Perhaps because I have lived my entire life in the South, I have always held a negative opinion of Ulysses S. Grant. I have thought him to be a notorious drunkard who was a failure at civilian life. I have thought that the Union victory was due only to the fact that the North had more soldiers and equipment than the South and that Grant's generalship paled in comparison to Robert E. Lee's. I have always thought that he was a bad president who punished the poor fallen South. Boy, was I wrong. It is amazing how biased my education has been.
This scholarly biography changed my mind. It concentrates on facts in an impartial manner, including both the good and the bad, to reveal a truly admirable man of great ability. It is true that he was most probably an alcoholic, of the binge drinker variety. In his earlier life he had several such episodes, but there is no indication that he drank at all when leading the Union army or during his tenure as president. It is also true that he failed over and over again at various endeavors in civilian life before the Civil War, often because he was too trusting of the honesty of others. Like many who are themselves unflinchingly honest, he was trusting that others behaved likewise. This somewhat naive viewpoint also accounted for scandals during his presidency. He was never proved to be involved in wrongdoing, but he did sometimes give power to those who used it for personal gain.
Here are some things I learned which made me a Grant adherent:
*His leadership skills as general were exemplary. He demonstrated great concern for his soldiers and inspired their devotion. He seldom gave up a fight, often snatching victory when defeat seemed certain. He was a superb tactician who had an instinct for what his adversaries would do.
*He was magnanimous in victory, which helped immeasurably to ensure that the South would be gathered back into the Union, rather than be treated as defeated enemies. In the terms of surrender of Lee's army, Grant allowed the soldiers and officers to return to their homes, with no arrests, and also to retain their handguns and personally owned horses and mules. He and Lincoln were of a like mind about this, but unfortunately Andrew Johnson, who became president when Lincoln was assassinated, believed that the South should be punished.
*As president, Grant fought for the rights of the freed slaves; he even sent troops to assure their access to vote and to limit the actions of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups. This mostly accounts for his negative reputation in the South, even today. Smith comments, "White supremacist historians, the dominant school of American historiography from the 1880s to the 1950s, savaged his (Grant's) efforts to protect the freedmen, just as many in the West ridiculed his peace policy toward Native Americans."
*As indicated above, Grant as president had a conciliatory approach to Native Americans. He believed most of the problems on the frontier were attributable to the settlers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Therefore, he chose to make peace with the Plains Indians, avoiding an all-out campaign of extermination, which some would have preferred.
*In a third area of principle, Grant defended the separation of church and state. He wrote, "Resolve that neither the State nor the nation shall support institutions of learning other than those sufficient to afford every child the opportunity of a good common-school education, unmixed with sectarian, pagan, or atheistic dogmas. Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school supported entirely by private contribution."
This biography is extremely well written and readable. My only complaint would be that it provides such specific accounts of the major battles that I bogged down in the details. However, I am sure they would be of great interest to those familiar with reading military history. Smith even provides maps with arrows indicating troop movements.
I highly recommend this biography, particularly to those in the South who may have acquired a partisan opinion of Grant.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Saturday, December 9, 2017
SIX SHORT REVIEWS
I used to really enjoy writing reviews, but lately I have found myself putting them off in favor of just going ahead with another book. I still want a record of what I have read, so I am just going to group several all together here, so I'll be all caught up. (In reality, some books are neither good enough or bad enough to warrant a lengthy review.)
THE KENNEDYS BY JOHN H. DAVID (1983)
This is not a good choice if one wants an in-depth look at the Kennedy family, because it is written by an obviously biased author--the first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy. His account of the Kennedy family previous to our late president is very sketchy and taken from secondary sources. His coverage of President Kennedy is most unflattering, and is mainly concerned with revealing his mistakes in regard to Cuba and his connections with the mob. The author's conclusion seems to be that the assassination was a hit job from organized crime. David concludes the book with cursory accounts of the assassination of Robert Kennedy and the scandal involving Edward Kennedy. This book was given to me, so I read it, but I want in the future to read a more scholarly history of the Kennedy family.
HYSTOPIA BY DAVID MEANS (2016)
In this alternate history of the United States, President Kennedy, in his third term, has survived multiple assassination attempts, and the war in Viet Nam is still going on. Returning vets with PTSD have become such a problem that Kennedy has created the Psych Corps, which finds a way to "enfold" all the vets' past memories, wiping their war experiences from their minds. One such enfolded man who now works for the Psych Corp goes on a search for a non-enfolded vet who has gone on a killing spree. The book is more complicated than that, though -- it is written as a book within a book by a suicide. It is very clever, but it is a very surface book with little emotional impact. It was a long-listed finalist for England's Booker Prize.
SLEEPING BEAUTIES BY STEPHEN KING AND OWEN KING (2017)
One day, without warning, women all over the world start falling into a deep sleep encased in a gauzy cocoon. If they are disturbed they awake murderously violent. The King father and son focus their story on one small Appalachian town where the chief employer is a women's prison. When one mysterious woman who alone remains awake is discovered, the men of the town divide into warring factions, some wanting to kill her and some wanting to save her. In the meantime, the reader finds out that the essences of the sleeping women have been transported to a better place, one peopled only by women, where peace reigns, with only minor conflicts which are soon resolved.
Stephen King has often crafted similar scenarios, ones where a small community reacts to a common danger, as in Under the Dome, for example. He is better than almost anybody else in taking a large cast of characters and making each one unique and memorable. That aspect of this book is well done. As for the rest of the plot, it is really kind of silly and hammers home a feminist message with no subtlety at all. Reading this is an effective way to pass the time if you have a lot of time on your hands. Otherwise, pass it by.
ENEMY WOMEN BY PAULETTE JILES (2002)
During the Civil War, a young Missouri woman is falsely imprisoned by the Union as an enemy collaborator, where she and her interrogator fall in love. When she escapes, she tries to make her way home to the South, hoping to meet her love after the war, as he has promised. The bulk of the novel chronicles her journey, with one danger after another to be overcome.
I would have liked this book much better if I had not recently read two others by Jiles, which similarly told of a journey with incidents along the way. The writing is poetic and very readable, but Jiles surely utilizes other plot structures sometimes. I have not read all her books, so perhaps she does.
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST BY NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS (1955)
Second reading; first read in the 1960s
This novel created a furor when it was written, and it is still banned by the Greek Orthodox Church. It portrays a Christ who was subject to the same doubts, fears, and lust as any man. His last temptation, while on the cross, was the choice offered of a normal life with a wife and family rather than as Ssvior.
I cannot understand why this concept caused such offense, since the conventional belief is that Jesus was both God and man, and the fact that he chose to fulfill his role as Savior over the temptation to do otherwise seems to elevate his sacrifice. I can see why the actions of the disciple Mark might be offensive to the devout, because he is portrayed as creating and distorting the facts to make the life of Jesus reflect prophesies of the Old Testament.
I highly recommend this novel.
IRON COUNCIL BY CHINA MIEVILLE (2004)
In Mieville's created city-state of New Crobuzon, war continues with the Tesh and the city is in inner turmoil. A brave group escapes from the city on a quest for the Iron Council, who they hope will serve as spearhead for a revolution. This is a world which operates through a combination of steam technology and thaumaturgy (magic) and is populated by numerous bizarre species of life. I especially liked the species with the shapely bodies of women topped by large beetle heads (their males are mindless beetles without bodies). This weird adventure is also an exploration of oppression and revolution.
Mieville's writing is convoluted and, therefore, not easy to read. In addition, he is a fan of unfamiliar words, often using archaic terminology. Most fantasy/science fiction is straight-forward and easy to read; most is non-political; most is less lavishly inventive and bizarre. I don't believe Mieville to be to the taste of the majority of fantasy/scifi fans, but I like him.
THE KENNEDYS BY JOHN H. DAVID (1983)
This is not a good choice if one wants an in-depth look at the Kennedy family, because it is written by an obviously biased author--the first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy. His account of the Kennedy family previous to our late president is very sketchy and taken from secondary sources. His coverage of President Kennedy is most unflattering, and is mainly concerned with revealing his mistakes in regard to Cuba and his connections with the mob. The author's conclusion seems to be that the assassination was a hit job from organized crime. David concludes the book with cursory accounts of the assassination of Robert Kennedy and the scandal involving Edward Kennedy. This book was given to me, so I read it, but I want in the future to read a more scholarly history of the Kennedy family.
HYSTOPIA BY DAVID MEANS (2016)
In this alternate history of the United States, President Kennedy, in his third term, has survived multiple assassination attempts, and the war in Viet Nam is still going on. Returning vets with PTSD have become such a problem that Kennedy has created the Psych Corps, which finds a way to "enfold" all the vets' past memories, wiping their war experiences from their minds. One such enfolded man who now works for the Psych Corp goes on a search for a non-enfolded vet who has gone on a killing spree. The book is more complicated than that, though -- it is written as a book within a book by a suicide. It is very clever, but it is a very surface book with little emotional impact. It was a long-listed finalist for England's Booker Prize.
SLEEPING BEAUTIES BY STEPHEN KING AND OWEN KING (2017)
One day, without warning, women all over the world start falling into a deep sleep encased in a gauzy cocoon. If they are disturbed they awake murderously violent. The King father and son focus their story on one small Appalachian town where the chief employer is a women's prison. When one mysterious woman who alone remains awake is discovered, the men of the town divide into warring factions, some wanting to kill her and some wanting to save her. In the meantime, the reader finds out that the essences of the sleeping women have been transported to a better place, one peopled only by women, where peace reigns, with only minor conflicts which are soon resolved.
Stephen King has often crafted similar scenarios, ones where a small community reacts to a common danger, as in Under the Dome, for example. He is better than almost anybody else in taking a large cast of characters and making each one unique and memorable. That aspect of this book is well done. As for the rest of the plot, it is really kind of silly and hammers home a feminist message with no subtlety at all. Reading this is an effective way to pass the time if you have a lot of time on your hands. Otherwise, pass it by.
ENEMY WOMEN BY PAULETTE JILES (2002)
During the Civil War, a young Missouri woman is falsely imprisoned by the Union as an enemy collaborator, where she and her interrogator fall in love. When she escapes, she tries to make her way home to the South, hoping to meet her love after the war, as he has promised. The bulk of the novel chronicles her journey, with one danger after another to be overcome.
I would have liked this book much better if I had not recently read two others by Jiles, which similarly told of a journey with incidents along the way. The writing is poetic and very readable, but Jiles surely utilizes other plot structures sometimes. I have not read all her books, so perhaps she does.
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST BY NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS (1955)
Second reading; first read in the 1960s
This novel created a furor when it was written, and it is still banned by the Greek Orthodox Church. It portrays a Christ who was subject to the same doubts, fears, and lust as any man. His last temptation, while on the cross, was the choice offered of a normal life with a wife and family rather than as Ssvior.
I cannot understand why this concept caused such offense, since the conventional belief is that Jesus was both God and man, and the fact that he chose to fulfill his role as Savior over the temptation to do otherwise seems to elevate his sacrifice. I can see why the actions of the disciple Mark might be offensive to the devout, because he is portrayed as creating and distorting the facts to make the life of Jesus reflect prophesies of the Old Testament.
I highly recommend this novel.
IRON COUNCIL BY CHINA MIEVILLE (2004)
In Mieville's created city-state of New Crobuzon, war continues with the Tesh and the city is in inner turmoil. A brave group escapes from the city on a quest for the Iron Council, who they hope will serve as spearhead for a revolution. This is a world which operates through a combination of steam technology and thaumaturgy (magic) and is populated by numerous bizarre species of life. I especially liked the species with the shapely bodies of women topped by large beetle heads (their males are mindless beetles without bodies). This weird adventure is also an exploration of oppression and revolution.
Mieville's writing is convoluted and, therefore, not easy to read. In addition, he is a fan of unfamiliar words, often using archaic terminology. Most fantasy/science fiction is straight-forward and easy to read; most is non-political; most is less lavishly inventive and bizarre. I don't believe Mieville to be to the taste of the majority of fantasy/scifi fans, but I like him.
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