casualties; and the actual tears that came--which were seen and written about by many of his contemporaries--when a loss was just too much to take.

I enjoyed this book immensely precisely because it painted Grant as a person with all the weaknesses and frailties that accompany all of us. And yet Grant became great. The best part of the book is Simpson's concluding essay on exactly why that was so. I have concluded that, while Grant is not often included in the pantheon of American heroes, I think he would have preferred it that way. This is biography at its best--stripped of both glorification and gratuitous criticism. I am anxiously awaiting the second volume.

Mr. Simpson has written a meticulously researched and readable biography of a fascinating man. I am baffled by some of the lest enthused reviews appearing here as I found this book to be the finest military biography I have ever read (and I have read most of those written about figures of the Civil War).

I found I couldn't put this book down and I would recommend this book highly to anyone who wishes to actually feel as though you have talked about Grant with a lifelong friend of his.

Buy this book if you are even marginally interested in this time in our country's history but especially if you think you can't learn any more about US Grant.

It is hard to imagine that Ulysses S. Grant could still be controversial 140 years after the end of the Civil War, but judging by the reviews posted for this book one has to assume that this is the case. As a native of the American South it would be easy for me to join in with the negative reviewers but I was quite impressed with this book. While I must respect all opinions expressed in this forum and assume that all reviews are honest and sincere, I can't help but suspect that some of the unhappiness with this book is rooted in a dislike for Grant.

First of all, I found the author's writing style to be quite good and very readable. There were to be sure a few dry areas but not many. Unfortunately, most of those dry areas are to be found early in the book and that may explain why some readers were turned off. The author has also mastered the use of quotes, which seems to be a problem area for many historians. When Professor Simpson uses a quote it is used in perfect context and it is always just the right length. Many historians have the bad habit of including far too many quotes that are far too long and end up distracting the reader so this author's mastery of the technique was a welcome relief. Simpson has also done an excellent job of researching his subject although the Southern point of view is conspicuous in it's absence.

Simpson is fond of his subject as are most biographers but he does not hesitate to criticize Grant when criticism is called for. For example, Grant's claims that he was not surprised at Shiloh are treated with the contempt such claims deserve. The author makes it very clear that Grant was indeed surprised and that his claims to the contrary are pure nonsense. Simpson also spends a great deal of time handling the questions about Grant's drinking habits. Grant has been trashed for years as a drunk; an attack that overlooks the fact that within the 19th century military hard drinking was the norm and not the exception. Simpson does not in any way dismiss the drinking charges however and at times the professor makes it abundantly clear that he does not really believe Grant's version of some of the events that may have involved alcohol. On the other hand, Simpson points out that Grant was absolutely not the alcoholic that many make him out to be.

Overall, Simpson has given us a very clear portrait of General Grant. The reader will see both Grant's weaknesses and his strengths. Most clearly one begins to see a man whose greatest asset was his self-confidence. This was a man who had faith in his own judgment but was more than willing to make changes in his plans as events he couldn't control came into play. He was probably not a greater tactician than many other Civil War generals were, but he made things happen. For example, General Rosecrans had devised a plan to relieve the siege of Chattanooga before Grant arrived. Grant adopted much of this plan but the difference was that Rosecrans drew up a plan but failed to act while Grant set about breaking the siege with a vengeance. In short, the tender hearted Grant, who almost wept at the sight of wounded and dead soldiers understood how to wage a modern war better than any other Civil War commander. Simpson has done a very commendable job of shedding light on this complicated, yet very straightforward man.

U.S. Grant is a difficult man for modern readers to understand. He was tenacious to the point of being dogged, a battler who saved some of the lives of his men by fighting and thereby losing others; a man of sensivitivy whose habits were the topic of great gossip and some truth.

This book reads easily, as a smooth story of a difficult man. This author captures some of the battles in a very clear fashion, specifically the Battle of the Wilderness. One comes away with an understanding of the strategy, the reality, the messiness and the role Grant played for better and worse.

By weaving the political realities with the battles, and leavening both with an understanding of how Grant's private life was impacted, this author comes closer to capturing what happened to this man than most military histories can ever do. But the book also sheds light on the military realities.

This is a good book. And the nuanced approach will lend itself to the forthcoming second volume -- about Grant's later life and Presidency. That should be an eye opener.

Technically the writing is fine, but there is no energy, no passion, no humanity about Grant or any of the other historical figures. Simpson even manages to make the irascible and outspoken Sherman dull and dreary while Grant comes off as a flat, one dimensional technician void of all emotion and creative spirit.

When I bought the book I wasn't looking for Grant's canonization, but I was looking for Ulysses S. Grant. I wanted to enjoy his legendary friendship with Sherman. I expected to learn about his wife and children. I hoped to have his intellectual gifts unraveled from the oxidation of myth and distortion. I hoped to hear his humor that often surprised and delighted. Instead, Simpson provides a dull, almost brutal recitation of military facts without a human pulse. By the time Vicksburg was won, I was lost to boredom and irritation.

Simpson's voice is so silent on Grant, the person, the general, the hero, that it was like reading directions for making compost. I began to think he doesn't like Grant. It appears he has no opinion on whether Grant drank or butchered his men which are the two tenacious tentacles that strangle Grant's reputation. Silence may be golden, but in this case it leaves a lot of rust.

This volume, the first of a planned two-volume biography of Grant, covers Grant's life from birth to the end of the Civil War. It is meticulously researched and well balanced. Prof. Simpson doesn't shirk from examining charges of Grant's drinking and he doesn't hesitate to show where such charges cannot be sustained and where they can be sustained. He also doesn't hesitate to criticize Grant's performance on the battlefield where necessary. This is a necessary antidote to the biased, though beautifully written, biography of Grant by William S. McFeely. Unlike McFeely, Simpson displays an understanding of the military aspects of Grant's life and dispells the myths surrounding Grant--some of them, notably Grant's views toward blacks and slavery, perpetuated by McFeely. Anyone seeking to understand Ulysses S. Grant the man and the general will find this book to be essential. One can only hope the second volume is as good as this one.

One need only read the reviews of this book by James McPherson in The New Republic and Robert Remini in The New York Times Book Review to realize that here is a book that many prominent historians phrase highly. Thus I was bemused by some of the criticisms directed toward this book, and none so much as that offered by Robert Redman, a fellow who appears to be a few bricks shy of a load in his celebration of George Thomas and his denigration of Ulysses S. Grant. Mr. Redman simply does not know what he is talking about (and neither do several of his positing buddies). Here, to balance this, is some of what UCLA professor Joan Waugh had to say:

Brooks D. Simpson's splendid new biography of Ulysses S. Grant recounts the remarkable story of the thirty-nine-year-old clerk who rose swiftly through the ranks of the Northern army during the Civil War to command the entire Union military effort, win the war, and secure the peace. In this first volume of two, Simpson spends little time on Grant's early life. The bulk of the book offers a meticulously researched account of his military career in the Civil War. Simpson's Grant is a complex, intelligent, and ultimately masterful leader of men and of armies. Although Simpson does not shy from discussions of miscues and mistakes, in the end his evaluation of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant is positive, even glowing. **** The chapters that cover Grant's subsequent career in the war show Simpson's mastery of both military and political sources as well as his talent for fine writing. Simpson avoids the "great battles and leaders" syndrome by linking the story of Grant and the western theater with a close and careful contextual analysis of why he emerged by 1864 as the leading general of the Northern armies. Lincoln exulted: "Grant is the first general I have had!" We learn why Lincoln's estimation of Grant was so high as Simpson describes Grant's hard-won victories at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga. The last two battles were masterpieces of strategy that placed Grant among the top generals in history. Simpson argues that Grant developed the political skills that complimented and strengthened his martial abilities. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Lincoln's policies, especially the use of black soldiers, and emphatically denied he had any interest in running for office.

So much for Mr. Redman and his fellow critics.

Ulysses S. Grant is one of the most written about figures in all of history and one of the most surpassingly interesting. I have been reading about Grant for almost forty years now and I still don''t think that I know enough about Him.Brooks Simpson has written a magnificent biography which takes it's place among the classics of Civil War literature. Simpson is not a Haigieographer. He clearly takes an objective view of Grant, which is long overdue.The Author explores Grant's complex relationships with His parents and His cantankerous Father-in-law, Colonel Dent and also the most important relationship of Grant's life with His beloved wife Julia and their children. Simpson shows us how Grant's failures in civilian life prepared Him for success in war.Simpson clearly shows us that Grant was one of the greatest military commanders of all time. He did''nt not prevail because of superior numbers and resources, you will note that Lee did not surrender to McClellan , Burnside or Hooker who also had superior numbers and resources. No Grant prevailed because of superior Generalship. Simpson shows us how the persistent allegations about Grant's drinking are overdone at best. Certainly Grant did have a drinking problem but He was able to control it. And there is no record of His drinking ever interfereing with military operations.Simpson does not overlook Grant's shortcomings, some of which were horrendous. I cannot reccomend this book highly enough. Even if you are not a Civil War buff I believe you will find this a great read.

A wonderful book, with brillant, sizzling prose! A must buy!

Union General Ulysses S. Grant, the only man since George Washington to hold the title of Lieutenant General, was certainly no success story when he entered the Civil War. Yet he emerged from that conflict heralded and completely mystifying. Both his contemporaries and future historians have cast him at various times as a hero, a man "uniquely stupid", a drunk and a bloody butcher, indifferent to the numbers of men sacrificed in order to win the war. Even long-time comrade General William T. Sherman observed, "Yet to me he is a mystery, and I believe he is a mystery to himself."

In fact, Grant had such hard luck before the war, that one could easily claim that the defining aspect of Grant's character was adversity. In Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph Over Adversity, 1822-1865 (the first of a two-volume biography), author and Civil War historian Brooks D. Simpson provides a closer look at the struggles through which one man emerged triumphant in spite of himself. What results is a balanced portrait of an essentially moral, modest man who shunned fancy military maneuvers for common-sense action, skillfully balancing bickering generals and multiple politicians while bringing the Civil War, at long last, to a successful conclusion.

Grant's personal life and the difficulties he faced played a major role in the man he eventually became. But unlike Pulitzer Prize-winning Grant biographer William McFeely, Simpson does not shun these influences on the General's makeup. The many conflicting personalities within Grant's life (a slave-holding father-in-law, a father who never shunned an attempt to cash in on his son's military successes, and a strong-willed wife) were the proving grounds where Grant honed his skill at handling the various military and political personalities during the war.

Born on April 27, 1822, Hiram Ulysses Grant's boyhood was distinguished only by an extraordinary skill with horses. At age seventeen, he entered West Point, where a fateful error in his registration changed his name to Ulysses S. Grant. (During the war, those initials came to stand for "Unconditional Surrender" Grant.) His unremarkable West Point career preceded a stint in the Mexican War, after which Grant wedded Julia Dent in 1848, following a bumpy courtship.

Thinking Julia would be unhappy as the bride of a professional army man, Grant resigned from the only occupation which had thus far engaged his interest, making the ill-starred choice to experiment in the business world. Various entrepreneurial attempts, including peddling wood on street corners and an attempt at farming, all met with disaster. At his lowest point, Grant found himself serving as a lowly clerk in his father's general store.

All his life, Grant had sought to prove himself - either to himself or someone else - but then along came the Civil War, bringing redemption for Grant as it did for other men who appeared ill-suited for ordinary life. Grant reenlisted and his life changed forever.

Though obviously partial to his subject, Simpson also notes Grant's tactical errors with unflinching honesty. But he does so in a balanced, well-researched effort that is more than a "warts and all" picture. From the bloody fields of Shiloh to the stubborn siege of Vicksburg, Simpson examines not only Grant's actions but those of the other players on the stage. Grant prosecuted the war while facing jealous superiors, wily politicians and resentful generals, all of whom thought they could do a better job than their commander.

Was Grant a hero? Most certainly. When other Union generals refused to move, Grant stubbornly pushed forward. Did he drink? Yes. However, the alleged degree of his drinking was often exaggerated by men who suffered from rampant ambition and an eagerness to pass on falsehoods or rumors to Grant's superiors in order to further their own careers. Was he a butcher? No - not when viewed through the lens of military necessity. Grant, sensible about war, knew that war meant killing and dying - but he was not immune to the suffering around him. Indeed, he knew that swift prosecution of the war meant, in the long run, lives saved, but the sufferings of his troops never failed to upset or move him.

In his preface to Grant's memoirs, Simpson notes that when Grant was asked to write his memoirs to the monthly magazine Century, he inquired of the publication's editor, Robert U. Johnson, "Do you really think any one would be interested in a book by me?" Clearly the General had no idea of the fascination with which he was regarded, both by those of his time and of times to come. The upcoming second volume of the series, entitled Ulysses S. Grant: The Fruits of Victory, 1865-1885 will examine Grant's post-war life and his Presidency and complete one man's illuminating portrait of a figure who continues to inspire devotion and debate.