Grant Takes Command

Grant #3

by Bruce Catton

Grant takes Command.: The Vital Years of the American Civil War

Genres: History, Civil War, Biography, Nonfiction, American Civil War, American History, War

1000 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Bruce Catton was a distinguished American historian and journalist, best known for his influential writings on the American Civil War. Renowned for his narrative style, Catton brought history to life through richly drawn characters, vivid battlefield descriptions, and a deep understanding of the political and emotional forces that shaped the era. His accessible yet meticulously researched books made him one of the most popular historians of the twentieth century.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, personally, Catton epitomizes what all Civil War writers should emulate. His writing is almost a kind of poetry. Having spent time on the staff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, he certainly knows how to craft a sentence. In this volume, he focuses on Grant as army commander; blunt, basic, and brutally effective. I always have maintained that a thorough understanding of the Civil War requires a mastery of Catton's works. This book proves that point. A worthy effort.

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read to say the least. With Grant fresh off his victory at Vicksburg, Lincoln believes he’s finally found a man who can lead the union forces and end the rebellion. Grant wasn’t thrilled with the assignment for e knew that he wouldn’t just be taking over the Army of the Potomac and fighting the rebels, he would also be fighting with Generals who had strong political ties with Washington elite. How many men have been successful fighting a two-front war?

Grant’s demeanor and writing skills were his weapons of choice. Being a pragmatic with no political ambitions he dealt with the unique problems by addressing them with curt responses or aletter to Halleck and Secretary of War Stanton.

He did what none of his predecessors could do, he devised a plan and stuck to it even when prudence would have said retreat. He knew the key to victory was keeping Lee worried about losing Richmond. Some of the battles in modern terms were a disaster as losses mounted. Think about the losses at Tarawa and you get the picture. Rather than listen to the press of the NE can soldiered on. He stuck to his plan, with the support of Lincoln and in the end, his plan proved true. There were moments where he did question his own plan, but realized in the end, it was sound.

What I didn’t know was how devoted he was to his wife and family. Most of the history I was taught about him wasn’t flattering. They never mentioned his letters to home and his undying love and concern for his family. I find this on the same level as Patton felt for his family. That’s pretty good company.

If you’re looking for a good in-depth analysis of General Grant and the battles he fought, I highly recommend it.

Five Stars

[Chris D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was growing up my father attempted to spur an interest in history in me. He took me on vacations to many historical places around the country, he told me stories of his history and he gave me American Heritage a magazine that had many articles written by Bruce Catton a popular historian of the 1950's and 1960's. These attempts by my father to light a fire within me for a love of history certainly took and reading this book by Catton reminded me of the love of history shared with Dad.

Catton's books are always very readable and Grant Takes Command is no exception as he traces Grant's journey from being a successful general in the West during the Civil War to becoming the General of all Northern Armies and the successful conclusion of the American Civil War. This is a Grant-centric book and the reader learns very little about the common soldier, who certainly were not common. It is history from the top down, but at the same time still so interesting.

Catton likes Grant, as I do, so his defense of Grant's tactics and the refutation of Grant's drinking was okay with me. This was part of series on Grant during the Civil War but can certainly can be read as a stand alone. With just a short time before Father's Day, I say thanks Dad for bringing history into my life.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

He had put his finger on the most important single factor in the whole situation: “The enemy have not got army enough.” From Chattanooga to Appomattox, this was the chief point in Grant’s strategic planning.

History well-told. This third installment of Catton’s multi-volume biography follows U. S. Grant from his victory at Vicksburg through Chattanooga and the siege of Richmond. Grant’s aim was to win the war, not necessarily to abolish slavery, putting him out of step with many northern politicians. And generals.

In Washington there was the War Department, managing to be both inert and officious at the same time; in front of Petersburg there was a crippling knot of jealousy, suspicion and self-seeking, removable apparently by nothing short of the sword of Alexander.

All wars are political. The American Civil War was very political. Catton relies heavily on primary documents—the letters, speeches, and journals of those closest to Grant and the war. Grant Takes Command was published in 1969 and reflects different cultural standards than contemporary works.

Grant and Lincoln shared something, here. They were westerners, lacking in polish, unable to impress the cultivated easterners.

Grant, like Lincoln, was an outsider—a westerner in the nation and army run by eastern elites. Many of Grant’s deadliest enemies wore the same uniform he wore. Halleck, Butler, smith, and Rawlins bedeviled Grant every foot of the way, even as he supposedly commanded them. But command them he did. And won the war. Worth reading.

Because of that final sentence [of Grant’s receipt of Lee’s surrender], no Confederate soldier, from Lee on down, could ever be prosecuted for treason; in effect, this was a general amnesty. There could never be a proscription list to poison the peace with the spirit of vengeance and hatred. Grant had ruled it out.

[Dan]

I read this because it's on a leadership reading list at the school where I work.

The third Grant biography I've read, though this one is the middle entry of a three volume biography. As such, it deals with Grant's conduct of the war in much greater detail than those other two. It's almost a blow by blow recounting of the battles in the west and then in the East.

Like the other two (by Chernow and Brands, respectively) it goes on the defensive about Grant's drunkenness, which I suspect was a problem at times, but was inflated into myth by his opponents. It goes into great detail about Grant's struggles with the preening political favorite generals once he took over the Army of the Potomac.

It skirts closer than I'm comfortable with to being in awe of the glory of war. Truffault said (or I saw it attributed to him) that there are no anti war movies, presumably meaning that in the depiction there is some inherent glorification. I suspect that's the case here too.

Overall a good book. Recommended if you're interested in the Civil War.

[Wayne Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't consider myself a Civil War "buff" but I've read a good deal of the history and we studied it at West Point. I'd heard of Bruce Catton's 2 volume rendering of General Grant's wartime commands (after all, it was published in 1969), but had never read it. When this showed up on sale on Kindle, I decided to give it a try.

I was very impressed. I learned a lot I didn't know and came away with a new appreciation for the often under-appreciated brilliance of Grant and for the extremely readable style of Bruce Catton. Grant wasn't the most brilliant tactician in the war (I'll concede that to Lee), but he was, by far the best strategist, finally coordinating the numerous federal armies to strangle Southern resistance. Well worth a read.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in a series of two books about Grant's leadership, it is a shame that my library system does not have the first book (Grant Moves South), so I read this as a standalone volume and found it worked out very well, and also helped to provide some personal information about Grant's travels and leadership in the period from 1863 to the end of the war that was immensely helpful.  One knows what one is getting when one reads a history book by Bruce Catton--a highly humane account of war and one that gives its subject the greatest possible benefit of the doubt.  And that is precisely what one finds here, even if the author finds himself going over ground he had gone over several times before when looking at the comprehensive history of the war and the history of the Army of the Potomac.  If you are a syntopical reader, enjoying reading things from a variety of perspectives, Catton's career provides evidence that one can keep a given body of work fresh despite covering the same things multiple times from slightly different perspectives, whether one is looking at the war as a whole, from a particular army, or even from a particular general.  All of this makes for worthwhile and intriguing reading, to be sure.

This particular volume is about 500 pages or so of text divided into 24 chapters that begin with Grant as a political innocent in the period after Vicksburg and that continue to the end of the war.  We find Grant's efforts at figuring out what to do after winning at Vicksburg (2), his successful leadership of the Chattanooga campaign (3, 4), his insight that the South did not have enough army to stop him from attacking in all manner of different fronts (5), his taking charge of the Union war effort and building a good rapport with Lincoln and Meade (6, 7, 8. 9), and an account of the battles of the Overland campaign from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor (10, 11, 12, 13, 14).  We see Grant's attempts to defeat Lee and drive him into the open fail because of mischance and bad division leadership (15, 16) and look at Grant's ability to encourage other generals once he had the right leadership in place, like Sheridan over the Shenandoah army (17, 18, 19).  We look at the expectations in 1865 for ending the war by Grant (20, 21) and look at Grant's masterful Appomattox campaign (22), Lee's surrender (23), and the strangeness of the end of the war (24).

One of the most intriguing aspects of Catton's account of Grant's leadership is the way that he discusses the cultural divide present within the North about Grant and the expectations that Easterners had of him.  Grant and Lincoln, both Westerners who were not as cultivated as those on the East Coast, and equally devoted to a hard war but a gentle peace.  Grant's disinterest in interfering with political questions and the trust he enjoyed with Lincoln helped in large part to make the Union final victory possible, even with the imperfect instruments at hand, like the Army of the Potomac and its intensely political leadership.  The author discusses Grant having to move from oversight of the Army of the Potomac to meetings with Lincoln, how he dealt with the possibility of Butler being the ranking leader around Richmond, how he dealt with that incompetent but politically important leader, and how it was that he was continually concerned about the lack of aggressiveness of many army commanders when it came to fulfilling his strategic vision for victory.  Ultimately, even if Grant didn't have the same kind of trust for Thomas as he did for others, the leaders of the various forces like Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Canby, Terry and others were able to demonstrate that the Confederacy didn't have enough forces to preserve their independence when Union attacks were simultaneously engaged with skill under the direction of a resolute leader like Grant.

[Cm Latsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A general I truly believe does not get his due is Ulysses S. Grant. Imagine a scenario where a successful general is called from a third of a continent away to win a war that none of the generals who came before him could win. Surely that general would be hailed in history as one of the amazing greats of all time.

But U. S. Grant is not afforded that reputation, and it appears that sometimes he is sometimes not given the due even for a man who won the battles of Donelson and Henry, Shiloh and Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge, and then went on to whip the greatest of all rebel generals Robert E. Lee.

Bruce Catton, in his quiet and cataloging style, gives the facts of the General, but the facts cannot hide the greatness of such a man. Beginning as Grant wraps up expelling the Confederates from Tennessee, following him to Washington, and then as he marches his troops first to the gates of Peterburg, and then to the quiet moment at Appomattix Courthouse, one cannot help but be impressed with Grant's ability to assess a situation and react accordingly. One must accept his ability to plan a movement, and not let tactical setbacks keep him from executing the strategy.

Had McClellan done this in the Summer of 1862, he would have been hailed as great as Washington, and rightly so. How is to that the dogged and unrelenting Grant is not accorded such honorifics in success?

However, the book often makes you forget that your reading, and depending on your interest at the chapter in history, you might turn five pages before realizing that you've read one. Grant imbued a confidence in his troops that no one before him did. He wasn't for flash and pomp, and neither does this book. Events are laid out in as much detail as possible, but naked facts are left to themselves, and are all that are necessary.

If you want to know what Grant did, particularly in the last eighteen months of the war, then this is an excellent choice. You'll understand who Grant was, his motivations, and must surely come away with a greater appreciation for the work before him and the grandness of the accomplishment he achieved in doing so.

[Terry Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an epic written in both an historical and descriptive style. It consists of a forward, twenty-four chapters, notes, bibliography and index for a total of 556 pages. There are 492 reading pages.
The author begins the story at Vicksburg (1863) and ends with Lee’s surrender at Appomattox (1865). Chapter twenty-four is essentially a conclusion and descriptive summary of Grant and his character. Catton’s writing style will be considered odd and unfamiliar to young readers, that is anyone younger than about 55. The author's style is extremely descriptive as he explains scenes and characters in order to develop a mental imagery for the reader. His style easily paints a visual and emotional picture, but some may find the descriptive style tedious because the style is not conducive to fast reading. This style of writing is more conducive to a slow and immersive experience in which the reader understands the personalities, decisions and actions of Grant and the key actors he was associated with - it provides context.
I would also like to suggest that the reader have handy good maps of the Civil War battlefields so as to follow the terrain, routes and dispositions. I used the West Point Atlas of American Wars Vol 1. The Time-Life Battle Atlas of the Civil War is another good reference. The significance of Catton’s work goes beyond this epic historical portrayal. Its additional value is in the detailed notes, bibliography and index. The sheer amount of primary source material is amazing.
I find it striking how concise and descriptive Grant describes his events and people. For his time, this would have been an anomaly. Additionally, the memoir versions of the discussion that Grant and Lee had on the morning of 10 April at the McLean house are interesting for the farsightedness that Grant consistently displayed. Assuming that the memoir accounts of Grant, Lee, and Col Charles Marshall, Lee’s – Aide – de – Camp, are accurate, it’s interesting to ponder the counterfactuals of history, if Lee would have personally spoken to Lincoln about surrender terms as Grant had suggested. The social, economic, and political implications are staggering to ponder when considering “what-if.” It's entirely possible that the 13 years of Reconstruction might have less resembled an insurgency.
Throughout the first part of Grants tenure as a noted leader, he consistently showed economic, political and social foresight; he refused to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act; in mid 1863 he mentioned recruiting Black troops; understood the significance of cotton and mercantile trade to the South, and that this contraband and black market trade probably extended the war by at least a year; lastly, in July 1863 after the fall of Vicksburg, Grant was already speaking to the details of reconciliation with the South and not subjugation.
For comparative purpose, Ron Chernow’s epic, Grant, begins with Grants birth and follows his life from small town Ohio, through West Point and his life in war, at peace and in reflection of his past for a total of 959 pages. Both authors take aim at the myths and misunderstandings around Grant, and both paint a fair picture. Chernow’s book finds wider popularity among a more modern audience as the writing style is contemporary. Catton’s Work is already over 50 years old. Nevertheless, I highly suggest this book and then I suggest you follow it by reading Ron Chernow’s version – You won't be disappointed either way.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I'm counting correctly, this is the fifth book by this author that I have read. All regarded the American Civil War. The first three were the trilogy about the Union Army of the Potomac, while this was the third of a trilogy on the military life of Ulysses Grant, with the first volume begun by a different historian and the task of completion taken over by this author, upon the first author's death. Having said that, this author has come a very long way since his first attempt at civil war reporting. By this time, each volume is clearly reported and solidly documented. Given that the author was basically "just" a civil war buff when he started pumping these things out, he produces a worthy product. Readers with little or no background on Grant and the war, will find a reasonably captivating volume. As someone who has read probably a few dozen books on the overall subject (with maybe a half dozen more to go on my bookshelf), I found myself occasionally wondering why this author didn't include both interesting and very related "side activity" that did not directly involve the main subject, General Grant, such as why the Confederate forces were caught so unprepared for the Union push toward the end of the Petersburg siege. Okay, it wasn't directly about Grant, so he left it out. But that applies to other issues to one degree or another. I'm just wondering why he left a few specific things out after including others. I guess I'm acknowledging that this volume really didn't tell me a lot I didn't already know about what is covered in the book, but that shouldn't deter a reader relatively new to the genre. I should also acknowledge that I have two other much more recently published volumes sitting on my bookshelf about the very same person. And, yes, with roughly 2,000 pages to wade through, I plan on taking them on later. Not because this book was so superficial. Far from it. It's because new research finds new details that are worth it to me to learn. And because I'm an American Civil War buff who has read about it off and on since the late 1950s. It's an addiction that I control with long walks and warm baths. Please don't judge me.

[Josh Moorhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother likes to read about the 1960s; I like to read about the 1860s. This book really was thrilling because it brought me into the Civil War battles through a more personal lens. Shelby Foote's trilogy speaks to many individual stories: this book threads a story as experienced by a single man.

Did Grant seek national spotlight? Not directly -- it seemed he would have been happy to stay effective leading the Army of the Tennessee. Yet his western campaigns in Vicksburg and Chattanooga brought him into the limelight while the eastern Army of the Potomac (partly as a result of its micromanagement from Washington) was still lacking resolve and effectiveness. At the beginning of 1864, the war's outcome was still in question. By the end, there is a clear advantage. His promotion to General-in-Chief and direct responsibility over the Virginia campaigns was fascinating both in my association with the Virginia region, and because the narrative was written so expertly.

While I've focused more on Abraham Lincoln's resolve before, it's Grant's courage, capability, and character that shines brightly in 1864. It was most interesting to hear Grant in his own words -- telegrams, letters to Lincoln, letters to his wife Julia, messages to and from other generals. What's striking is Lincoln's trust in Grant, and Grant's unswerving commitment to his and Lincoln's shared vision for ending the rebellion.

Two western men of humble beginnings led the Union during its epic struggle to answer the slavery question (and the secession question, too). While the North/South division is often clear in the Civil War, the leadership of western men armed with determination and resolve decisively move the politically-sensitive Army of the Potomac toward eventual victory at Appomattox Courthouse.

25 breathless hours of audio, well-told and well-read :)

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The promoters of “The Lost Cause” and more recently the movie “Gettysburg” give those interested in Civil War history a good idea of which Confederate generals were effective leaders, which were ineffective and which were political generals in place to support the president. But at 150 years perspective, that’s not so easy to see for the Union side.

Catton’s book (written in 1969 and the winner of a Pulitzer Prize) provides a critical analysis of the performance of the leading generals under Grant. It also makes it plain that Grant negotiated a political minefield in assuming control of the Union armies in 1864 and often had the general-in-chief, Henry Halleck, working against him -- even CHANGING orders that Grant sent to field commanders through Washington. (Catton says that in 1863 Grant turned down command of the Army of the Potomac “because he foresaw jealousy and furious backbiting.”)

Catton also explores the extension of gossip about Lt. Gen. Sam Grant being a drunkard and makes it clear that jealous subordinates with connections in the House, Senate and the media were the guilty parties, among them Gen. Baldy Smith. “To this day, the heart of the legend that Grant was a periodic alcoholic in wartime is the story Smith told,” writes Catton, who then dismisses the gossip as nonsense.

But the real heart of the book is in the details of the campaign that Grant built to isolate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army and end the American Civil War.

It is highly recommended that anyone reading this book in a Kindle version obtain detailed maps of the Virginia campaign in 1864 and 1865, as the Kindle maps are too small to be legible. This is a continual problem with Kindle editions.

[Abhishek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love me some civil war histories, and it had been a while since I last read one. I remember liking Catton's previous book in the series and picked this one up on a prime deal. Catton, through his Grant series, is responsible for the now universally positive reception Grant gets as a war commander. Grant is hard to dislike. The Grant that is etched into my memory is that of him at Shiloh, sitting in the rain in the night and whittling a twig after a hard day's fight. When Sherman, who thinks the battle is lost, approaches him, Grant tells him that the rebels would get a whipping the next day. That supreme confidence in himself. All Sherman could do was assent.

Catton writes beautifully, and I could picture myself in the woods and the fields with the Union soldiers. The Confederacy was not just outmanned, but eventually outgeneraled. Among the qualities Grant had that led to fortune favoring him was his initiative and energy - he was always pushing and going forward and forcing the enemy to react. That and his will to win the war at all costs. It's surprising how much of a pushover the generals before him were in comparison.

The other dominant image I leave with is that of office politics. Who gets credits for maneuvers, how the press reports events, what gets you promoted. How does one reduce the damage caused by an incompetent general? You cannot fire him because he has political connections. The blindingly obvious answer is you promote him away from the field of action. Catton's phrasing when describing such scenarios can be downright funny. Take this for example, "One reason why Grant did not want to leave Petersburg was the fact that if he went away the ranking officer in Virginia would be General Butler, and the thought of letting this man direct all of the operations against Robert E. Lee was enough to make a soldier shudder."

I will end with a complain: this book could do with more maps. And the few available on the kindle edition are rendered poorly.
---

I have some highlights here on my site.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ulysses S. Grant is one of those exceptional individuals and rare generals in American history. He was incredibly humble compared to his colleagues like McClellan, Roscrans, Hooker, and Burnside. Even better, he was much more capable than all of them combined. Perhaps his only character flaw which also affected his presidency was that he always thought the best in the others, even if that opinion was not justified. Halleck tried to sabotage him earlier in his career yet Grant did not believe Halleck was behind it until later. As president, Grant chose cabinet members poorly because he also thought they could do no wrong (they were as corrupt as they came).

Grant Takes Command is the sequel to Grant Moves South. In 1863, Grant was now the victor of Vicksburg. He was now the general with the best track record. Grant had a plan to keep up the pressure on the South and marched into Tennessee to save the Union army after the reverse at the Battle of Chickamauga. By contrast, Meade, the victor of Gettysburg, was criticized for being too slow by not capitalizing on his victory.

Grant now had to learn to play army politics, especially after Congress revived the rank of Lieutenant General. Fortunately, Grant had excellent allies and friends. Catton was excellent in describing this supportive network. I was surprised how close Grant was to his wife Julia and how she had permission to visit him at his headquarters.

Catton ended the book with Grant ready to fade into obscurity and retirement. That was not to be.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

When asked, what sort of man is Grant, Lincoln replied that Ulysses S. Grant was “the quietest little fellow you ever saw. The only evidence you have that he’s in any place is that he makes things git! Wherever he is, things move."

Lincoln explained that every other general briefing him before a battle told him that he was short some crucial resource to ensure victory, but, if ordered, they would proceed anyway. This essential resource was almost always cavalry. Lincoln claimed their real purpose was to shift responsibility to him. When Grant took charge, he immediately recommended reassigning twenty thousand horseless cavalrymen to the infantry. Since there was no way to acquire horses for every man designated as cavalry, these idle soldiers were only held in reserve as a handy excuse. Grant recognized the duplicity and removed the excuse before his first battle.

In this biography, Bruce Catton does an excellent job describing the man and his military philosophy. Grant reminded me of General Patton, a warrior through and through. Both believed that to decrease casualties in war, you don’t minimize the fallen in a specific battle, you win the war to stop the killing.
Catton relates a story about a grizzled sergeant leaning against a fence post when a comrade came up. The sergeant jerked a thumb at a man in the distance and remarked: “That’s Grant. I hate to see that old cuss around. When that old cuss is around there’s sure to be a big fight on hand.”

[Matt Caris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Masterful narrative and reasonably analytical history of the latter half of Grant's Civil War, from Chattanooga to Appomattox. As in "Grant Moves South," Catton delves into the controversies - drunkenness, the high casualties of the Overland Campaign - and provides even-handed conclusions. Catton also is very effective at delineating between what the principal actors said at the time and what they (especially Grant) wrote in their memoirs. I came out of this with a more detailed and much greater appreciation for Grant as both a strategist / operational practitioner and as a leader. His handling of Meade and others in the notoriously politicking general officer corps of Army of the Potomac (how anybody ever won a battle with that vipers' nest of internecine backbiting is beyond me) was clearly superlative and the only reason he could successfully come East and take command effectively without upsetting all the of the fragile egos and sensitivities of that army.

Once again, as with "Grant Moves South," I've given it 4 stars because the Kindle version has terrible maps that again are not actually in the right places in the book (a map of Chattanooga during the midst of the Overland Campaign is less than helpful) and the Audible experience is worse - the reader is incapable of pronouncing a number of reasonably well-known names correctly (Rosecrans, Meigs, etc.).

[Austin Barselau · Rating 4 out of 5]

GRANT TAKES COMMAND is Pulitzer-awarded historian Bruce Catton’s final volume in his tripartite chronicle of Ulysses Grant’s military career. In this part, Catton covers Grant’s promotion to the command of the U.S. Army and his campaigns in the East to break the back of the Confederacy. Through his own characteristic campaign of quick movement and sharp maneuvering, Grant sought to hound and destroy Lee’s forces and seize Richmond. Over the span of eleven months, Grant waged a methodical and dogged race to get to the James River to constrict the lifelines of the Confederate capital. The siege of Petersburg heavily attritted both sides but succeeded in provoking the fall of Richmond and the peace of Appomattox. Catton brilliantly displays the ascendance of this heroic U.S. general, not only of his unrelenting approach to warfare but also of his dignified pursuit of a victory that could also be turned into a lasting peace.

[Jeff Plucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grant Takes Command review

This is one of the best books on Grant that I have read. Catton has done extensive research for this book as he includes many letters from enlisted and officers to their wives that give important insights into history. Catton not only describes Grant as a strategist but as a commanding general that has to deal with army logistics, feeding and clothing newly liberated slaves, and vicious politics both within the army and within the U.S. government. The problem that I have with this book and others like it is without maps showing troop movements it is hard for the reader to visualise the important battles. This book rates five stars for the depth of research and showing the vast complexities of war.

[Bull Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Catton is one of those rare writers who make history not only readable but highly interesting; even fascinating. Sometimes those elements of history which seem the most fantastic become leading elements in a retelling of the event. But the fantastic narratives, often drawn from eye witness reports, are not necessarily entirely accurate. Catton has the ability to weed out such fantastic, non-historical, features of a traditional historical narrative. He substitutes for them well researched, demonstrably accurate facts. So his carefulness as a researcher and his skill in narrative make this entire series a valuable collection for anyone who wants to know more about this great Nineteenth Century conflict.

[Adam Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed study of U.S. Grant's command of Union forces in the West starting with the preparation for the Chattanooga Campaign, in 1863, followed by his promotion to Lieutenant General and command of the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater to the end of the war. Detailed but not overly so, where you can get bogged down by tons of unit numbers and minutiae. Place and river names are constantly mentioned but the couple included maps (ebook/Kindle version) are basically useless so it can be hard to picture where movement takes place unless you look it up on your own. Overall, definitely recommended for military history people.

[Travis Tazelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great account of the last year of the war. The book only follows Grant, so it just touches on Sherman's campaigns in Georgia, and other campaigns happening at the time. I It was a great look at Grant's desire for harmony within the army, esp among his top lieutenants, how he was calm and collected in every situation but one (the day after Lincoln was assassinated) and his overall vision/strategy for applying pressure to the Army of Northern Virgina to bring about its collapse. Another interesting angle Catton shows is why execution and speed matter. They lost many opportunities to crush or starve their enemy by moving to slow or being too cognitive in the moment.

[Jeffrey Kunkleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding work on Grant

I read this book in conjunction with 'Grant Moved South'. Catton picks up where the previous book ends. This book is well written and filled with facts on many battles. Having grown up near Gettysburg, and having a grandfather that was in the Union Cavalry, this book brought real insight into Grant, and his dedication to restore the Union at any cost, and the relationship that existed between him an Lincoln. It also provides an in-depth look into what the war was like and what both sides endured.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Catton (1899-1978) was masterful writer who could marshal phrases and sentences into paragraphs that were both complex and models of clarity. Furthermore, this study of Grant during the final two years of the Civil War stands up well to the changes in Grant’s reputation that have occurred in intervening decades. Catton understood the essence of Grant. Though I hate to say anything negative about this fine book, I would have thrown in a few more commas and urged the publisher to include a few more maps.

[Dennis Obrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful



Interesting, informative, easily read and quite well written. One feels as you are reading of events that occurred yesterday as opposed to events that transpired more than 150 years ago. It takes consummate skill to inform the reader of your important and captivating events without including so many unimportant facts such that the reader gets lost in the details. Not this book!

[David Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling history. A page turner. And this marvelously skilled historian tells the story with surpassing skill, craft and depth of scholarship while never -not once - allowing his elegantly plain prose to get in the way. Finishing my reading of Mr. Catton’s marvelous 2-volume history of General Grant’s war years, I feel like I woke up from a very long and valuable sleep and don’t know what to do.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really very good. It covered Grant's life from just after the Fall of Vicksburg to the end of the Civil War in April 1865. I find General Grant's life very interesting and I very much enjoyed the focus on such a short, but very important time of his life.

Catton's writing style is easy to follow and keeps the narrative flowing. A must read for anyone interested in Grant or the final year of the Civil War.

[Andrew Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning history in depth from the end of Vicksburg to the end of the war. I really got a picture of the man and how is leadership changed the course of the war by he's dramatic shift in how the war was prosecuted. Does not add fuel to the fire of myth as Grant the Butcher or Grant the Drunk, but a Grant who saw the whole picture strategically.

[Jackie Maughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Done

A fascinating account of the Civil War with General Grant front an center of course. But what stands out for me is the quality of the writing.
I hope to read other books written by Bruce Cotton since once I find a writer I love, I generally read most everything they have put pen to.

[Leslie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great soldier tempered by his undying devotion and returned great love of his life, Julia Grant

His thoughtful plans of battle were complementary to his boss' strategic plans...those of Abraham Lincoln. Together they won the Civil War.

[Kathy Seweryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Get a good nap of Virginia.
You come to see Grant's greatness, no matter what hardship, what folly, what ineptitude, he found a way to implement his winning strategy. Couldn't put it down.