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The American Presidents #18
Ulysses S. Grant: The American Presidents Series: The 18th President, 1869-1877
The underappreciated presidency of the military man who won the Civil War and then had to win the peace as well
As a general, Ulysses S. Grant is routinely described in glowing terms—the man who turned the tide of the Civil War, who accepted Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the man who had the stomach to see the war through to final victory. But his presidency is another matter—the most common word used to characterize it is “scandal.” Grant is routinely portrayed as a man out of his depth, whose trusting nature and hands-off management style opened the federal coffers to unprecedented plunder. But that caricature does not do justice to the realities of Grant’s term in office, as Josiah Bunting shows in this provocative assessment of our eighteenth president.
Grant came to Washington in 1869 to lead a capital and a country still bitterly divided by four years of civil war. His predecessor, Andrew Johnson, had been impeached and the Radical Republicans in Congress were intent on imposing harsh conditions on the southern states before allowing them back into the Union. Grant made it his priority to forge the states back into a single nation, and Bunting shows that despite the troubles that characterized Grant’s term in office, he was able to accomplish this most important task—very often through the skillful use of his own popularity with the American people. Grant was indeed a military man of the highest order, he was also a better president than he is often given credit for.
As a general, Ulysses S. Grant is routinely described in glowing terms—the man who turned the tide of the Civil War, who accepted Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the man who had the stomach to see the war through to final victory. But his presidency is another matter—the most common word used to characterize it is “scandal.” Grant is routinely portrayed as a man out of his depth, whose trusting nature and hands-off management style opened the federal coffers to unprecedented plunder. But that caricature does not do justice to the realities of Grant’s term in office, as Josiah Bunting shows in this provocative assessment of our eighteenth president.
Grant came to Washington in 1869 to lead a capital and a country still bitterly divided by four years of civil war. His predecessor, Andrew Johnson, had been impeached and the Radical Republicans in Congress were intent on imposing harsh conditions on the southern states before allowing them back into the Union. Grant made it his priority to forge the states back into a single nation, and Bunting shows that despite the troubles that characterized Grant’s term in office, he was able to accomplish this most important task—very often through the skillful use of his own popularity with the American people. Grant was indeed a military man of the highest order, he was also a better president than he is often given credit for.
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First published September 6, 2000
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About the author
Josiah Bunting
11 books8 followersJosiah Bunting III is an American educator, author and retired military officer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 25, 2025
A New Look At President Grant
The short volumes in the American Presidents series offer an outstanding way for readers to get reacquainted with American history and with our Nation's leaders. Each volume is written by a scholar who brings his or her own perspective to the subject, focusing on the factors that make the president in question worth knowing and remembering. In this volume of the series, Josiah Bunting III offers an admirable and challenging portrait of U.S. Grant (1822 -- 1885) who served as the eighteenth president of the United States (1869 -- 1877). Bunting is a former army officer who served as the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute for many years. He offers a reappraisal of the Grant presidency in this volume, in company with some other contemporary scholarly reassessments.
As Bunting emphasizes, Grant has suffered from cliches both as General and as President. He is frequently castigated as a "drunk" (Grant did indeed have problems with alcohol early in his career) and as a "butcher", in spite of the extraordinary strategic skill he displayed in the Vicksburg campaign, at Fort Donelson, in crossing the James River en route to Petersburg, and elsewhere (and in spite of the relatively low casualty rates, overall, of the armies under his command). In his presidency, Grant is often found at the bottom of the various rankings, primarily due to the corruption that ensued during his administration.
Bunting's book offers a brief portrait of Grant's early life and a good brief summary of his accomplishments during the Civil War. He also offers a brisk account of Grant's activities during the four years between Appomattox and Grant's own election to the presidency, focusing on his increasingly strained relationship with Andrew Johnson and his eventual rejection of Johnson's lenient policy of Reconstruction. This pivotal period of Grant's career is frequently overlooked.
But the focus of the book is on Grant's presidency. Bunting properly points out that with the exception of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, no person faced greater challenges than did Grant in assuming the executive office. The country was seriously divided over Reconstruction, with the seemingly intractable goals of restoring the Union on the one hand and protecting the rights of African Americans on the other hand. Bunting praises Grant for the efforts he made to protect the rights of the freed people. With substantial justification, Bunting says that Grant's efforts were the strongest made by an American president until the mid-20th Century. Bunting also praises Grant for pursuing a relatively humane policy towards the Indians, for his courageous veto of inflationary paper money legislation in 1874, and for his calm and principled stance during the Hayes-Tilden controversy in the presidential election of 1876.
Bunting does not overlook Grant's deficiencies as president, but I think he tends to downplay them. He acknowledges a substantial degree of moral obtuseness in Grant, if not personal culpability, in the manner in which the President responded to the scandals which plagued his administration. Grant showed a high degree of cronyism while in office and a tendency, derived from his success as a general, to be peremptory in has actions and judgments. On several occasions, Grant's policies and inactions led to economic difficulties, including the severe depression of 1873. Even in the area of Reconstruction and civil rights, Grant frequently compromised his efforts due to political considerations. And he was aware that the military presence in the South and the agressive Federal efforts to protect the rights of the freed people would need to end, due to lack of support in the nation, if not during his administration, then in the administration of his successor.
Grant remained a revered figure during his lifetime. He probably could have been elected to a third term in 1876, had he wished, and he narrowly missed a renomination for president in 1880. Grant's Memoirs of his Civil War and Mexican War experiences, which he wrote towards the end of his life, is a classic of American literature.
I think historians will debate the extent to which Bunting's work, and similar studies, serve to rehabilitate the presidency of Grant. But clearly, Bunting offers a fresh and thoughtful approach which will serve to modify the stereotypes that many informed Americans carry about him. Bunting's book offers a good introduction to a great, if enigmatic, American and to his difficult presidency.
Robin Friedman
The short volumes in the American Presidents series offer an outstanding way for readers to get reacquainted with American history and with our Nation's leaders. Each volume is written by a scholar who brings his or her own perspective to the subject, focusing on the factors that make the president in question worth knowing and remembering. In this volume of the series, Josiah Bunting III offers an admirable and challenging portrait of U.S. Grant (1822 -- 1885) who served as the eighteenth president of the United States (1869 -- 1877). Bunting is a former army officer who served as the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute for many years. He offers a reappraisal of the Grant presidency in this volume, in company with some other contemporary scholarly reassessments.
As Bunting emphasizes, Grant has suffered from cliches both as General and as President. He is frequently castigated as a "drunk" (Grant did indeed have problems with alcohol early in his career) and as a "butcher", in spite of the extraordinary strategic skill he displayed in the Vicksburg campaign, at Fort Donelson, in crossing the James River en route to Petersburg, and elsewhere (and in spite of the relatively low casualty rates, overall, of the armies under his command). In his presidency, Grant is often found at the bottom of the various rankings, primarily due to the corruption that ensued during his administration.
Bunting's book offers a brief portrait of Grant's early life and a good brief summary of his accomplishments during the Civil War. He also offers a brisk account of Grant's activities during the four years between Appomattox and Grant's own election to the presidency, focusing on his increasingly strained relationship with Andrew Johnson and his eventual rejection of Johnson's lenient policy of Reconstruction. This pivotal period of Grant's career is frequently overlooked.
But the focus of the book is on Grant's presidency. Bunting properly points out that with the exception of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, no person faced greater challenges than did Grant in assuming the executive office. The country was seriously divided over Reconstruction, with the seemingly intractable goals of restoring the Union on the one hand and protecting the rights of African Americans on the other hand. Bunting praises Grant for the efforts he made to protect the rights of the freed people. With substantial justification, Bunting says that Grant's efforts were the strongest made by an American president until the mid-20th Century. Bunting also praises Grant for pursuing a relatively humane policy towards the Indians, for his courageous veto of inflationary paper money legislation in 1874, and for his calm and principled stance during the Hayes-Tilden controversy in the presidential election of 1876.
Bunting does not overlook Grant's deficiencies as president, but I think he tends to downplay them. He acknowledges a substantial degree of moral obtuseness in Grant, if not personal culpability, in the manner in which the President responded to the scandals which plagued his administration. Grant showed a high degree of cronyism while in office and a tendency, derived from his success as a general, to be peremptory in has actions and judgments. On several occasions, Grant's policies and inactions led to economic difficulties, including the severe depression of 1873. Even in the area of Reconstruction and civil rights, Grant frequently compromised his efforts due to political considerations. And he was aware that the military presence in the South and the agressive Federal efforts to protect the rights of the freed people would need to end, due to lack of support in the nation, if not during his administration, then in the administration of his successor.
Grant remained a revered figure during his lifetime. He probably could have been elected to a third term in 1876, had he wished, and he narrowly missed a renomination for president in 1880. Grant's Memoirs of his Civil War and Mexican War experiences, which he wrote towards the end of his life, is a classic of American literature.
I think historians will debate the extent to which Bunting's work, and similar studies, serve to rehabilitate the presidency of Grant. But clearly, Bunting offers a fresh and thoughtful approach which will serve to modify the stereotypes that many informed Americans carry about him. Bunting's book offers a good introduction to a great, if enigmatic, American and to his difficult presidency.
Robin Friedman
November 6, 2019
My first response after finishing Josiah Bunting’s short biography of U. S. Grant was that I was intrigued and absorbed by its first half (early years, military life, the two wars) but bored and saddened by its second half (Johnson, Reconstruction, Grant’s presidency; the European tour, bankruptcy and decline). But then I thought: isn’t this really just my reponse to Grant’s life? Wouldn’t it be most people’s natural reaction?
Grant will always be a bit of enigma, for he was a man of few words who kept his feelings to himself. To think of him as general, sending thousands to almost certain death, without shedding a tear or suffering a tremor, is to be filled with wonder; to understand that he used their deaths skillfully, in the service of a great moral cause, is to be filled with terror and awe. On the other hand, to think of him as president, responding with the same enigmatic stolidity as capitalists looted the nation, second-generation Republicans sold out Reconstruction, and his old cronies engaged in self-dealing, is to be filled not only with sadness but a sense of waste. Not tragic waste, though: just waste.
Still, I don’t think Grant gets the credit he deserves. His dry sense of humor was sometimes taken for stupidity (his remark that “Venice would be a fine city if they would only drain the streets” was almost certainly a joke), and his support for Native Americans and the principles of Reconstruction, although in many ways wrongheaded, was sincere and intentionally benign. The truth is that America, in the heady days of industrialization and financial speculation, had fallen in love with the Almighty Dollar. They grabbed all they could when things were good, and after the Panic of 1873 (known to Americans—for almost fifty years—as “the Great Depression”), it was “run for the lifeboats, every man for himself.”
Grant was a fine judge of men in the dark days of war, but his instincts failed him during “The Gilded Age.” It was the men, though—not U.S. Grant—who had changed.
January 31, 2025
Josiah Bunting III's biography of Ulysses S. Grant differs from the plethora of material available on Grant in that it is short. He hits the highlights of Grant's younger years as a West Point student, his service during the American Civil War as one of the Union's most effective generals, and his Presidency. The book provides a good idea of Grant’s personal characteristics, such as his strategic brilliance, gritty determination, and ability to learn from mistakes.
Grant listened to others’ viewpoints without disclosing much about his own opinions. He occasionally seemed rather naïve, assuming honorable intentions where they were not always present. While acknowledging Grant's shortcomings and corruption scandals that plagued his administration, Bunting points out that Grant's commitment to Reconstruction and civil rights for freed slaves demonstrated his moral courage and forward-thinking leadership. The biography serves as a concise (200 pages) yet insightful introduction to Grant's life.
Grant listened to others’ viewpoints without disclosing much about his own opinions. He occasionally seemed rather naïve, assuming honorable intentions where they were not always present. While acknowledging Grant's shortcomings and corruption scandals that plagued his administration, Bunting points out that Grant's commitment to Reconstruction and civil rights for freed slaves demonstrated his moral courage and forward-thinking leadership. The biography serves as a concise (200 pages) yet insightful introduction to Grant's life.
November 4, 2011
If we are in a new Gilded Age, then it may be time for us all to revisit the administration of Ulysses S. Grant. Bunting does a superb job of deconstructing and reconstructing Grant. Was he a drunk? Sometimes, but he also had some bad press. Was he a butcher? Sometimes, but for good reason - he wanted to end the civil war. Did he preside over a scandal ridden adminstration? Somewhat, but government was under the spoils system back then and worked differently than it does now. Bunting's Grant is a capable, brave general who won the Civil War and wanted to win Reconstruction as well, or the war would have been fought in vain. Grant's fairer treatment of Native Americans(than previous or subsquent administrations) is also a plus in Grant's favor, which Bunting points out has been ignored in our history. Still, in the end Grant could move armies but not his friends and colleagues. "There is little evidence that the Black Friday episode served to put the president on his guard against such future attempts to hoodwink or manipulate the administration or other agencies of government," Bunting writes. "Early on, the country was learning something of the president's style: he was a delegator, loyal to subordinates and probably naive in his judgments of politicians, slow to anger and only rarely given to censure, and reluctuctant to dismiss subordinates under almost any circumstances." And, sadly, "The last man to leave the battlefield at Belmont and the only man not to flinch while sitting on his horse in direct view of enemy soldiers was the same man who could not say no to a friend, and not even a very good friend at that." Amazing how power can all come down to the personal, then and now. "In American politics, then as now, shrinking from saying things that others may not like is at the root of no end of trouble." Gilded Age then and now indeed.
November 8, 2016
Exceptional book. While many people have a variety of opinions concerning Grant as president, some saying he was one of the worst and some saying he was one of the best I think the truth lies somewhere in-between. A very interesting read that I would recommend.
September 16, 2014
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2014/...
“Ulysses S. Grant” is Josiah Bunting’s 2004 biography of the eighteenth U.S. president. Bunting is an author, retired officer in the US Army and has served in a variety of academic and leadership capacities at West Point, the Naval War College, Princeton and VMI. His novel “The Lionheads” was one of Time Magazine’s “Ten Best Novels of 1973.”
As a member of The American Presidents Series, readers expect a concise, punchy, straightforward biography from Bunting, and he delivers precisely that. In a no-nonsense style stretching little more than one-hundred-fifty pages, Grant’s entire life is reviewed, analyzed and defended.
Beyond simply providing the reader with a fast, extremely comprehensible reading experience, Bunting often injects his own unique observations on Grant’s life. And although he often refers to the opinions of other well-known Grant biographers, he frequently provides his own interesting perspective on matters.
Relative to lengthier, more comprehensive biographies of Grant, Bunting’s book moves at almost a breathless pace. He includes nearly everything of substance but rarely stops to smell the roses. Only the most crucial of details are included and there is very little ancillary scene-setting. As with other biographies in this series, the reading experience reminds me of skipping a lengthier literary classic in favor of the more efficient synopsis provided by the CliffsNotes review.
Unfortunately, this concise format allows no opportunity to explore the many fascinating nuances of Grant’s life or to understand how a man of such seemingly little potential could become Lincoln’s most successful general – and America’s most revered military hero. A potent efficiency may be one of this book’s greatest rewards, but it comes at the expense of depth and color.
And although Bunting’s style of writing is generally clear and articulate, it is not uncommon to find individual sentences that are asked to do far too much. In these moments the narrative becomes wordy and complex. Laying out the sentence diagram for some of these would stump even the best old-school grammar teacher.
Because of the biography’s brevity it also provides the least satisfying “Civil War experience” of any of Grant’s biographies I’ve read. Battles are so quickly described it is hard to understand much beyond the largest-scale details. Fortunately the author usually book-ends military engagements with a concise explanation of what the reader should take away. But it reminds me of reading newspaper headlines in an effort to understand the news.
Finally, Bunting breaks very little (if any) new ground in his review of Grant’s life and legacy. Reading this biography is more an exercise in efficiency than in deepening one’s understanding of Grant’s. But for an impatient reader, this may be an invaluable service. And, typical for this series, Bunting provides a useful chronology of Grant’s life toward the back of the book along with the author’s views of many other biographies of Grant.
Overall, “Ulysses S. Grant” performs its objective admirably: it provides a time-starved audience with a potent, hard-hitting and ultimately sympathetic review of Grant’s life. It is reasonably comprehensive without being thorough, and is illuminating without being nuanced. In my view, Grant is undoubtedly worthy of a more colorful and penetrating biography. But for many, Josiah Bunting’s biography provides the perfect balance of insight and efficiency.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
“Ulysses S. Grant” is Josiah Bunting’s 2004 biography of the eighteenth U.S. president. Bunting is an author, retired officer in the US Army and has served in a variety of academic and leadership capacities at West Point, the Naval War College, Princeton and VMI. His novel “The Lionheads” was one of Time Magazine’s “Ten Best Novels of 1973.”
As a member of The American Presidents Series, readers expect a concise, punchy, straightforward biography from Bunting, and he delivers precisely that. In a no-nonsense style stretching little more than one-hundred-fifty pages, Grant’s entire life is reviewed, analyzed and defended.
Beyond simply providing the reader with a fast, extremely comprehensible reading experience, Bunting often injects his own unique observations on Grant’s life. And although he often refers to the opinions of other well-known Grant biographers, he frequently provides his own interesting perspective on matters.
Relative to lengthier, more comprehensive biographies of Grant, Bunting’s book moves at almost a breathless pace. He includes nearly everything of substance but rarely stops to smell the roses. Only the most crucial of details are included and there is very little ancillary scene-setting. As with other biographies in this series, the reading experience reminds me of skipping a lengthier literary classic in favor of the more efficient synopsis provided by the CliffsNotes review.
Unfortunately, this concise format allows no opportunity to explore the many fascinating nuances of Grant’s life or to understand how a man of such seemingly little potential could become Lincoln’s most successful general – and America’s most revered military hero. A potent efficiency may be one of this book’s greatest rewards, but it comes at the expense of depth and color.
And although Bunting’s style of writing is generally clear and articulate, it is not uncommon to find individual sentences that are asked to do far too much. In these moments the narrative becomes wordy and complex. Laying out the sentence diagram for some of these would stump even the best old-school grammar teacher.
Because of the biography’s brevity it also provides the least satisfying “Civil War experience” of any of Grant’s biographies I’ve read. Battles are so quickly described it is hard to understand much beyond the largest-scale details. Fortunately the author usually book-ends military engagements with a concise explanation of what the reader should take away. But it reminds me of reading newspaper headlines in an effort to understand the news.
Finally, Bunting breaks very little (if any) new ground in his review of Grant’s life and legacy. Reading this biography is more an exercise in efficiency than in deepening one’s understanding of Grant’s. But for an impatient reader, this may be an invaluable service. And, typical for this series, Bunting provides a useful chronology of Grant’s life toward the back of the book along with the author’s views of many other biographies of Grant.
Overall, “Ulysses S. Grant” performs its objective admirably: it provides a time-starved audience with a potent, hard-hitting and ultimately sympathetic review of Grant’s life. It is reasonably comprehensive without being thorough, and is illuminating without being nuanced. In my view, Grant is undoubtedly worthy of a more colorful and penetrating biography. But for many, Josiah Bunting’s biography provides the perfect balance of insight and efficiency.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
February 25, 2010
I have some interest in the Civil War and, after reading Catton's "The Civil War", decided to expand my knowledge of Grant.
It is 'common knowledge' that US Grant had one of the most corrupt presidencies in United States history. Bunting suggests that the common knowledge is wrong on the back cover of his biography, and makes a strong case as to why a generation of historians has misunderstood Grant.
This book describes US Grant as a man who understood what needed to be done and simply did it. His father wanted him to go to West Point so he went and did the best he could, even if it wasn't remarkable. In the Civil War, Grant understood the strengths of his army and pushed on instead of being overly cautious as other Generals were. As President, an office that Grant did not seek but was asked to fill, he simply trusted the men around him and tried to do the right things.
Grant was a big supporter of newly freed slaves and Indians. He sent the army into the south on several occasions to make certain blacks could exercise their new right to vote without persecution. He also removed men from positions in the West that allowed them to exploit the Indians, replacing them with military men who would treat them better, if not perfectly.
The most interesting part of the book came when many corruptions were detailed out and shown to be mishandled by Grant, but with little evidence of conspiracy on his part. Grant is guilty of being too trusting to men he appointed and, at times, not acting decisively enough to counter scandals, but no more.
Overall I felt the book was excellent and unbiased. I would have perhaps liked a bit more overall information (only 155 pages of biography) but what is there provided me with insight to Grant and how he helped keep our nation together in one of its darkest hours.
It is 'common knowledge' that US Grant had one of the most corrupt presidencies in United States history. Bunting suggests that the common knowledge is wrong on the back cover of his biography, and makes a strong case as to why a generation of historians has misunderstood Grant.
This book describes US Grant as a man who understood what needed to be done and simply did it. His father wanted him to go to West Point so he went and did the best he could, even if it wasn't remarkable. In the Civil War, Grant understood the strengths of his army and pushed on instead of being overly cautious as other Generals were. As President, an office that Grant did not seek but was asked to fill, he simply trusted the men around him and tried to do the right things.
Grant was a big supporter of newly freed slaves and Indians. He sent the army into the south on several occasions to make certain blacks could exercise their new right to vote without persecution. He also removed men from positions in the West that allowed them to exploit the Indians, replacing them with military men who would treat them better, if not perfectly.
The most interesting part of the book came when many corruptions were detailed out and shown to be mishandled by Grant, but with little evidence of conspiracy on his part. Grant is guilty of being too trusting to men he appointed and, at times, not acting decisively enough to counter scandals, but no more.
Overall I felt the book was excellent and unbiased. I would have perhaps liked a bit more overall information (only 155 pages of biography) but what is there provided me with insight to Grant and how he helped keep our nation together in one of its darkest hours.
October 12, 2019
Simple overview of Grants presidency. Picked this up after the giant Grant biography proved to be to detailed on the war battles for me.
February 10, 2018
Bunting hits the highlights with elegant prose.
August 9, 2009
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but there's a story there, as summarized in this work) was to ascend to the highest ranks in the hearts of his countrymen--from commanding general of the Union forces to President of the United States.
His rise to such positions seemed most unlikely to those who knew him in the years after the Mexican War. He grew up in Ohio and, through happenstance, ended up at West Point. He completed his studies, ranking in the middle of the pack in his class. He was noteworthy for his skills as a horseman and for his mathematical ability. His performance in the Mexican War was very strong. In the process of his tour of duty, he served under both Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, and learned considerably about what makes a general. Thereafter, he had a series of postings leaving him isolated and sometimes "on the bottle," where he developed a reputation as a drunk.
There follows the familiar story of his departure from the army, failed effort after failed effort at creating a solid economic grounding h=for his family. As the Civil War opened, while he was working in the family store in Galena, Illinois, he served as an officer as civilian military units were formed.
After that, his meteoric rise in the Army--from regiment command to commanding general of all Union forces. In between, he displayed the ability to win battles that often led other generals to retreat. In the process, Americans had come to respect him as the war closed.
The book chronicles his disagreements with Andrew Johnson's policies after Lincoln's assassination. Then, in 1868, Grant was nominated by the Republicans for president. This book takes a hard look at his presidency--the good, the bad, and the ugly. There were some important contributions--despite faltering, he did try to support the newly won rights of former slaves; he also supported humane treatment of Indians (even against the wishes of his top lieutenants--William Sherman and Phil Sheridan). But his economic policy contributed to the Panic that engulfed his second administration. His blind eye toward corruption of some of his colleagues does him no honor in history. There were also some foreign policy successes, to round out the picture.
And, his final years, in which he courageously tried to provide for his families' economic security.
All in all, another good entry in this series of brief biographies (155 pages of text, with a useful chronology following the text). As always, if one wishes a quick and accessible view of this American president, this book will do nicely. And, even though this book is brief, the author pouts Grant's performance as president in a nice context.
His rise to such positions seemed most unlikely to those who knew him in the years after the Mexican War. He grew up in Ohio and, through happenstance, ended up at West Point. He completed his studies, ranking in the middle of the pack in his class. He was noteworthy for his skills as a horseman and for his mathematical ability. His performance in the Mexican War was very strong. In the process of his tour of duty, he served under both Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, and learned considerably about what makes a general. Thereafter, he had a series of postings leaving him isolated and sometimes "on the bottle," where he developed a reputation as a drunk.
There follows the familiar story of his departure from the army, failed effort after failed effort at creating a solid economic grounding h=for his family. As the Civil War opened, while he was working in the family store in Galena, Illinois, he served as an officer as civilian military units were formed.
After that, his meteoric rise in the Army--from regiment command to commanding general of all Union forces. In between, he displayed the ability to win battles that often led other generals to retreat. In the process, Americans had come to respect him as the war closed.
The book chronicles his disagreements with Andrew Johnson's policies after Lincoln's assassination. Then, in 1868, Grant was nominated by the Republicans for president. This book takes a hard look at his presidency--the good, the bad, and the ugly. There were some important contributions--despite faltering, he did try to support the newly won rights of former slaves; he also supported humane treatment of Indians (even against the wishes of his top lieutenants--William Sherman and Phil Sheridan). But his economic policy contributed to the Panic that engulfed his second administration. His blind eye toward corruption of some of his colleagues does him no honor in history. There were also some foreign policy successes, to round out the picture.
And, his final years, in which he courageously tried to provide for his families' economic security.
All in all, another good entry in this series of brief biographies (155 pages of text, with a useful chronology following the text). As always, if one wishes a quick and accessible view of this American president, this book will do nicely. And, even though this book is brief, the author pouts Grant's performance as president in a nice context.
August 3, 2011
Three stars for the book; five for Grant as general; three for grant as president; five for Grant as world traveler; five for Grant as writer and author; one for Grant as business man; and last but not least, four for me as reader (I don't want to sound arrogant).
October 27, 2025
In "Ulysses S. Grant" Josiah Bunting III evokes Archilochus's fable " The Hedgehog and the Fox" to explain Grant's mode of thought. Like the hedgehog, Grant knew one big thing, "he believed in the preservation of what he understood to be the legacy of a terrible war..." He was committed to Lincoln's vision of a Reconstruction that bind all Americans together.
Lieutenant General Bunting, a former Superintendent of VMI, graduated from the school in 1963. A Rhodes Scholar, Bunting studied from 1963-1966 at Christ Church, Oxford University, where he earned a BA and MA with honors in Modern History. Bunting served on active duty in the U. S. Army from 1966-1973, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. Subsequently he served as President of Briarcliff College and Hampden-Sydney College.
Renowned as a hero and savior of the Union, modern historians have not been kind in their assessment of Grant's presidency. Bunting attempts to rescue Grant from " the Grant Myth” reevaluating the man and his actions. Grant was direct, stoical and self-effacing. His goal-driven deportment caused many to accuse him of indifference, and unlike many politicians he evinced a sense of taciturnity in public; his fellow students at West Point remembered him as reserved and awkward, having “the most perfect regard for truth . . . but, respected by all.”
In the Mexican War, a conflict he regarded as unjust, Grant served with elan and gallantry. His only concern was to face the hardships of war at the front with his troops.
Grant seemed to have few political ambitions; he seems to have blossomed when doing his duty quietly and efficiently. Bunting compares him to Caesar; he acted to complete tasks and never sought to avoid the fray. These qualities endeared him to Abraham Lincoln. Bunting notes that as president, “Grant would labor to fulfill what he took to be Abraham Lincoln’s vision for a nation made whole.”
Grant assumed the presidency at a critical juncture. Reconstruction was a continuation of the war by other means. Such was the source of much discord. In addition, the nation, having experienced the deprivations of war was gripped by unparalleled materialistic impulses. These currents would have perplexed most politicians, and Grant had difficulty meeting the moment. He tended to eschew political patronage, and even as scandals mushroomed, he seldom attempted to explain the actions of his administration. At a time of political extremism, Bunting describes Grant as "a closet moderate."
That said, Grant continually exhibited conviction and courage. Frederick Douglass remarked: To Grant more than any other man the Negro owes his enfranchisement and the Indian a humane policy...his moral courage surpassed that of his party." As a plurality in the country appeared to be enervated by the obligations of Reconstruction, Grant invoked Insurrection and sent federal troops to South Carolina to quell the depraved rule of Wade Hampton. And, in another instance he thumbed his nose at his own party, vetoing an Inflation Act which would have devalued the currency. Needless to say, Grant's policies were scantly appreciated.
In 1884, Grant was stricken by incurable throat cancer. Facing death in a time when ex-presidents received no pension, Grant had to determine the best way to provide for his family. Unrelentingly, Grant produced a 275,000-word memoir of " what he had learned and seen, about himself as well as about war, about leadership, friendship and the people and places where he had fought..." It remains the greatest presidential memoir yet penned.
Bunting's study is succinct and sympathetic. While not necessarily revisionist, Bunting provides a perspective that that is both refreshing and atypical.
Lieutenant General Bunting, a former Superintendent of VMI, graduated from the school in 1963. A Rhodes Scholar, Bunting studied from 1963-1966 at Christ Church, Oxford University, where he earned a BA and MA with honors in Modern History. Bunting served on active duty in the U. S. Army from 1966-1973, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. Subsequently he served as President of Briarcliff College and Hampden-Sydney College.
Renowned as a hero and savior of the Union, modern historians have not been kind in their assessment of Grant's presidency. Bunting attempts to rescue Grant from " the Grant Myth” reevaluating the man and his actions. Grant was direct, stoical and self-effacing. His goal-driven deportment caused many to accuse him of indifference, and unlike many politicians he evinced a sense of taciturnity in public; his fellow students at West Point remembered him as reserved and awkward, having “the most perfect regard for truth . . . but, respected by all.”
In the Mexican War, a conflict he regarded as unjust, Grant served with elan and gallantry. His only concern was to face the hardships of war at the front with his troops.
Grant seemed to have few political ambitions; he seems to have blossomed when doing his duty quietly and efficiently. Bunting compares him to Caesar; he acted to complete tasks and never sought to avoid the fray. These qualities endeared him to Abraham Lincoln. Bunting notes that as president, “Grant would labor to fulfill what he took to be Abraham Lincoln’s vision for a nation made whole.”
Grant assumed the presidency at a critical juncture. Reconstruction was a continuation of the war by other means. Such was the source of much discord. In addition, the nation, having experienced the deprivations of war was gripped by unparalleled materialistic impulses. These currents would have perplexed most politicians, and Grant had difficulty meeting the moment. He tended to eschew political patronage, and even as scandals mushroomed, he seldom attempted to explain the actions of his administration. At a time of political extremism, Bunting describes Grant as "a closet moderate."
That said, Grant continually exhibited conviction and courage. Frederick Douglass remarked: To Grant more than any other man the Negro owes his enfranchisement and the Indian a humane policy...his moral courage surpassed that of his party." As a plurality in the country appeared to be enervated by the obligations of Reconstruction, Grant invoked Insurrection and sent federal troops to South Carolina to quell the depraved rule of Wade Hampton. And, in another instance he thumbed his nose at his own party, vetoing an Inflation Act which would have devalued the currency. Needless to say, Grant's policies were scantly appreciated.
In 1884, Grant was stricken by incurable throat cancer. Facing death in a time when ex-presidents received no pension, Grant had to determine the best way to provide for his family. Unrelentingly, Grant produced a 275,000-word memoir of " what he had learned and seen, about himself as well as about war, about leadership, friendship and the people and places where he had fought..." It remains the greatest presidential memoir yet penned.
Bunting's study is succinct and sympathetic. While not necessarily revisionist, Bunting provides a perspective that that is both refreshing and atypical.
May 29, 2020
Why has Grant been viewed as being an incompetent president? This short book, written by someone who clearly has a positive view of Grant, gives at least some of the basic context that would later allow other revisionist historians like Chernow to present Grant's simplicity to full advantage. Indeed, Grant presents an interesting case for the sort of people who are disliked and the reasons why certain people are disliked. Used to being underappreciated and underestimated, Grant was the sort of solid and dependable person who is looked down on by intellectuals and elites but who has a lot to offer because of the strength of will and resourcefulness of character. The bullying that Grant faced throughout his life and his lack of willingness to communicate when it came to creating awkward scenes provides a great deal of explanation of some of the essential patterns of Grant's life. The author also does a great job of explaining, briefly, the aspects of Grant's presidency that have been viewed as scandalous and finds them largely wanting as being genuine explanations of Grant's bad reputation. Overall the author places Grant's presidency in the very good level of influential presidents like Reagan and Monroe and TR, which seems a fair place to put him.
This book is a bit less than 200 pages, just over 150 pages in fact. The author begins with an introduction that provides the problem of Grant. This leads to a look at Grant's childhood (1) as well as his military education at West Point and his success in the Mexican-American War (2). The author explores the troubles of peacetime for Grant (3) as well as two chapters that look at Grant's Civil War experience (4, 5). The author looks at the period that Grant spent as General-in-chief of the army under Johnson, a man with whom there was mutual hostility (6) underneath surface politeness. The author spends a significant amount of space, relative to the size of the book as a whole, in looking at Grant's attitude to politics (7), his diplomatic efforts with England and other nations (8), his attempts to enforce a just reconstruction (9), and his dealing with the American Indians in a desire for justice there as well (10). The author spends some time discussing efforts at reform (11) as well as the problem of scandals (12), and Grant's noble exit from the presidency after two terms (13). The rest of the book then discusses the final years of Grant's life (14) as well as additional material like milestones, a selected bibliography, acknowledgements, and an index.
One of the disadvantages of a book like this is the way that the book is so short. This book is a clear case where more would be better. The author spends a few chapters on Grant's presidency but flies through large parts of the author's life, spending only one chapter on Grant's post-presidential existence. This is really the sort of book that is designed to encourage the reader to read more of the works about its subject. And in this case that is certainly worthwhile. If you like this book, then at least two other books are probably going to be of interest, namely Grant's memoirs (which is a wonderful read) and the Chernow biography (which is on my list of books to read about Grant as well). If you dislike viewing Grant positively, this book is short enough not to be a huge problem, though it does spend a whole chapter addressing the biggest scandals and demonstrating why these do not actually speak poorly about Grant's character but only his stubborn loyalty to people who did not always have his own best interests at heart but rather their own.
This book is a bit less than 200 pages, just over 150 pages in fact. The author begins with an introduction that provides the problem of Grant. This leads to a look at Grant's childhood (1) as well as his military education at West Point and his success in the Mexican-American War (2). The author explores the troubles of peacetime for Grant (3) as well as two chapters that look at Grant's Civil War experience (4, 5). The author looks at the period that Grant spent as General-in-chief of the army under Johnson, a man with whom there was mutual hostility (6) underneath surface politeness. The author spends a significant amount of space, relative to the size of the book as a whole, in looking at Grant's attitude to politics (7), his diplomatic efforts with England and other nations (8), his attempts to enforce a just reconstruction (9), and his dealing with the American Indians in a desire for justice there as well (10). The author spends some time discussing efforts at reform (11) as well as the problem of scandals (12), and Grant's noble exit from the presidency after two terms (13). The rest of the book then discusses the final years of Grant's life (14) as well as additional material like milestones, a selected bibliography, acknowledgements, and an index.
One of the disadvantages of a book like this is the way that the book is so short. This book is a clear case where more would be better. The author spends a few chapters on Grant's presidency but flies through large parts of the author's life, spending only one chapter on Grant's post-presidential existence. This is really the sort of book that is designed to encourage the reader to read more of the works about its subject. And in this case that is certainly worthwhile. If you like this book, then at least two other books are probably going to be of interest, namely Grant's memoirs (which is a wonderful read) and the Chernow biography (which is on my list of books to read about Grant as well). If you dislike viewing Grant positively, this book is short enough not to be a huge problem, though it does spend a whole chapter addressing the biggest scandals and demonstrating why these do not actually speak poorly about Grant's character but only his stubborn loyalty to people who did not always have his own best interests at heart but rather their own.
April 24, 2019
Ulysses S. Grant is the eighteenth book in The American Presidents series – a biographical series chronicling the Presidents of the United States. Josiah Bunting wrote this particular installment and edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant) was an American soldier, politician, and international statesman, who served as the eighteenth President of the United States from 1869–1877. During the American Civil War Grant led the Union Army as its commanding general to victory over the Confederacy with the supervision of President Abraham Lincoln. During the Reconstruction Era, President Grant led the Republicans in their efforts to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism, racism, and slavery.
Ulysses S. Grant was renowned as a hero and savior of the Union in his day. However, modern historians are likely to recall him as a President who barely survived one scandal after another. Bunting acknowledges Grant's youthful tippling and the defects of his presidency. However, as a veteran military officer himself, he captures Grant's brilliance as a strategist, his quiet compassion, his firm judgment, and his humanity as the Union's principal military leader.
Then, where other historians hold Grant's administration responsible for many of the failures of Reconstruction, Bunting believes Grant was in his era, a central force in the achievement of civil rights for blacks, the most stalwart and most reliable among all American Presidents for the next eighty years. Furthermore, Bunting does as good a job as possible in making sense of Grant's difficult presidency. At times, Bunting excuses Grant too much for his handling of scandal and for the consequences of his unwavering loyalty to friends. However, his defense is well within the bounds of credibility.
All in all, Ulysses S. Grant is a wonderfully written biography of the seventeenth president and it was a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant) was an American soldier, politician, and international statesman, who served as the eighteenth President of the United States from 1869–1877. During the American Civil War Grant led the Union Army as its commanding general to victory over the Confederacy with the supervision of President Abraham Lincoln. During the Reconstruction Era, President Grant led the Republicans in their efforts to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism, racism, and slavery.
Ulysses S. Grant was renowned as a hero and savior of the Union in his day. However, modern historians are likely to recall him as a President who barely survived one scandal after another. Bunting acknowledges Grant's youthful tippling and the defects of his presidency. However, as a veteran military officer himself, he captures Grant's brilliance as a strategist, his quiet compassion, his firm judgment, and his humanity as the Union's principal military leader.
Then, where other historians hold Grant's administration responsible for many of the failures of Reconstruction, Bunting believes Grant was in his era, a central force in the achievement of civil rights for blacks, the most stalwart and most reliable among all American Presidents for the next eighty years. Furthermore, Bunting does as good a job as possible in making sense of Grant's difficult presidency. At times, Bunting excuses Grant too much for his handling of scandal and for the consequences of his unwavering loyalty to friends. However, his defense is well within the bounds of credibility.
All in all, Ulysses S. Grant is a wonderfully written biography of the seventeenth president and it was a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.
February 19, 2020
This short book is a volume in The American Presidents Series. About the first third of this tome leads up to his presidency and the rest, until the last ten pages, about his administration. Containing only 155 pages of text it does not go into the detail of more extensive volumes.
The theme of this work is that Grant is one of the most underappreciated presidents. Contrary to the image of an honest but bungling executive who over looked the corruption of his friends, author Josiah Bunting III posits that Grant was bequeathed heavier and more intractable burdens than every president, save two. The only president to serve two consecutive full terms between Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson he confronted controversies over Reconstruction and readmission of the Southern states and the protection of freedman’s rights against the reascending white domination in the former Confederacy, promoted by the near guerrilla warfare of the Ku Klux Klan. Some challenges he handled well, such as his successful conclusion of the claims against Great Britain arising out of the damage done by the Confederate raider “Alabama”, others not so well, as was the case with the Black Friday panic occasioned by his breaking of Jay Gould’s attempt to corner the Gold Market in 1869.
I found this to be an easy read that opened new visions of Ulysses S. Grant. It is helpful as an introduction to his presidency or as a quick refresher after having read more lengthy biographies.
The theme of this work is that Grant is one of the most underappreciated presidents. Contrary to the image of an honest but bungling executive who over looked the corruption of his friends, author Josiah Bunting III posits that Grant was bequeathed heavier and more intractable burdens than every president, save two. The only president to serve two consecutive full terms between Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson he confronted controversies over Reconstruction and readmission of the Southern states and the protection of freedman’s rights against the reascending white domination in the former Confederacy, promoted by the near guerrilla warfare of the Ku Klux Klan. Some challenges he handled well, such as his successful conclusion of the claims against Great Britain arising out of the damage done by the Confederate raider “Alabama”, others not so well, as was the case with the Black Friday panic occasioned by his breaking of Jay Gould’s attempt to corner the Gold Market in 1869.
I found this to be an easy read that opened new visions of Ulysses S. Grant. It is helpful as an introduction to his presidency or as a quick refresher after having read more lengthy biographies.
February 21, 2023
This is review is driven by one very specific issue that I had with this book...the overuse of words and statements that I had to constantly look up in order to understand. At times the book reads like an exercise in classic writing and expression.
Being that I am college-educated, I have never felt that there is anything wrong with having to learn new words by keeping a dictionary close by when reading a book. But to the degree that I had to research so many words had me wondering which book I was actually reading...a biography of Ulysses Grant or Webster's Dictionary.
Here's a few examples of the author's writing that gave me pauses:
used the word "concord" several times as opposed to "in agreement with others";
one sentence read "he gave tongue to the platitudinous avowals that had helped things along";
another read "quiet obduracy in a leader is equally formidable", etc.
Now that I understand these words, I cannot say that I will find myself ever using them. In the scheme of things, what have I learned other than to speak over the heads of most people?
When the book wasn't displaying the author's austere writing style, I thought the book was rather well-written biography of Grant as well of a review of the era of the times of his life.
Being that I am college-educated, I have never felt that there is anything wrong with having to learn new words by keeping a dictionary close by when reading a book. But to the degree that I had to research so many words had me wondering which book I was actually reading...a biography of Ulysses Grant or Webster's Dictionary.
Here's a few examples of the author's writing that gave me pauses:
used the word "concord" several times as opposed to "in agreement with others";
one sentence read "he gave tongue to the platitudinous avowals that had helped things along";
another read "quiet obduracy in a leader is equally formidable", etc.
Now that I understand these words, I cannot say that I will find myself ever using them. In the scheme of things, what have I learned other than to speak over the heads of most people?
When the book wasn't displaying the author's austere writing style, I thought the book was rather well-written biography of Grant as well of a review of the era of the times of his life.
May 25, 2017
Learned a lot about Grant's life and presidency
and historically labeled an alcoholic when often
it was people around him undermining him
or sabotaging him. Interesting things: he deicided
to go visit his family in New Jersey turning down an invitation
to attend Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was assassinated.
He did not campaign at all for President yet won two elections.
He went on a tour of the world after his Presidency for nearly two years.
The election after his terms neither candidate received an Electoral majority and Hayes won
the election decided by a committee in the Senate that gave him the
necessary electoral votes. Garfield won the next election and was shot
a few months into his term. Grant wrote his memoirs his last year of his life
giving an account of military service and his Presidency -- he was a short man
and very reserved underspoken and never sought attention but
became the juggernaut that Lincoln sought to fight battles. He definitely
sacrificed a lot of lives knowing he had superior numbers when he went into battle.
and historically labeled an alcoholic when often
it was people around him undermining him
or sabotaging him. Interesting things: he deicided
to go visit his family in New Jersey turning down an invitation
to attend Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was assassinated.
He did not campaign at all for President yet won two elections.
He went on a tour of the world after his Presidency for nearly two years.
The election after his terms neither candidate received an Electoral majority and Hayes won
the election decided by a committee in the Senate that gave him the
necessary electoral votes. Garfield won the next election and was shot
a few months into his term. Grant wrote his memoirs his last year of his life
giving an account of military service and his Presidency -- he was a short man
and very reserved underspoken and never sought attention but
became the juggernaut that Lincoln sought to fight battles. He definitely
sacrificed a lot of lives knowing he had superior numbers when he went into battle.
July 23, 2020
After I watched a documentary on Grant, I wanted to know more about the man. The doc drew from Ron Chernow's biography, so I looked at it first. That book was over 1000 pages, and I did not necessarily need to know what Grant did each and every day of his life. Thus, I looked elsewhere and found this and, in turn, this nifty series on American leaders.
The portrayal of war era Grant was intriguing. Direct and able to cut to the core of the issue, it was another thumb to the eye of the supposed "elites" and "betters". Those same traits did not meet the same success once he got to Washington D.C. I was tickled to be reminded that there was very little campaigning done at that time. Given that the two Trumps spent millions upon millions in 2016 that may be an idea worth revisiting.
Reading this during a time of rioting and looting and social unrest, I admire Grant for doing what he could and did in uniting the country. Wish we had more of that today as well. I will definitely be looking for more of these concise volumes on our leaders.
The portrayal of war era Grant was intriguing. Direct and able to cut to the core of the issue, it was another thumb to the eye of the supposed "elites" and "betters". Those same traits did not meet the same success once he got to Washington D.C. I was tickled to be reminded that there was very little campaigning done at that time. Given that the two Trumps spent millions upon millions in 2016 that may be an idea worth revisiting.
Reading this during a time of rioting and looting and social unrest, I admire Grant for doing what he could and did in uniting the country. Wish we had more of that today as well. I will definitely be looking for more of these concise volumes on our leaders.
October 3, 2024
I read a review where someone said that the first half of this book was excellent and to be kind the second half of this book wasn't excellent, and whoever that person was he wasn't wrong. The first half of this book we learn about Grant's relationship with his family, friends, and those that meet at West point and of course his greatest moment of his military career in the civil war. The second half was concentrated on scandals that took place in Grant's second term as president which course has to be concentrated on, however at this point of the book the writing style had changed, and certainly not for the better. At this point I felt as if I was in a university class listening to a professor giving a lecture who wasn't a very good speaker. I was reluctant to give this book a passing grade, however on the strength of the first half of this book I felt this book still deserved a passing grade, just barely.
February 22, 2020
As Marcus Aurelius once said, "the writer who prefaces every change of subject with a quote from a more esteemed author is hoping that reflected glory shall shine more light upon his thesis than his own ideas." Okay, Marcus Aurelius never said that (at least not as far as I know), but it's an indication of the good Mr. Bunting's writing style, which rivals that of George F. Will in gratuitous classical allusions. He could make a better case for how Grant's incorruptible character was able to survive amid so many corrupt institutions, but he just sort of lists facts, shrugs them off with some variation of "hey, that's just US Grant being US Grant," and throws in some Latin to sound authoritative. A decent historical narrative, at least.
November 29, 2021
A reasonable short biography that opens with a clear statement of the author's view of the subject and then views the principal events in Grant's life through that lense.
Given the events in which Grant was central (The Civil War and Reconstruction), a biography of this length was at something of a hiding to nothing in terms of exploring Grant's impact.
It is an enjoyable read, well-paced and insightful, but it definitely leaves very large unfilled gaps.
A worthy entry in the series (probably top 5 to this point) but the difficulty of capturing Grant in 150 pages was always bound to hold it back.
Given the events in which Grant was central (The Civil War and Reconstruction), a biography of this length was at something of a hiding to nothing in terms of exploring Grant's impact.
It is an enjoyable read, well-paced and insightful, but it definitely leaves very large unfilled gaps.
A worthy entry in the series (probably top 5 to this point) but the difficulty of capturing Grant in 150 pages was always bound to hold it back.
September 4, 2023
Good, but short book on Grant
Interesting and informative book on Grant. An good overview of his youth and pre-civil War life, which sets the stage for his mindset in life.
Military scholars might be disappointed about the (in my view) really 1000 foot view of his Civil War service. I might just have left that off as you can't do that justice in such a limited amount of pages on the on the Civil War, but this is the "Presidents Series" after all. That is where the book excels. It gives a good (although again, short) depiction of Grant the president and Grant the man. I think it gives a good overview to budding Grant enthusiasts and those interested in his presidency.
Interesting and informative book on Grant. An good overview of his youth and pre-civil War life, which sets the stage for his mindset in life.
Military scholars might be disappointed about the (in my view) really 1000 foot view of his Civil War service. I might just have left that off as you can't do that justice in such a limited amount of pages on the on the Civil War, but this is the "Presidents Series" after all. That is where the book excels. It gives a good (although again, short) depiction of Grant the president and Grant the man. I think it gives a good overview to budding Grant enthusiasts and those interested in his presidency.
April 2, 2019
A nice, simple book about the life of Grant for those who are not looking for a delve into the explicit details. Reads like a biography, while maintaining a history book feel. I didn't want to sit down to 600 pages of information and this was a nice opportunity for a quick read that kept my interest, while still providing content about his early years (without being overly informative), his married life, schooling, military service and presidency. It was rather what I was looking for, than a exhaustive concordance of Grant's detailed life.
October 30, 2020
Grant was the first president (other than my horse guilt with Washington) that upon finishing the book I felt like I needed to know so much more. This is no disrespect to Mr Bunting. His is a thorough (and praising) defense of Grant's life and legacy. But to see the regal tomes on the shelf next to it topping 1,000 pages, I'm intrigued. (that sentence sucks). His Memoirs are so effusively praised by historians of all eras that it seems impossible to do a quest like this and not read them. Only question is, now or swing back around during the America series?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2022
This was not the book I expected to read this month. The dust cover of the book I checked out of the library proclaimed it to be "Andrew Jackson" by Sean Wilentz.
I decided I might as well read the book I had, instead of the book I really wanted. (Grant was on my list, but several Presidents later.)
Pleasantly surprising. The author paints Grant as a man of very moral character, in the midst of difficult decisions, and the champion of both freed blacks and American Indians.
*RECOMMENDED*
I decided I might as well read the book I had, instead of the book I really wanted. (Grant was on my list, but several Presidents later.)
Pleasantly surprising. The author paints Grant as a man of very moral character, in the midst of difficult decisions, and the champion of both freed blacks and American Indians.
*RECOMMENDED*
November 15, 2017
This book is unique in this series thus far in my reading in that it spends more time on Grant the non-president than on Grant the president. This is not totally surprising, since the time Grant spent during the Johnson presidency, his time after his presidency, and of course his time as a Union general are all very significant and need to be discussed. I did come away from the book wishing that his presidency had been covered in more depth.
December 8, 2025
This book would have benefited from a better ending, it just ended, like that's it...very disappointing. Also his glowing thoughts for Bristow were strange, Bristow was a political hack, and did everything he could to destroy Grant and make him not run so he could be President, but he failed in the end, a terrible human being who is one of the main reasons Grant's presidential legacy is tarnished. Just seemed like the final couple chapters were rushed, otherwise enjoyed it.
June 2, 2017
I have always been a fan of President Grant mostly due to watching the Wild, Wild West as a kid whereas it takes place during his administration. After reading this fine account of his life I realize that he was a true humanitarian and never received the credit he deserved as a General and President during this difficult and trying period in US history. A nice piece of work in the President series.
July 30, 2022
I knew little of US Grant and, honestly, did not think much of him. This biography filled in many gaps and ignited a spark within me to explore the man even more in the future. At times the book was tedious with details, but in general the General makes a positive impression, in spite of errors he made.
February 25, 2025
An engaging read that did exactly what a short biography is supposed to do: it provided a solid overview of Grant — sticking closely to Grant’s character traits of trust, integrity and responsibility — while enticing me to want to learn more about the man. Bunting’s respect for Grant is appreciated, as also is the author’s acknowledgement of Grant’s shortcomings.
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