Grant

Grant by Ron Chernow, 1074 pages.

When I heard that Chernow was writing this book I was looking forward to reading it, but having recently finished White's American Ulysses, I didn't think that there could be all that much added to that very good book. I was very wrong. Chernow tells a far more complete, interesting and detailed account of America's 18th president, and the hero of the Union. Grant struggled with his alcoholism for most of his life, and Chernow does not shy away from this, or make excuses. He carefully uncovers probable instances of  Grant's drunkenness during the war, and debunks many false accusations by military rivals, political enemies, and subordinates. Chernow also goes a long way toward rescuing Grant's terms as President from those More Later.

American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant

American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant by Ronald C. White, 826 pages.
White makes an eloquent and well-researched argument that much of Grant's reputation as a butcher of a general, and as a corrupt, incompetent president lingers as a result of the lingering narrative presented by his enemies, particularly the politicians and press of the southern states. While he was a president whose cabinet was embroiled in scandals, Grant was particularly honest. And while he lost many men during the war, Grant always felt that it was better to attack and then attack again, that fewer men would be lost by ending the war as soon as possible. Lincoln, who watched many generals hesitate and let chances and enemy armies escape, valued Grant's willingness to fight and to keep on fighting.
White also makes a fair account of the evolution of Grant's attitudes towards slavery, from a man who was willing to abide the institution, and make no fuss concerning the slaves in his wife's family, to a man willing to fight not just to preserve the Union, but also to end slavery in America.
A very readable, cogent account of a man who accomplished much but was left with a tattered reputation.

When General Grant Expelled the Jews / Jonathan D. Sarna 148 p.

I love reading anything that leaves me saying, "Sheesh, I didn't know anything about that!"  This filled the bill.  Sarna reviews an infamous event in Grant's career, the General Orders No. 11 of December 1862 in the department of the Tennessee, in which the Jews, "...as a class violating every regulation of trade ...are hereby expelled from the department within twenty-four hours..."

In fact, due to serious communication breakdowns in the Tennessee at the time, very few families were actually expelled, and within a few weeks Lincoln had unequivocally revoked the order.  It was a watershed event, of course, for American Jews around the country, and the subject of intense debate during the election of 1868 when Grant was running for president.  Sarna does a great job pulling apart the threads of that debate, whether to vote for the man who offended the Jews but who favored principles of justice with respect to freed slaves, or to vote for a Southern Democrat who wanted to put an end to Reconstruction and restrict freedoms for blacks.  Sarna effectively connects these concerns with other ethnic and religious populations throughout U.S. history who have had to decide between voting for the interests of their group or for those of the country as a whole.

Most interesting was the story of Grant's regret and repudiation of his order, and the work he did throughout the remainder of his career to promote the interests of Jewish citizens.  He was evidently sincere, because when he died in 1885 he was mourned in synagogues across the country.  Sarna writes clearly and with economy, academic in tone but accessible for a wider audience.  Recommended.