JJoyce Yu’s Reviews > Grant > Status Update

Why do you write like you’re running out of time 😭 wow. Finished the book. What an incredible man. despite the many contradictions in the depiction you can’t miss the supremely principled, gentle, competent, tragic, genius, and pure and precious cinnamon roll that was Grant. I bookmarked his mausoleum to visit when I go to NY this summer. Wow. What an incredible read as well. Bravos all around.

Could’ve been avoided if there was an actual unifying effort during reconstruction… like how I will never understand how the rank and file nazis just sorta went home and resumed normal life after the war, I’ll never understand how all the ku klux members just got reabsorbed back into society. I feel like it explains a lot of the civil rights struggles in the southern states today…

I wonder what the authors thoughts are on the theory that if Grant wasn’t such a magnanimous victor to the south the confederacy wouldn’t have been so revered after (even today tbh). I blame Lee. I feel like he could’ve used his influence for good, repaid grant’s generosity at appamadox, and saved people in the south (even the white people) a lot of heartache. I wonder how much of today’s social issues

So hypeee

It’s all understandable though I too have a massive crush on the man. Where’s the US Grant musical Lin Manuel Miranda!!

I think Ron chernow may have a bit of a massive crush on Grant I mean who doesn’t, but the quote “I can replace my men but Lee can’t” is absolutely brutal and he can’t then in the same chapter argue that it’s just grant’s strategy and instincts, not the massive body count that helped him beat Lee. Also it’s not true Grant has no political ambition. He ended up president!

Ron Chernow is so enamored with Grant but so am I lol. Fascinating read about a fascinating man. So happy I picked it back up.

Back to trying to finish some old picks. What a stand up guy. I see glimpses of him in alan. Honest and honorable and so wholesome. To a fault. In other words precious cinnamon roll too pure for this world!