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jobyrne's review against another edition
Fascinating, but really long. Listened to this in the audiobook format and I definitely zoned out through some of the battles.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
Far more fascinating than I would have assumed it could have been based on the page length. Plus my expectations were adjusted due to my previous readings of Chernow, who flows based on contextual importance at times not always in sequential order, but always brings it around in the end.
treylusk's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.5
Ron Chernow took his love for US grant and turned it up to 11. The book was so positive on the man and his career that it bordered on propaganda. It is written as a straightforward biography and not an analysis, but it has all the angles of an analysis without much of the charm and character other biographies have had.
This book could as well have been titled "Grant's drinking" because for every one war story there were 25 paragraphs dedicated to differing accounts of presidential benders.
It also did a poor job of explaining the political world that grant existed in using terms like war democrats and whig and expecting the reader to understand meaningfully the distinctions. To a Layman like me it is difficul to understand what about the democrats in the 1860s would draw union generals like Mcclellen and the author did not provide meaningful insights into that.
The book is thorough otherwise and I appreciate taking time to get Grant's view on many of the issues of the time
This book could as well have been titled "Grant's drinking" because for every one war story there were 25 paragraphs dedicated to differing accounts of presidential benders.
It also did a poor job of explaining the political world that grant existed in using terms like war democrats and whig and expecting the reader to understand meaningfully the distinctions. To a Layman like me it is difficul to understand what about the democrats in the 1860s would draw union generals like Mcclellen and the author did not provide meaningful insights into that.
The book is thorough otherwise and I appreciate taking time to get Grant's view on many of the issues of the time
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Death
ekarpinski's review against another edition
3.0
Chernow lets modern sensibilities color too much of his commentary sometimes, and editorializes on controversies instead of comparing different accounts.
nschilling10's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Actually reads more like a novel than a stuffy history book. In the beginning it seems like you're going to get more of Grant the person; a window into his soul and reasons for why he did what he did. We get some of that in the beginning and maybe toward the end, but the middle is mostly just a description of what Grant did. But oh boy did Grant do a lot of things! He oversaw one of the most dynamic and transient periods of history in the US since it's founding; from the Civil War through reconstruction to the start of the Gilded age. Though I disagree with his some of his political decisions I do respect him.
This author also judges Grant by modern standards, as opposed to standards at the time. Which is refreshing! I think it makes Grant all the more interesting because he's ahead of his time, especially in his treatment of black people, jewish people, and others.
This author also judges Grant by modern standards, as opposed to standards at the time. Which is refreshing! I think it makes Grant all the more interesting because he's ahead of his time, especially in his treatment of black people, jewish people, and others.
dale_kooyenga's review against another edition
4.0
Always enjoy Chernow. The book does Grant's legacy justice and clarified many misconceptions and general dismisal of this great man. It can't top Grant's auto-biography, but neither is it fair to compare. Grant covers little of his presidency or youth and Chernow does a great job of covering every period of Grant's life. My son is named after General Grant so I am biased. I beleive Grant is a great American and this is a great book.
neglet's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Those is an exhaustive but readable biography that very persuasively argues that US Grant has been seriously underrated as a president. The historical emphasis on the corruption within his administration--something played up by his opponents, who disagreed with this fierce defender of Reconstruction--overlooks how Grant himself was never personally involved in any of the scandals, only frequently misled. And we understand why it happened, because Chernow details how Grant's trusting nature led him to repeated financial failings in his younger days, and he only found success when he became a military commander during the Civil War. (Btw, if you love Civil War history, you'll get detailed accounts of his campaigns as well. If you don't, it might feel like the war will never end, just like Lincoln might have felt in 1864.) I'm coming to the end of this biography with a new appreciation of Grant's career--particularly his unstinting devotion to civil rights--while also feeling like I understand him a bit as a person.
rscottm182gmailcom's review against another edition
5.0
Very informative and readable. Includes formative years, civil war, and presidency. At 900 pages, takes the time to go into depth on everything. Gives us the early successes and failures; shows us why Grant is considered a tactical and especially a strategic military genius, and a better general than Robert E Lee; gives us reasons (beating back the early KKK, and his not-entirely-successful efforts, with Reconstruction, to make the USA a safe and prosperous place for black citizens) to re-evaluate the Grant presidency in a more positive light.
bridgetpooley's review against another edition
4.0
Whew, took me just shy of three years to listen to this in its entirety. My takeaway: Nothing is new.