Grant Moves South

By: Bruce Catton

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 17 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian's acclaimed Civil War history of the complex man and controversial Union commander whose battlefield brilliance ensured the downfall of the Confederacy.

Preeminent Civil War historian Bruce Catton narrows his focus on commander Ulysses S. Grant, whose bold tactics and relentless dedication to the Union ultimately ensured a Northern victory in the nation's bloodiest conflict.

While a succession of Union generals - from McClellan to Burnside to Hooker to Meade - were losing battles and sacrificing troops due to ego, egregious errors, and incompetence, an unassuming Federal Army commander was excelling in the Western theater of operations. Though unskilled in military power politics and disregarded by his peers, Colonel Grant, commander of the Twenty-First Illinois Volunteer Infantry, was proving to be an unstoppable force. He won victory after victory at Belmont, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson, while brilliantly avoiding near-catastrophe and ultimately triumphing at Shiloh. And Grant's bold maneuvers at Vicksburg would cost the Confederacy its invaluable lifeline: the Mississippi River. But destiny and President Lincoln had even loftier plans for Grant, placing nothing less than the future of an entire nation in the capable hands of the North's most valuable military leader.

Based in large part on military communiqués, personal eyewitness accounts, and Grant's own writings, Catton's extraordinary history offers listeners an insightful look at arguably the most innovative Civil War battlefield strategist, unmatched by even the South's legendary Robert E. Lee.

©1960 Little, Brown and Company, Inc. (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Another great book ruined by a poor reader...

The worst part is the phrasing, but the pronunciation is odd as though he is trying to pronounce a foreign language.

Too fine a book to be butchered this way...

Inspired writing, brilliant narration

Surely reviewers who disliked narration of Grant Moves South were listening to a version other than this one. Bronson Pinchot delivers perhaps the most brilliant narration of any Audible offering I've yet enjoyed ( and I'm several hundred in ). Pinchot has a good reading voice, and clear delivery. But the point is his artfully conversational delivery - which wrings insights and humor out of the text that I wonder if even a master like Bruce Catton had imagined were there.

I'm also new to Catton, and will be coming back. The core of this work is military history, but there's much more here, including Catton's insight into the character and psychology of major players, and his depictions of politics within the military and in the nation. The Catton and Pinchot pairing makes for a most engrossing listen.

it is a great summary.

it was a very good summary. Not too many details. And the interaction between the different people, and their reactions to each other or really really good.

Bruce Catton brings our history to life.

Excellent in every respect! Pinchote’s narration does justice to Catton’s prose. Having read Catton’s civil war series 60 years ago this was a real treat.

Wow

Real great story. So we’ll narrated. So well researched and presented. So many amazing letters and stories about the people involved. Thank you Bruce Catton!!

GREAT BOOK GREAT PERFORMANCE

Shelby Foote once commented that historians were for the most part not very good writers. Bruce Catton defies that and is a great historian and a great writer. The narration by Bronson Pinchot really makes the book a wonderful listen. He also is the first performer to pronounce Gen. Rosecrans' name correctly in my last 4 civil war books. As Kevin Collins almost destroyed Glory Road BP makes this book even more enjoyable. In fact I would have purchased the sequel Grant Takes Command but I cannot listen to the narration of KC, Just hope I remember how to actually read a book.

One of the best

Well read and written. Lots of details and excellent interpretation that puts it all together. Held my interest.

catton at his best

This is a great story, very well read!! more Catton. please! More Civil War please!

A Fair and Just History

Catton eloquently details Grant’s trials and successes during his rise from his time in Illinois and Cairo, to Memphis, and eventually to Grant’s heroics at Vicksburg. All the while Catton provides compelling insight as to the ways Grant himself was evolving. Grant Moves South is a superb history.
-MSB

Very informative giving a representation of the conditions of the people involved in the conflict.

This book helps to understand how the armies lived day to day and how the war was procured. Great read.