Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (volume I)
()
About this ebook
In this new annotated edition the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant are contextualized with footnotes and maps for the exploration of the modern reader.
After finishing his second term in office in 1877, Grant and his wife Julia took a trip around the world which left him short on money. Nearly 60 years old, the ex-president looked for something to engage his time. He ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1880, but lost to James Garfield. The next year, Grant moved to New York City to go into business with his son, Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., and a young investor, Ferdinand Ward. The firm of Grant & Ward did well at first, bolstered by Ward's skills and Grant's name. But Grant was largely disengaged from the company's business, often signing papers without reading them. This proved disastrous, as Ward had used the firm as a Ponzi scheme. Grant & Ward failed in May 1884, leaving Grant penniless.
That fall, the former president was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. Facing his mortality, Grant struck a publishing deal with his friend Mark Twain and began working on his memoirs, hoping they would provide for his family after his death. Grant suffered greatly in his final year. He was in constant pain from his illness and sometimes had the feeling he was choking. Despite his condition, he wrote at a furious pace, sometimes finishing 25 to 50 pages a day. In June 1885, as the cancer spread through his body, the family moved to Mount MacGregor, New York, to make Grant more comfortable. Propped up on chairs, and too weak to walk, Grant worked to finish the book. Friends, admirers and even a few former Confederate opponents made their way to Mount MacGregor to pay their respects. Grant finished the manuscript on July 18; he died five days later.
On release, the book received universal critical praise. Twain compared the Memoirs to Julius Caesar's Commentaries. Matthew Arnold praised Grant and his book in an 1886 essay. Gertrude Stein also admired the book, saying she could not think of Grant without weeping. The Memoirs quickly became a best seller. The Grant family, who received 75% of the net royalties (after expenses), made approximately $450,000 (greater than $10 million in 2009 dollars) from the book.
The Memoirs are divided into two volumes. The autobiography has been highly regarded by the general public, military historians and literary critics. Positive attention is often directed toward Grant's prose, which has been praised for its conciseness and clarity—a sharp contrast from contemporary Civil War memoirs, which tended to reflect the Victorian fondness for elaborate (and sometimes overblown) language. He portrayed himself in the persona of the honorable Western hero, whose strength lies in his honesty and straightforwardness. He candidly depicts his battles against both the external Confederates and his internal Army foes.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) was the eighteenth president of the United States and commanded the Union Army to victory in the Civil War. Published posthumously, his autobiography has long been recognized as one of the finest and most revealing personal accounts of the Civil War.
Read more from Ulysses S. Grant
Great American Lives: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, and The Education of Henry Adams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs Of U.s. Grant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5CIVIL WAR – Complete History of the War, Documents, Memoirs & Biographies of the Lead Commanders: Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant & William T. Sherman, Biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis & Robert E. Lee, The Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, Presidential Orders & Actions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: Volumes One and Two Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic Collection of Autobiographies: My Inventions, Highlights of His Life, The Story of My Experiments with Truth and others Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant: Civil War Memories Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUlysses S. Grant: Life of the Fearless General & Commander-in-Chief (Complete Edition - Volumes 1&2) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Personal Memoirs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCivil War Memoirs: Grant and Sherman Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U.S. Grant: All Volumes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Personal Memoirs of General Ulysses S. Grant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInaugural Speeches Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U.S. Grant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant: Complete Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Memoirs of U. S. Grant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (volume I)
Related ebooks
Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant: Civil War Memories Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Memoirs of U. S. Grant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Part 1. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U.S. Grant: All Volumes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: Volumes One and Two Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant — Volume 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant — Volume 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Recollections of the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRecollections of the Civil War: With the Leaders at Washington and in the Field in the Sixties Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrant: by Ron Chernow | Conversation Starters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStephen A. Douglas A Study in American Politics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLetters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister, 1857-78 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMemoir of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge: The Account of the American Revolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShadow Soldiers of the American Revolution: Loyalist Tales from New York to Canada Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA History of the Ninth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRecollections of the Civil War: Civil War Memories Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStephen Arnold Douglas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHard Tack and Coffee (Illustrated Edition): The Unwritten Story of Army Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Man with Many Lives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ulysses S. Grant (SparkNotes Biography Guide) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTexas Fights & Fighters: A Short Account Of The Struggle For Texas Independence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOff to War: A Young G.I. in the South Pacific Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Blue and the Gray Army Series: Brother Against Brother, Volume 1 of 6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrontiersmen of the Adirondacks: Economic Development in Early North America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Different Valor: The Story of General Joseph E. Johnston, C.S.A. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War 1861-1865 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrant: by Ron Chernow | Conversation Starters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDakota Dawn: The Decisive First Week of the Sioux Uprising, August 1862 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Political Biographies For You
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mein Kampf Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fear: Trump in the White House Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Watergate: A New History Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Profiles in Courage: Deluxe Modern Classic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enough Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Washington: The Indispensable Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Assassination Vacation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five Days in November Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Letter to a Bigot: Dead But Not Forgotten Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slash Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (volume I)
0 ratings0 reviews