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Grant

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Grant

Written by: Ron Chernow
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
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The #1 New York Times bestseller and New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2017

“Eminently readable but thick with import . . . Grant hits like a Mack truck of knowledge.” —Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic


Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow returns with a sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant.

Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. All too often he is caricatured as a chronic loser and an inept businessman, or as the triumphant but brutal Union general of the Civil War. But these stereotypes don't come close to capturing him, as Chernow shows in his masterful biography, the first to provide a complete understanding of the general and president whose fortunes rose and fell with dizzying speed and frequency.

Before the Civil War, Grant was flailing. His business ventures had ended dismally, and despite distinguished service in the Mexican War he ended up resigning from the army in disgrace amid recurring accusations of drunkenness. But in war, Grant began to realize his remarkable potential, soaring through the ranks of the Union army, prevailing at the battle of Shiloh and in the Vicksburg campaign, and ultimately defeating the legendary Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Along the way, Grant endeared himself to President Lincoln and became his most trusted general and the strategic genius of the war effort. Grant’s military fame translated into a two-term presidency, but one plagued by corruption scandals involving his closest staff members.

More important, he sought freedom and justice for black Americans, working to crush the Ku Klux Klan and earning the admiration of Frederick Douglass, who called him “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race.” After his presidency, he was again brought low by a dashing young swindler on Wall Street, only to resuscitate his image by working with Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which are recognized as a masterpiece of the genre.

With lucidity, breadth, and meticulousness, Chernow finds the threads that bind these disparate stories together, shedding new light on the man whom Walt Whitman described as “nothing heroic... and yet the greatest hero.” Chernow’s probing portrait of Grant's lifelong struggle with alcoholism transforms our understanding of the man at the deepest level. This is America's greatest biographer, bringing movingly to life one of our finest but most underappreciated presidents. The definitive biography, Grant is a grand synthesis of painstaking research and literary brilliance that makes sense of all sides of Grant's life, explaining how this simple Midwesterner could at once be so ordinary and so extraordinary.

Named one of the best books of the year by Goodreads •Amazon • The New York Times • Newsday • BookPage • Barnes and Noble • Wall Street Journal
American Civil War Military Military & War Politicians Politics & Activism Presidents & Heads of State Wars & Conflicts Civil War War Abraham Lincoln Biography Inspiring Heartfelt Latin America Civil Rights American History Suffrage
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it's hard to imagine a better job of telling a life story in it's original and unique time and place, making it timeless and universal, and so current, all at the same time. a truly epic story, well written and well read. with it's length and production quality, it was at 50 hours (at 1.8 x production speed) my favourite "podcast" of the plague year 2021.

what a story, what a life, what a book

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Well performed and very interesting. His early life and the Civil War were the most interesting. The story dragged towards the end of his presidency but the ending was strong.

An epic history

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I particularly like the detail that Ron Chernow chronicled Grant's life and times. I now have greater understanding of geopolitical aspects of the war and American politics regarding reconstruction.

Very detailed and engaging.

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Though partial as he's one of my favourite historical figures, 'Grant' still stands out as one of the best books I've ever come across. Just does a superb job of humanizing one of the Great American Leaders.

Truly Great

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What a great man! I very much enjoyed the writing and performance. Worth every minute.

Inspiring

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