American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant

(Hardback)

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . From the author ofA. Lincoln, a major new biography of one of America's greatest generals-and most misunderstood presidents Winner of the William Henry Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography .Finalist for the Gilder-Lehrman Military History Book Prize In his time, Ulysses S. Grant was routinely grouped with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in the "Trinity of Great American Leaders." But the battlefield commander-turned-commander-in-chief fell out of favor in the twentieth century. In American Ulysses, Ronald C. White argues that we need to once more revise our estimates of him in the twenty-first. Based on seven years of research with primary documents-some of them never examined by previous Grant scholars-this is destined to become the Grant biography of our time. White, a biographer exceptionally skilled at writing momentous history from the inside out, shows Grant to be a generous, curious, introspective man and leader-a willing delegator with a natural gift for managing the rampaging egos of his fellow officers. His wife, Julia Dent Grant, long marginalized in the historic record, emerges in her own right as a spirited and influential partner. Grant was not only a brilliant general but also a passionate defender of equal rights in post-Civil War America. After winning election to the White House in 1868, he used the power of the federal government to battle the Ku Klux Klan. He was the first president to state that the government's policy toward American Indians was immoral, and the first ex-president to embark on a world tour, and he cemented his reputation for courage by racing against death to complete his Personal Memoirs. Published by Mark Twain, it is widely considered to be the greatest autobiography by an American leader, but its place in Grant's life story has never been fully explored-until now. One of those rare books that successfully recast our impression of an iconic historical figure, American Ulysses gives us a finely honed, three-dimensional portrait of Grant the man-husband, father, leader, writer-that should set the standard by which all future biographies of him will be measured. Praise for American Ulysses " Ronald C. White portrays a deeply introspective man of ideals, a man of measured thought and careful action who found himself in the crosshairs of American history at its mostcrucial moment."-USA Today "White delineates Grant's virtues better than any author before. . . .By the end, readers will see how fortunate the nation was that Grant went into the world-to save the Union, to lead it and, on his deathbed, to write one of the finest memoirs in all of American letters."-The New York Times Book Review "Ronald White has restored Ulysses S. Grant to his proper place in history with a biography whose breadth and tone suit the man perfectly. Like Grant himself, this book will have staying power."-The Wall Street Journal "Magisterial . . . Grant's esteem in the eyes of historians has increased significantly in the last generation. . . . American Ulysses is the newest heavyweight champion in this movement."-The Boston Globe "Superb . . . illuminating, inspiring and deeply moving."-Chicago Tribune "In this sympathetic, rigorously sourced biography, White . . . conveys the essence of Grant the man and Grant the warrior."-Newsday

Reviews

Ronald White Jr "has done yeoman's work to restore this good man to the American memory and, in the process, has done our country a great and timely service. * Chicago Tribune *
Like Grant himself, this book will have staying power. * The Wall Street Journal *
You've heard the name, obviously, now read about the man with the iconic name, probably one of the most famous names in American history, and celebrated in some style in Mr White's new biography. Superlative. * Books Monthly *
There have been a lot of great military histories out this year. My favourite soldier biography is Ronald C White's monumental American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S Grant" - Alexander Watson * BBC History Magazine - Book Reviews Editor *

Author Bio

Ronald C. White is the author of three bestselling books on Abraham Lincoln, including most recently A. Lincoln. White earned his Ph.D. at Princeton and has lectured on Lincoln at hundreds of universities and other organizations, and at Gettysburg and the White House. He is a Fellow at the Huntington Library and a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum of Washington, D.C. He lives with his wife, Cynthia, in La Canada, California.