Many Are the Hearts: The Agony and the Triumph of Ulysses S. Grant

This book is an interesting, reasonable treatment of General Grant's last days. There are few factual errors, though the author is critically hampered by no footnotes and few documented sources for his various theories. Despite these flaws, Goldhurst writes well and understands Grant's enigmatic character. There's no doubt he admires and respects the General's race with death to complete his memoirs. Actually, the best parts of the book are those dealing with Grant's last days. You will learn of Grant's physical agony brought on by throat cancer, and his valiant attempts to complete his memoirs before death.Another interesting aspect is that Goldhurst fleshes out Mark Twain very well, a "Grant intoxicated man," as he aptly points out. For Twainophiles, this is an added bonus. There are superior books relating to Grant's waning year, but this is the most breezy, conventional and engrossing of them all. Recommended.