H. W. Brands

From "New York Times"-bestselling author Brands, a masterful biography of the Civil War general and two-term president who saved the Union twice and held the country together at two critical turning points in U.S. history.

Ulysses Grant in War and Peace

The Man who Saved the Union

Jeni Enjaian

I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would. 
For starters, I think the title is really audacious and establishes expectations that the author is unable to meet.
This book has an odd structure for a biography. While it is roughly chronological, the narrative is uneven. For example, the author spends very little time on Grant's early life. This is common for many biographies. However, the author spends some of the early narrative on the early life of Sherman. In fact, this was one of my biggest pet peeves. I know that Sherman was a good friend to Grant, however, this book is not a biography of Sherman. 
Additionally, the author spends large portions of the narrative describing major events of the Civil War in which Grant did not play a part. It seems like either the author's focus was too broad or he felt free to include his rabbit trails. 
Despite all the negatives, I did enjoy the book. I am, however, looking for a better biography.

The Man who Saved the Union Ulysses Grant in War and Peace

Reviews