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letters written Ulysses S. Grant to his financee'/wife over the years. He was writing to Julia while he served in the Mexican War and in the Civil War. Only letters from him to her. At first, he wrote to her asking her to still marry him when he came back, and later he wrote to her to give kisses to the kids, don't spend the money he sent in an earlier letter, and come/don't come to visit him during the Civil War with/without their kids.
that last letter is a killer :'(
A nice and very small book at 166 pages reproducing Ulysses S. Grant's many letters to his wife Julia. It is well known by this time that Grant, among his many other attributes, was also a compelling and eloquent writer. This trait is always on display in the reports and directives he issued as a General during the war, documents that were subsequently reproduced in the exhaustive War of the Rebellion series. And of course, it goes without saying that Grant's ultimate memoirs, written as he near...
This was a sweet book. Ulysses S Grant has an autobiography but it is important to see people not how they wish to portray themselves to the world but how they really are with people they are comfortable being around. I really liked to see what he had to say during the Mexican American war and the Civil War or at least the things he wanted his wife to know.The majority of the letters show a man who was lonely, missed his family, but how focused he was to do his duty for this country. It also sho...
Second time reading and I still enjoy the history of his everyday life. I do wish Julia's letters were around to publish.
I was intrigued by Grant’s letters to his wife when I heard about this book in a podcast. I was disappointed with how whiny he comes off in most of the letters — nagging almost nonstop for her to write to him more often, even trying to guilt her about it. Not super romantic :-/
This slim volume belongs on the shelf right next to Grant's Memoirs. The compact size makes it an ideal book to read on the go. The letters selected reveal a man of great depth of character. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Civil war historiana.
I’ve heard so much about Ulysses S. Grant as a soldier. This shows another side his love for his wife & children. I think history buffs would enjoy this gem. I’m not looking for another book as he is a fascinating person.
My Grant crush continues unabated. No apologies.
I’m quite a fan of the remarkable U.S. Grant! I’ve read Chernow’s biography, which was excellent, followed by the even better Personal Memoirs written by Grant. Next up a Grant biography by White. These are all sided letters, all to Julia. But, they are not every letter as is evident within the letters, and there are vast gaps. Either the letters weren’t preserved, Grant and Julia were together, or he wasn’t writing to her. Its a little frustrating to know we are missing something, something los...
As Ron Chernow points out in his introduction, the 85 letters from Ulysses S. Grant to Julia before and after their marriage, though "spare in style, they candidly portray Grant's emotional state, showing his remarkable evolution from an insecure young soldier to a capable, self-confident general."The letters to Julia are more interesting to learn about Grant's emotions than they are about historical events, of which Grant shares some news, but much less than he talks about how much he misses Ju...
I recently watched a documentary on the History Channel about Grant that had me so interested in the man that I wanted to learn more about his personality. This looked like a good place to start that would show some true colors.What I (oddly? sadly?) found for one of America’s greatest generals was, in my opinion, a whiny toddler of a man who appeared so dependent on his Dearest Julia- for approval, for communication, anything to keep him going.Now, with that said, I’ve never been in battle, awa...
These letters written to Ulysses S. Grant's wife Julia Dent Grant show the humanity, love, and character of Ulysses S. Grant. At times, it shows his not only his progress during the Civil Wsr, but also on the focus of him being a good father to his children, family life, and what would the future entail. These letters shows his need for companionship to combat loneliness, his feeling of being forsaken, and even talking about the horrors of war, the injustice he saw in society, and how he fought
absolute gem of a book. Adds a great deal to realizing Grant's humanity. The tenth book on my Grant shelf. Its value surprised me a tad. This sentence cracked me up, "We have an old woman about fifty years old to cook for us" In Grant's defense, back in the 1840s anyone, man or woman, who had attained fifty years was old...bigly. Of course, life was much rougher for the women. I'll be 72 shortly. oi vey.I really need to visit Galena.
I love old letters. And these are fascinating, but also repetitive. He says the same thing all the time as he's courting her, and she never seems to write him back. Did she really love him? You can see him mature over time in his letters to her after they are married, but again, they're very repetitive. Still, for historians, it's a good read.
OK, I am a sap but under the cover of a General.This is a wonderful Library of America collection of more than 80 letters as the title describes. The letters from Julia have not survived. The early Grant longs for more letters from his beloved. During the first four years while they were engaged, they could only meet once. He frequently wanted approval from Julia's parents who were unconvinced about her marrying a soldier. The Grants were also concerned because Julia was a slave holder even at t...
I am a big admirer of Grant, so I appreciated this collection of letters that he wrote his beloved wife Julia while he was away serving with the army. On the whole, however, I didn't feel that they provide any great insight into the man, at least beyond what we already know (such as his devotion to Julia and his kids). But the letters are what they are, and we have to take them that way. The book suffers more from the fact that there are no letters from Julia, and from the failure of the editors...
Easy, entertaining read. One of my favorite ways to learn about history is by reading things from that time period.This books gives a unique look into Grant's life, but also the time period and the wars.
Grant's biographers mention his devotion to his wife. The letters contained in this short volume affirm his affection by his constant expressions of longing and love in her absence. If ever a relationship was put to the test by long periods of separation this was one. Grant and Julia Dent were engaged for four years in the face of his distance through military postings in various places, including serving three years in Mexico during the Mexican War. Moreover, Julia's family was opposed to the u...
amazing primary source… It’s almost as if you are witnessing an evolution of a man. Necessary book for the study of U.S. Grant.