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Library of American Biography
U.S. Grant and the American Military Tradition
Recounts General Grant's military career and the problems he faced as President
201 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
Bruce Catton
383 books328 followersBruce Catton was a distinguished American historian and journalist, best known for his influential writings on the American Civil War. Renowned for his narrative style, Catton brought history to life through richly drawn characters, vivid battlefield descriptions, and a deep understanding of the political and emotional forces that shaped the era. His accessible yet meticulously researched books made him one of the most popular historians of the twentieth century.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 20, 2013
The title of this book is a complete misnomer. It is actually a brief biography of Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War Hero and 18th President of the United States.
I have always been partial to Bruce Catton, probably because he was the historian who first got me interested in the Civil War back when I was a teenager. His A Stillness at Appomattox and his young adult novel Banners at Shenandoah were among my all time favorites; and I rough;y recall reading about fifteen of his works in all.
Unfortunately, U.S. Grant and the American Military Tradition is not one of my favorites. It seems to be more of an extended outline than a serious biography. The best part is the middle, in which Grant is fighting the Civil War. The last section, about Grant's postwar political ambitions was a bit drab.
Lacking are quotes and instances which would lend color to the work -- something at which Catton was excellent in his Civil War histories. I guess he tried a little too hard to keep the book length under 200 pages. More's the pity!
I have always been partial to Bruce Catton, probably because he was the historian who first got me interested in the Civil War back when I was a teenager. His A Stillness at Appomattox and his young adult novel Banners at Shenandoah were among my all time favorites; and I rough;y recall reading about fifteen of his works in all.
Unfortunately, U.S. Grant and the American Military Tradition is not one of my favorites. It seems to be more of an extended outline than a serious biography. The best part is the middle, in which Grant is fighting the Civil War. The last section, about Grant's postwar political ambitions was a bit drab.
Lacking are quotes and instances which would lend color to the work -- something at which Catton was excellent in his Civil War histories. I guess he tried a little too hard to keep the book length under 200 pages. More's the pity!
October 11, 2015
This brass-tacks biography of US Grant, who served as America’s finest Civil War general and also two terms as US president, was originally written for young adults. Now it is something of an anomaly, and yet not a bad read for the right audience. Thank you, thank you to Open Road Integrated Media and to Net Galley for providing me with the DRC. This book will be for sale in digital format November 3.
Reading this nifty little book reminded me—not entirely happily—of how much sturdier literacy in the United States stood during the 1950’s, when this biography was originally written, compared to now. True, it was a less egalitarian, less inclusive school house that could throw this level of reading at its teenagers, and that is a different debate for a different day. Right now, I just have to tell you that Catton’s boiled-down biography is going to be over the heads of most high school students. In addition, there are a couple of slang terms no longer in use that may confuse the reader. I understood one of them—and I was born in the late ‘50’s—but another phrase left me scratching my head. My two fields, when teaching, were literature and US history, primarily the American Civil War and government, so if I don’t get it, then high school kids will miss some of it also. The book could be used for honors students, most likely, but is no longer ideally suited to high school students.
However, I can see its use today for community college students, and also for adults who are not doing research and don’t care to see Mr. Catton’s sources or argue his perspective. He takes a few enormously controversial aspects of Grant’s life and makes his own pronouncements, some bold, some bland, with absolutely not one shred of evidence to back them up, apart from his own excellent reputation, and so scholars in the field are more likely to find his Civil War trilogies more satisfying than this little nugget. But for the history buff who just wants a thumbnail sketch, one book and we’re finished thanks, this could be it. It is certainly less of a meal than Grant’s own memoir; also, unlike Grant’s inarguably excellent memoir, Catton addresses the rumors about Grant and liquor that Grant himself refused to even discuss.
Catton focuses primarily on the Civil War years, which I believe is the right way to remember the man, but he also talks about the setting into which Grant was born, and in a relatively short amount of text provides us with the lifestyle and expectation of the average American farmer, which is what the vast majority of Americans were at that time. He carries us through Grant’s time at West Point, then through the wars with Mexico.
He takes apart and casts aside, brick by brick, the nasty allegations that Grant’s detractors made then and in contemporary times, and shines an authoritative light on them. What about Grant and the booze? Was Grant really a bad businessman who lost his own money and that of other people? Was he really Grant-the-butcher, as a brief but ugly period in revisionism charged, willing to plow willy-nilly into any and every battle regardless of the number of soldiers’ lives lost? What about his presidency, and the scandal that clouded it?
Grant is one of my heroes, and I appreciate the way Catton defends him here. I particularly was interested in his very convincing defense of Grant as businessman. I found Catton slightly abrasive in his tone toward Grant’s defense of the rights of African-Americans during Reconstruction; it was clearly this, rather than anything else, that caused the glow of his wartime glory to dim, because the Klan and Southern white reactionaries were absolutely hell-bent on creating a stratified society in which the Black man did not have equal rights to those of Caucasians, and one determined U.S. president was not able to stem that tide. That’s really what Grant was up against, and what tarnished his reputation. Catton feels he should have been more, um, “flexible”. I personally am pleased that he was willing to ride his principles to hell and back if need be…and that was about what happened.
I find it so sad, so ironic that the vast overload of expensive cigars sent to General Grant by patriotic admirers are what most likely lead to his death; throat cancer checked him out of this world only 48 hours after his memoir was completed.
Although there are no citations for the facts provided in the text, there is a nice little index that will prove useful to students.
Recommended for adults at the community college level, and to history buffs who just want to read one relatively simple biography of Grant.
Reading this nifty little book reminded me—not entirely happily—of how much sturdier literacy in the United States stood during the 1950’s, when this biography was originally written, compared to now. True, it was a less egalitarian, less inclusive school house that could throw this level of reading at its teenagers, and that is a different debate for a different day. Right now, I just have to tell you that Catton’s boiled-down biography is going to be over the heads of most high school students. In addition, there are a couple of slang terms no longer in use that may confuse the reader. I understood one of them—and I was born in the late ‘50’s—but another phrase left me scratching my head. My two fields, when teaching, were literature and US history, primarily the American Civil War and government, so if I don’t get it, then high school kids will miss some of it also. The book could be used for honors students, most likely, but is no longer ideally suited to high school students.
However, I can see its use today for community college students, and also for adults who are not doing research and don’t care to see Mr. Catton’s sources or argue his perspective. He takes a few enormously controversial aspects of Grant’s life and makes his own pronouncements, some bold, some bland, with absolutely not one shred of evidence to back them up, apart from his own excellent reputation, and so scholars in the field are more likely to find his Civil War trilogies more satisfying than this little nugget. But for the history buff who just wants a thumbnail sketch, one book and we’re finished thanks, this could be it. It is certainly less of a meal than Grant’s own memoir; also, unlike Grant’s inarguably excellent memoir, Catton addresses the rumors about Grant and liquor that Grant himself refused to even discuss.
Catton focuses primarily on the Civil War years, which I believe is the right way to remember the man, but he also talks about the setting into which Grant was born, and in a relatively short amount of text provides us with the lifestyle and expectation of the average American farmer, which is what the vast majority of Americans were at that time. He carries us through Grant’s time at West Point, then through the wars with Mexico.
He takes apart and casts aside, brick by brick, the nasty allegations that Grant’s detractors made then and in contemporary times, and shines an authoritative light on them. What about Grant and the booze? Was Grant really a bad businessman who lost his own money and that of other people? Was he really Grant-the-butcher, as a brief but ugly period in revisionism charged, willing to plow willy-nilly into any and every battle regardless of the number of soldiers’ lives lost? What about his presidency, and the scandal that clouded it?
Grant is one of my heroes, and I appreciate the way Catton defends him here. I particularly was interested in his very convincing defense of Grant as businessman. I found Catton slightly abrasive in his tone toward Grant’s defense of the rights of African-Americans during Reconstruction; it was clearly this, rather than anything else, that caused the glow of his wartime glory to dim, because the Klan and Southern white reactionaries were absolutely hell-bent on creating a stratified society in which the Black man did not have equal rights to those of Caucasians, and one determined U.S. president was not able to stem that tide. That’s really what Grant was up against, and what tarnished his reputation. Catton feels he should have been more, um, “flexible”. I personally am pleased that he was willing to ride his principles to hell and back if need be…and that was about what happened.
I find it so sad, so ironic that the vast overload of expensive cigars sent to General Grant by patriotic admirers are what most likely lead to his death; throat cancer checked him out of this world only 48 hours after his memoir was completed.
Although there are no citations for the facts provided in the text, there is a nice little index that will prove useful to students.
Recommended for adults at the community college level, and to history buffs who just want to read one relatively simple biography of Grant.
April 2, 2016
I saw this on Kindles Unlimited, and knew that Catton was a good writer of the Civil War time period. I have been on a reading kick as concerns presidents, and I wanted to know more about Ulysses Grant, besides always wanting to learn more about the Civil War. This was such a good beginning book on Grant. Catton wrote in such an understanding way about this man who had a lot to do with saving our country. He really provided enough details that made you feel the presence of this man. I ended up feeling sorrow for him. Why do people expect a man who is a great general to be a great politician or diplomat or statesman? Some are of course, but others may not want the job or simply cannot do the job. Grant was this type of man. He rode into the White House on a wave of popularity after the was and the disaster with Andrew Johnson. But he didn't know how to surround himself with good men, who were concerned for their country and wanted to do the best for it. Instead, the greedy people who got Grant elected, were continuing to do whatever they could to make money off of the Reconstruction.
This was such an enjoyable book, I finished it in less than a week even with all the other books I'm reading. The writing was excellent, and I learned a lot in a short period of time...
This was such an enjoyable book, I finished it in less than a week even with all the other books I'm reading. The writing was excellent, and I learned a lot in a short period of time...
July 3, 2018
The title of the book is a little misleading; this book is simply a concise biography of Ulysses Grant. Bruce Catton is unsurpassed as a writer of Civil War history for a popular audience. If historians were automobiles, Catton is the Ferrari to everyone else's Edsel. Even though the reader knows how the story ends, Catton keeps you racing through as if you were reading a thriller.
Since I've read more than twenty books about Grant, I didn't expect to learn anything new in this one -- and yet, I did. Catton's insights are profound, and he is the master of the big, sweeping narrative interwoven with the telling detail or anecdote. I feel that I have a better grasp of the Big Picture of Grant's life and times than ever before, as well as a deeper understanding of the man himself. What a gift!
Highly recommended both to those who are looking for a quick introduction to Grant, and to those who are already very familiar with him.
Since I've read more than twenty books about Grant, I didn't expect to learn anything new in this one -- and yet, I did. Catton's insights are profound, and he is the master of the big, sweeping narrative interwoven with the telling detail or anecdote. I feel that I have a better grasp of the Big Picture of Grant's life and times than ever before, as well as a deeper understanding of the man himself. What a gift!
Highly recommended both to those who are looking for a quick introduction to Grant, and to those who are already very familiar with him.
March 28, 2024
American Military Tradition
Bruce Catton
This was an enjoyable read about General Grant’s life and career. Written by a very highly qualified historian, one would expect to find a more detailed account. However it reads more like a brief overview if compared to later works by Ron Chernow, or by Grant’s own autobiography.
The key, I suppose, is not to make the comparison. Catton’s book was published in 1954. His analysis of Grant is spot on, documenting him as the hero he was. Many historical figures go through phases after their deaths. For a long time, Grant was considered a drunken butcher who bumbled through his successes because he had superior forces. Catton, a southern historian, mentions that reputation, then proceeds to refute it. He paints Grant in the heroic image in which Chernow and others recognize him today.
Bruce Catton
This was an enjoyable read about General Grant’s life and career. Written by a very highly qualified historian, one would expect to find a more detailed account. However it reads more like a brief overview if compared to later works by Ron Chernow, or by Grant’s own autobiography.
The key, I suppose, is not to make the comparison. Catton’s book was published in 1954. His analysis of Grant is spot on, documenting him as the hero he was. Many historical figures go through phases after their deaths. For a long time, Grant was considered a drunken butcher who bumbled through his successes because he had superior forces. Catton, a southern historian, mentions that reputation, then proceeds to refute it. He paints Grant in the heroic image in which Chernow and others recognize him today.
February 19, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book about one of the US's best known, but much maligned, 19th Century characters.
Bruce Catton has produced a very readable and informative narration of U. S. Grant's life - a great Civil War General (maligned for his successful victorious ending of the war, by some) but a "failed" President.
Catton's analysis of Grant's life and character underscores that mostly we are individually good at one or a few things but not good at everything. Grant was a great strategic thinker and writer, and apparently a social philosopher as well as a very strong moral character, but a poor businessman who was too trusting of life's manipulators.
It also illustrates how that old Roman god, Fortune, can arrange history to unjustly colour a great and righteous man as a moral weakling, drunkard and incompetent.
It puts me very much in mind of the treatment public figures are given by partisans in our modern world of electronic communication and how many will be unjustly viewed by history readers in future generations.
Bruce Catton has produced a very readable and informative narration of U. S. Grant's life - a great Civil War General (maligned for his successful victorious ending of the war, by some) but a "failed" President.
Catton's analysis of Grant's life and character underscores that mostly we are individually good at one or a few things but not good at everything. Grant was a great strategic thinker and writer, and apparently a social philosopher as well as a very strong moral character, but a poor businessman who was too trusting of life's manipulators.
It also illustrates how that old Roman god, Fortune, can arrange history to unjustly colour a great and righteous man as a moral weakling, drunkard and incompetent.
It puts me very much in mind of the treatment public figures are given by partisans in our modern world of electronic communication and how many will be unjustly viewed by history readers in future generations.
March 15, 2020
I picked up “U. S. Grant and the American Military Tradition” expecting to find an analysis of its subject’s place in the continuum of the American military. Instead I found a short (193 pages), 1950s era, full life biography of Grant. It covers his youth, West Point years, courtship of Julia, Mexican war service, hard years of peace, Civil war success and a survey of his presidency.
Published in 1954 this is, partially, a book of its time. Author and Civil War historian Bruce Catton does not represent his subject as a butcher, but does adhere to the line that Grant was a out of his depth and a failure in politics without an appreciation for the challenges he faced and the successes he achieved that more modern biographers emphasize. While I do not recommend this as a first or main biography of Grant it is a worthwhile read for the perspective it provides. No age has a monopoly on wisdom. Reading a variety of books written over time helps readers gain a more balanced understanding of the subject. For this I recommend “U. S. Grant and the American Military Tradition”.
Published in 1954 this is, partially, a book of its time. Author and Civil War historian Bruce Catton does not represent his subject as a butcher, but does adhere to the line that Grant was a out of his depth and a failure in politics without an appreciation for the challenges he faced and the successes he achieved that more modern biographers emphasize. While I do not recommend this as a first or main biography of Grant it is a worthwhile read for the perspective it provides. No age has a monopoly on wisdom. Reading a variety of books written over time helps readers gain a more balanced understanding of the subject. For this I recommend “U. S. Grant and the American Military Tradition”.
November 10, 2017
This biography of Grant must be aimed at young adult readers, but it still has some of the artful prose characterized by other books by the author. It presents a complete picture of the man and his life. It covers the good and the weaknesses of the man in a fair way. Even though it is aimed at the younger readers, it is still a good source for any reader who is wanting to learn more about his life.
June 8, 2021
This is a fine companion to Grant's Autobiography. The autobiography does not cover some issues well, like Grant's drinking or his conflicts with other Generals. This book does, it also gives a sense of what made Grant electable, and what made his presidency problematic. The autobiography is a needed companion to get a sense of Grant's thinking -- the why he did what he did.
March 26, 2015
A fantastic book, written for young adults. The history of the surrender at Appomattox explains Grant's role in the peaceful reunification of the United States better than any other history or biography that I have seen.
November 25, 2023
A short biography that offers snippets of Grant's life. An interesting read for civil-military relations and for history. Great writing.
December 19, 2023
An abbreviated biography that hits most top events in Grant’s life. It’s a good introduction to this amazing individual.
February 2, 2019
The Man on the Horse
In this well-done account of the career of U.S. Grant, Bruce Catton unravels the story behind the man on the horse. We get a picture of a very private person, in U.S. Grant, who was molded by a difficult childhood and the poverty of his native home town.
How he survived all of the hardship of his early life makes for an excellent read, but, the balance of this story is just as entertaining. Grant’s path to Westpoint, his checkered early military career, and, his conduct of the war are some of the best passages in this very entertaining book.
One of the most interesting observations of the author was Grant's early military career in the quartermaster corps. This experience served him well, when, as a field commander, he always had his troops well provisioned as they entered the battlefield.
The depth of detail provided by the author only adds to this very readable story about the man on the horse.
In this well-done account of the career of U.S. Grant, Bruce Catton unravels the story behind the man on the horse. We get a picture of a very private person, in U.S. Grant, who was molded by a difficult childhood and the poverty of his native home town.
How he survived all of the hardship of his early life makes for an excellent read, but, the balance of this story is just as entertaining. Grant’s path to Westpoint, his checkered early military career, and, his conduct of the war are some of the best passages in this very entertaining book.
One of the most interesting observations of the author was Grant's early military career in the quartermaster corps. This experience served him well, when, as a field commander, he always had his troops well provisioned as they entered the battlefield.
The depth of detail provided by the author only adds to this very readable story about the man on the horse.
February 23, 2018
Bruce Catton at his best: concise and easy to read. I had actually read this title once before, but enjoyed it enough to reread it. Catton tells the story of Grant's rise from firewood peddler to President. A good place to start in the pantheon of Grant biographies out there today. The book is a great overview of one of the Civil War's main characters.
November 4, 2024
Brief Summary of The Life of Lincoln’s Greatest General
Well-written description of the General’s life, the battles he fought and his unsuccessful years as President. Recommended for the casual reader, who is not interested in fine details.
Well-written description of the General’s life, the battles he fought and his unsuccessful years as President. Recommended for the casual reader, who is not interested in fine details.
February 24, 2020
A good summary but nothing to write home about. Probably a good intro book.
May 4, 2022
We like Grant, but this book was really dry.
May 5, 2024
Pretty much excepts from This Hallowed Ground except about Grant.
March 3, 2025
It’s a well written book. I enjoyed the military history. I liked the little glimpses of his life.
July 14, 2026
The content is excellent but the title is somewhat misleading. It reads more like a condensed version of Grant’s biography. Still a really good read though.
April 3, 2016
Bruce Canton is an accomplished and acclaimed story teller about the American Civil War. His beautiful prose flows. "U.S. Grant and the American Military Tradition," was published in the 1950's. In this short book, the author offers a perspective of Grant character and abilities. For example, Mr Canton relates the often told story of Grant, as a boy, selling a horse. Most authors view this incident as evidence of Grant's bruised ego. Canton sees Grant's retelling of the story in his memoirs as demonstrating a sense of humor. Other stories point to Grant's unique leadership skills. A pleasure to read.
October 15, 2015
This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Even if you are bored and not interested in history you will still enjoy reading about the life of one of our greatest presidents. I highly recommend this book
February 13, 2021
Grant
Another great offering from the expert on the US Civil War, Bruce Catton. Straight forward writing, great background, and well referenced, this book gives a good look at one of this country's great military leaders.
Another great offering from the expert on the US Civil War, Bruce Catton. Straight forward writing, great background, and well referenced, this book gives a good look at one of this country's great military leaders.
Read
April 15, 2011Bruce Catton is a magnificent writer with tremendous insights into leadership.
February 6, 2016
This didn't transfer from Shelfari. I read it a couple of years ago and it gave me a very different outlook on the Civil War as it was fought at the end.
January 28, 2019
This is a broad overview of U.S. Grant's career. It doesn't dive deep into details but provides a good familiarization for Grant's life and career.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews