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Grant: The Making of a Legendary Military Leader
Not yet published
Expected 17 Nov 26From the New York Times best-selling historian, a portrait of one of America’s most storied military leaders.
General of the Union army and later president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant faced challenges as grave and demanding as any in the life of the nation: civil war, a thwarted Reconstruction, the sordid early years of the Gilded Age, and the battle for African American freedom. Focusing on his greatest military achievement in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Grant offers fresh insight into a man whose life was marked by the extremes of achievement and tragedy, from the heights of Civil War success to the depths of public ire and extreme poverty. Alongside a granular depiction of the Union victory that reopened the Mississippi River, renowned Civil War historian James Lee McDonough restores the reputation of a man whose standing has been long diminished and provides a depiction of America during and after its bloody internecine conflict. Grant is a riveting portrait of one of our nation’s most legendary leaders, through the lens of one of the Civil War’s most decisive campaigns.
8 page illustrations, 7 maps
General of the Union army and later president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant faced challenges as grave and demanding as any in the life of the nation: civil war, a thwarted Reconstruction, the sordid early years of the Gilded Age, and the battle for African American freedom. Focusing on his greatest military achievement in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Grant offers fresh insight into a man whose life was marked by the extremes of achievement and tragedy, from the heights of Civil War success to the depths of public ire and extreme poverty. Alongside a granular depiction of the Union victory that reopened the Mississippi River, renowned Civil War historian James Lee McDonough restores the reputation of a man whose standing has been long diminished and provides a depiction of America during and after its bloody internecine conflict. Grant is a riveting portrait of one of our nation’s most legendary leaders, through the lens of one of the Civil War’s most decisive campaigns.
8 page illustrations, 7 maps
464 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 17, 2026
About the author
James Lee McDonough
13 books36 followersJames Lee McDonough is professor of history at Auburn University.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
James Lee McDonough dives into Ulysses S. Grant's role as a military leader as opposed to his presidency in "Grant." McDonough's research is evident in his writing and structure of the narrative. He portrays Grant as a brilliant military leader who was not particularly interested in the spotlight. He weaves bits of Grant's early life into creating the man and leader he would become. He also does a very effective job of smashing the theories that Grant was an alcoholic. If you want a history of Grant's presidency, this is not the book for you. Who he was as he led the Union through the Civil War? This is it. Thanks to #netgalley and #wwnorton for the opportunity to preview this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A wonderfully written biography of Ulysses S. Grant that focuses primarily on his Civil War years while still giving the reader a well-rounded picture of the man. Using extensive research, the author has created a highly readable book that grabs you from the beginning, following Grant through his early struggles and his remarkable rise to become one of the great military leaders of the Civil War.
The book provides enough background on Grant’s youth to help explain the man he would become, including his difficult relationship with his father, his years at West Point, and his struggles to find his place before the war. It also spends just enough time on Grant’s life after the Civil War, including his presidency, later financial troubles, the writing of his autobiography, and his final battle with cancer and passing.
One of the strengths of the book is that it does not gloss over Grant’s faults or try to turn him into a flawless hero. Instead, it presents a complicated and very human individual. His relationships with his wife Julia, his father-in-law, and the enslaved people connected to the Dent family add depth to the story and help place Grant within the complicated social and political realities of his time.
I especially enjoyed the coverage of Grant’s relationship with William Tecumseh Sherman. Their friendship and mutual respect are among the most interesting parts of the story. The author also does an excellent job introducing the many generals and politicians surrounding Grant without allowing them to overwhelm the narrative.
The battles are covered in enough detail to understand what happened, why Grant made the decisions he did, and how those decisions affected the course of the war, but not in so much detail that they slow down the story. This makes the book accessible even to readers who are not Civil War experts.
Most importantly, the book shows how a man who experienced repeated setbacks and failures before the war found himself in a position where his particular strengths—determination, calmness under pressure, and an ability to see the larger strategic picture—could flourish.
An excellent biography and a very enjoyable read. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Grant, the Civil War, or American history.
The book provides enough background on Grant’s youth to help explain the man he would become, including his difficult relationship with his father, his years at West Point, and his struggles to find his place before the war. It also spends just enough time on Grant’s life after the Civil War, including his presidency, later financial troubles, the writing of his autobiography, and his final battle with cancer and passing.
One of the strengths of the book is that it does not gloss over Grant’s faults or try to turn him into a flawless hero. Instead, it presents a complicated and very human individual. His relationships with his wife Julia, his father-in-law, and the enslaved people connected to the Dent family add depth to the story and help place Grant within the complicated social and political realities of his time.
I especially enjoyed the coverage of Grant’s relationship with William Tecumseh Sherman. Their friendship and mutual respect are among the most interesting parts of the story. The author also does an excellent job introducing the many generals and politicians surrounding Grant without allowing them to overwhelm the narrative.
The battles are covered in enough detail to understand what happened, why Grant made the decisions he did, and how those decisions affected the course of the war, but not in so much detail that they slow down the story. This makes the book accessible even to readers who are not Civil War experts.
Most importantly, the book shows how a man who experienced repeated setbacks and failures before the war found himself in a position where his particular strengths—determination, calmness under pressure, and an ability to see the larger strategic picture—could flourish.
An excellent biography and a very enjoyable read. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Grant, the Civil War, or American history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews