U.S. Grant and the American Military Tradition

Bruce Catton was the man who salvaged Ulysses Grant's flagging reputation in the 1950's and 60's, and restored him to his deserved place in the pantheon of America's greats. Catton wrote a marvelous trilogy of Grant's military career and also wrote this little gem which is, by a wide margin, the best introductory work ever written on Grant. This isn't intended for people who are civil war historians or who have a vast knowledge of Grant. It's meant for those who know little about Grant and are curious to learn more. Look no further than the pages of this book.Catton understands Grant nearly to perfection, and this is a hard task given his subject's inscrutible nature. He admires him tremendously and the reader will undoubtedly share his feelings by the end of the book. Grant was an immensely likeable, honest and decent man; he loved his wife, his children and his country and sacrficied immensely for them all. One weakness here is that Catton gives very short shrift to Grant's Presidency; he seems to run out of gas a trifle after Appomattox.If you are new to Grant and want to learn more, this is *the* book to purchase. You won't be sorry.

This book was a marvelous read. The author kept my interest throughout the first two-thirds of the book. However, he does deal blandly with Grant's political career. Overall though, quite touching and well done.