SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition

Harvard Univ. Oct. 2017. 816p. ed. by John F. Marszalek & others. illus. index. ISBN 9780674976290. $39.95. BIOG
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Renowned Civil War historian and editor of the Ulysses S. Grant papers Marszalek collaborates with Louie P. Gallo (Ulysses S. Grant Assn.) and David S. Nolen (Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Lib.) to edit the most copious annotated edition of Grant's (1822-85) indispensable memoirs to date. The result is a valuable publishing history on the 18th president's writings, along with useful annotations on people, places, and events that set his written works in historical context. Historians have regarded Grant's memoirs as a classic in military writing and a revealing example of the public memoir genre; they provide essential insight into the general's approaches to war, experiences leading armies to victory, and justifications for thoughts and actions during the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War. The memoirs also reveal his trenchant observations on the nature of courage, the call to public service, and the character of Americans.
VERDICT It's been said that if you're going to pick up one memoir of the Civil War, Grant's is the one to read. Similarly, if you're going to purchase one of the several annotated editions of his memoirs, this is the collection to own, read, and reread.
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