The Man Who Saved the Union

Ulysses Grant in War and Peace

By: H. W. Brands

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 27 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling author H. W. Brands, a masterful biography of the Civil War general and two-term president who saved the Union twice, on the battlefield and in the White House, holding the country together at two critical turning points in our history.

Ulysses Grant rose from obscurity to discover he had a genius for battle, and he propelled the Union to victory in the Civil War. After Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the disastrous brief presidency of Andrew Johnson, America turned to Grant again to unite the country, this time as president. In Brands' sweeping, majestic full biography, Grant emerges as a heroic figure who was fearlessly on the side of right. He was a beloved commander in the field but willing to make the troop sacrifices necessary to win the war, even in the face of storms of criticism. He worked valiantly to protect the rights of freedmen in the South; Brands calls him the last presidential defender of Black civil rights for nearly a century. He played it straight with the American Indians, allowing them to shape their own fate even as the realities of Manifest Destiny meant the end of their way of life. He was an enormously popular president whose memoirs were a huge best seller; yet within decades of his death his reputation was in tatters, the victim of Southerners who resented his policies on Reconstruction. In this page-turning biography, Brands now reconsiders Grant's legacy and provides a compelling and intimate portrait of a man who saved the Union on the battlefield and consolidated that victory as a resolute and principled political leader.

©2012 H. W. Brands; 2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Once again, H. W. Brands has crafted a wonderful portrait of a great leader who endured and prevailed in hours of stress and strain. Brands' U. S. Grant is a compelling figure, a man too often overlooked by history. This book rectifies that with grace and insight." (Jon Meacham, author of American Lion, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography)

"This authoritative biography of an obscure failure and occasional drunkard who became a Civil War generalissimo and the 18th U.S. president is a study in two kinds of moral courage.... [Brands'] narrative of Grant's military campaigns in particular is lucid, colorful, and focused on telling moments of decision. His Grant emerges as an immensely appealing figure...with a keen mind, stout character, and unpretentious manner. The result is a fine portrait of the quintessential American hero." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Too frequently overshadowed or overlooked, U. S. Grant finally gets his due in H. W. Brands' splendid new biography. With verve and his trademark scholarship, Brands vividly brings Grant to life. Here, rendered in all his humanity, is the soldier, statesman, president. Here, too, is a man as much for our time as for his." (Jay Winik, author of April 1865 and The Great Upheaval)

Fantastic History

Great job explaining an overlooked Pillar of US History! More Americans need to know his story.

Great history of one our nation’s greatest.

Brand does a great perspective on Grant and the reading is engaging. Highly recommended book.

A great man and a great book!

I had no idea what a great man Grant was until I read this thorough and well written book. It is one of the best history books I’ve read!

Liked it

What did you love best about The Man Who Saved the Union?

Comprehensive, not buried in analysis, but excellent and startling narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

Challenges facing Grant and nation after the war.

What does Stephen Hoye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He provides a steady narration through some very uncertain times. His voice was a little distracting sometimes.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No possible.

Any additional comments?

Great for daily walks.

entertaining and informative

a many who's history of previously known little about and now an greatly impressed by

Good not great

A good bio on President Grant. Not the best one I’ve read. Not the worst. Storytelling is good.

Grant

Very interesting story about a remarkable man. Well presented with excellent understanding of the subject.

Thorough, interesting, and eye-opening

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book. It is very long, but thorough. I rarely found myself wishing for the author to move on. At the conclusion of the book you will have a strong grasp of what kind of man Grant was, the time he lived in, and the decisions he made. I've seen commentary that this book paints Grant in a favorable light. That is a fair criticism but the author certainly supports his points.

What other book might you compare The Man Who Saved the Union to and why?

I would compare this book to Ron Chernow's "Washington: A Life". In both cases one concludes the book with a deep understanding of the man and his time.

Which scene was your favorite?

Perhaps I'm biased because it was one of the final scenes, but the funeral procession was quite moving.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, due simply to the length. It is hard to stay engaged for several hours at a time. Said another way, it's not a "light read" but it is worthwhile.

An excellent biography

As someone who has read extensively on the American Civil War I found H. W. Brands' biography of Grant excellent. I have long thought of Grant as an unappreciated General in spite of the fact that I was taught in High School that he was a blundering and bloody fool who just happened to come to command the armies of the Republic at an opportune time. How wrong those teachers were.

The biography is complete and covers from his early childhood through his time at West Point, his participation in the Mexican War, his attempts to become a farmer, the Civil War, his time as President and the years after. Most of what I had previously read, including Grant's own writings, covered only the period of the Civil War and the battles Grant had participated in. This book makes clear that Grant was an educated man, someone who was completely honest and of open mind. His aversion to slavery is made clear by his decision to free his slave when he left the slave owning state and his future decisions to never own another slave, his acceptance of the war as one to free the slaves and his willingness to use African-Americans as soldiers while many of his peers stubbornly resisted doing so. His intelligence and clear-headed thinking are made clear through his letters to his wife and friends as is what Shelby Foote, in his books on the Civil War, referred to as Grant's "3 am courage". A great man although flawed by his trusting nature.

An excellent read and highly recommended. While I have read several other histories/biographies by H. W. Brands, this one is the best of the lot and is excellently narrated by Stephen Hoye. If you have any interest in the American Civil War you would be well served to read this book.

Excellent and revealing a surprising story

I read "Team of Rivals" about Lincoln, and this was the perfect companion to that book in that it carried on the narrative of that era. This book delves deeply into Grant, who was mentioned prominently in the former book, and outlines what an incredible leader he was.