Ulysses S. Grant

[Tornado]

History Channel is doing a 3 night special starting Memorial Day on Ulysses S. Grant. Ron Chernow is an executive producer, and it will be based on his best selling biography from 2017. Anyone else excited about checking this out? Anyone read this book?

I'm a huge history buff. I've read a lot of books (mostly biographies) on the period between the American Revolution up through about 1900. Years ago I consumed mostly World War 2 history, but then I began dabbling in the american revolution and I have not looked back. I simply want to read more and more of this period, so I have spent the last several years consuming book after book, one after the other. As soon as I finish one, I start the next one days later.

Currently however, Ive jumped up, as I've done occasionally, and have taken up the Grant Book by Ron Chernow. It is an 1100 page masterpiece of Grant. Like most of the books I read, It is big, long, and extremely dense with details. I am really loving it. How surprised was I just the other day to realize they were doing this special on Grant on Memorial Day. Just curious if anyone else reads these subjects, or is excited about this series coming up. I'm hoping history channel doesn't butcher it - I've seen them butcher some history subjects. Given Ron Chernow is executive producer however I think it should be good.

 

[fuzzydawg]

It's worth taking time to read Grant's Memoirs. I dove in looking for a strategy-level look at the Civil War, was surprised at how articulate Grant was. Also had not realized just how good the team of Grant, Sheridan, and Sherman was. After years of bumbling Union leadership, these guys seriously kicked a$$. Grant wrote about it all from a high-level perspective.

Sort of randomly off-topic: if you're interested in strategic looks at history, read "Eagle Against the Sun", about the war in the Pacific. Fascinating stuff.

Thanks for the heads-up about the Memorial Day show!

 

[Tornado]

It's worth taking time to read Grant's Memoirs. I dove in looking for a strategy-level look at the Civil War, was surprised at how articulate Grant was. Also had not realized just how good the team of Grant, Sheridan, and Sherman was. After years of bumbling Union leadership, these guys seriously kicked a$$. Grant wrote about it all from a high-level perspective.

Sort of randomly off-topic: if you're interested in strategic looks at history, read "Eagle Against the Sun", about the war in the Pacific. Fascinating stuff.

Thanks for the heads-up about the Memorial Day show!

Aye fuzzydawg. I may one day read Grants memoir's. I typically like to read a 3rd person so that you get perhaps a more balanced view of events. I am familiar with grants memoirs however as they have helped offer historians a lot of information. Chernow, in his book on Grant which I am reading now, quotes from the memoirs a lot. Chernow is a fanstastic biographer, and he does extensive research for his books. It is extremely dense with detail, and reads almost like a novel. I have read his book on Hamilton (The book in which the Broadway musical is based), his book on George Washington, and his book on John D. Rockefeller. All of them are great books. They are all very hefty reads. I'm about 1/3 of the way through Grant, and its fantastic so far. Im going to try to get to about 1/2 way through the book before the series starts Monday.

I typically like to read books that cover multiple perspectives of historical events. For example, I've read now 4 different books that covered the constitutional convention. Books on Hamilton, Madison, Washington, and Franklin - and the book on Jefferson also touched on it, even though Jefferson was not present. You get such a fleshed out view of what actually happened, what the various view points where, what the points of contention were, and why the various parties believed what they believed.

Anyways, Im really looking forward to this series on Grant. I just looked up this morning and ofund out that its 2 hours each night, rather than just 1 hour so now I'm even more excited. That will mean 6 hours for the full series instead of 3 hours. Still such a short amount of time, considering the book is a colossal 1100 pages. They will have to zip quickly through his life, leaving a LOT out.

 

[Redlands]

Thanks for the info

 

[dlsmith]

Currently however, Ive jumped up, as I've done occasionally, and have taken up the Grant Book by Ron Chernow. It is an 1100 page masterpiece of Grant. Like most of the books I read, It is big, long, and extremely dense with details.

I have the same book, haven't started reading it yet, but it is getting closer to the top of the stack. Bought it off Amazon, and didn't notice how many pages it was, I rarely pay any attention to that. A couple of days later it arrives, and I'm a little surprised at the size of that tome. It ought to keep me occupied for a couple of weeks.

 

[Tornado]

I have the same book, haven't started reading it yet, but it is getting closer to the top of the stack. Bought it off Amazon, and didn't notice how many pages it was, I rarely pay any attention to that. A couple of days later it arrives, and I'm a little surprised at the size of that tome. It ought to keep me occupied for a couple of weeks.

If you enjoy the subject matter, it is a fantastic book. You will find it hard to put down once you start.

Most of my books these days I "read" or "consume" via Audio book. Audio books have allowed me to really step up how fast I can get through a book. Grant for example is about a 45 Hour long audio book. I listen on the way to work, which is a 30 minute drive. I listen on my lunch break typically, which is about 40 minutes, then on my ride home another 30 minutes. So, on most days I listen 1-2 hours. At that rate it takes me about 2 months to consume a book like Grant, maybe 2.5 months. Listening to it in little spurts like this also gives me time to think on what I've heard, let it sink in. Ill routinely hear something in the book, then later that night when on the computer before bed google it and read further on it - whether it be a battle, or location mentioned, or a person mentioned in the book that I just want more information on. Ive started telling everyone I know who likes to read but struggles to find the time to try Audio books. I put it off for years. I really wish I hadnt. I coulda read so many more books had I started audio books sooner. It all comes from my phone. My phone bluetooth's to my truck, so I can listen right over my truck speakers when driving. Or I can put in hadphones and listen when at home lounging. Its really simple and convenient. Give it a try!

you may enjoy this series monday as a jump start to reading the book.

 

[skeets]

Only thing I know about Grant is his picture is on a 50