DOC Grant and Sherman: Civil War Memoirs (2 Volumes) by Ulysses S. Grant in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great readBy Jerry S. GossettFar and away the best two books I've read on the Civil war. It doesn't take long to figure out why these two generals ended up on top. From the beginning; you can feel the common sense and intelligence leap from the pages. Neither of them had the polish and panache of the other generals; but; as in all wars; the cream rises to the top without regard for appearance. Of the two books; Sherman's was the best read. Both Sherman and Grant were exceptional writers; knowing when to include detail and when not to; so as not to add confusion. But Sherman's account; for me anyway; was more entertaining. Sherman did not hold back in favor of politeness; but instead said it the way he believed it. Grant was much more diplomatic in his descriptions of the inevitable personality conflicts that occur during troubled times. Some historians have portrayed both of these men as some kind of failure in the 'real' life outside of the military; but i did not see evidence of that. In fact; MOST people of that time and class might have been considered failures by the standards of historians. Sherman and Grant were just as ordinary as the ordinary citizen of the nation.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Finest Civil War HistoryBy J. EinhausThe writing is shocking in its brevity; clarity; directness and honesty. I feel as though I have been slapped in the face and told to 'wake up!". Although; a civil war memoir; this book is now at the top of my list of all war related history books. For the first time; I could grasp Grant's strategy; tactics and overall vision. For such an unimposing picture of a man; Grant's memoirs tell the story of a military genius. After just one volume; Grant's memoirs; I look forward to reading the second volume by Sherman. I also plan to read Sheridan's account; Meade then Lee; Longstreet and Forrest; the list could go on.The only problem I had with the book was the maps were so dense and map text so tiny; they were of meager usefulness. But the internet contains volumes of free; full color maps. I chose what I wanted and printed them out on a color printer. The included table of U.S. and CSA officers was a pleasure to have at hand. Overall rating = Magnificent!13 of 14 people found the following review helpful. Interesting to a Civil War history buffBy Marc O'PoloGrant and Sherman: Civil War Memoirs[Note: this review was updated May 17; 2011 with the addition of commentary regarding Sherman's memoirs. See below.]This is a partial review of the 2-volume boxed set. At this point [April 7; 2011]; my comments apply only to Grant's Memoirs Selected Letters.The strong point of this volume is the first-person narrative in which Grant describes his upbringing; his experience at West Point and during the Mexican War. Unfortunately; the sense of Grant as a person becomes submerged when he recounts his journey through the Civil War. His memoir then begins to read like a military treatise; with a succession of troop movements to and fro on the battlefield and from point A to point B between battles. I have the sensation that I'm reading about a chess match; with no insight as to his emotional state during the war years.Since Grant wrote his memoirs about twenty years after the events he describes; the general reading public at the time no doubt had a clear and visceral knowledge of the war. However; at a remove of nearly 150 years; the emotion and horror of the upheaval is lost.A saving grace in this volume is the decision of the editors to include many of Grant's military communiques as footnotes (though some are also included in the appendix). This makes it easier to follow the flow of his thinking at the time events were unfolding; it also does give a sense of the confusion that prevailed in times of battle. Unfortunately; though there are numerous maps included in this volume; each has been reduced to fit a single 5x7 page; they are thus unreadable.Grant's comments regarding his superior officers; peers and subordinates only hint at what may have been his true feelings. Rarely does he come out and offer real criticism as to an individual's performance or lack thereof; he dances around the subject for the most part. Though he is a bit more effusive when offering praise. My sense is that Grant was trying to stand above the fray in terms of who deserved the glory and who did not.Grant's voice comes through most strongly in the many letters (most of them to his wife) contained at the end of this volume. It is in these letters that Grant's emotions surface and a more rounded image of the man emerges. It is largely upon the inclusion of these letters that I give this volume a 5-star rating.[Updated May 17; 2011]Having now completed Sherman's memoir; I can say that my initial rating of five stars for this boxed set is unchanged. If anything; I enjoyed Sherman's memoir more than Grant's.Sherman's personality and voice come through quite clearly. Unlike Grant's memoir; Sherman devotes a substantial number of chapters to his early life experiences; his time at West Point and; particularly; his time in California; both with the US Army and as a civilian (a banker; no less).During his California sojourn; Sherman crossed paths with several individuals with whom he would later serve during the Civil War. He recounts his adventures during the early days of the Gold Rush; as well as the events that led to the establishment of the "Bear Republic" and the subsequent annexation of California upon the conclusion of the Mexican American War.Sherman comes across as a more worldly individual than Grant. This may be due in part to his experiences between the conclusion of the Mexican American War and the start of the Civil War. During this period; he resigned his commission and undertook several private sector activities; shuttling between San Francisco; New York City and St. Louis. In the years immediately leading up to the Civil War; Sherman helped to found and became the first superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning Military Academy; post Civil War; this institution became the basis for Louisiana State University.Unlike Grant; Sherman is more outspoken in his opinions about the people with whom he interacted. This may be due; in part; to the fact that he did not have to contend with the political juggling act that Grant faced. In 1875; when Sherman published his memoirs; Grant was president and Sherman had succeeded Grant as Commanding General of the Army.Whatever the case may be; Sherman comes across as a plain-spoken individual who was inclined to call a spade a spade. He regarded the Southerners who seceded as traitors. In his private letters to his superiors; he set forth his belief that the war had to be brought home to every man; woman and child and the South utterly crushed if the Union was to survive. A negotiated settlement that would allow the Confederacy to go its separate way was out of the question. He was equally outspoken; for the most part; in his appraisals of his subordinates; peers and superiors within the military -- both within the Union ranks as well as the Confederate army. And where politicians were concerned; Sherman had few kind words.In summary; Grant's memoirs provide a high-level view of the Civil War; whereas Sherman's memoirs provide a view from the trenches. As a result; the two volumes in this boxed set nicely complement each other.