The former general in chief of the Union armies during the Civil War . . . the two-term president of the United States . . . the beloved ambassador of American goodwill around the globe . . . the respected New York financier—Ulysses S. Grant—was dying. The hardscrabble man who regularly smoked 20 cigars a day had developed terminal throat cancer. Thus began Grant’s final battle—a race against his own failing health to complete his Personal Memoirs in an attempt to secure his family’s financial future. But the project evolved into something far more: an effort to secure the very meaning of the Civil War itself and how it would be remembered.The news of Grant’s illness came swift on the heels of his financial ruin. Business partners had swindled his family out of everything but the money he and his wife had in their pockets and the family cookie jar.In this maelstrom of woe; Grant refused to surrender. Putting pen to paper; the hero of Appomattox embarked on his final campaign: an effort to write his memoirs before he died. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant would cement his place as not only one of America’s greatest heroes but also as one of its most sublime literary voices.Filled with personal intrigues and supported by a cast of colorful characters that included Mark Twain; William Vanderbilt; and P. T. Barnum; Grant’s Last Battle recounts a deeply personal story as dramatic for Grant as any of his battlefield exploits.Author Chris Mackowski; Ph.D. has recounted Grant’s battlefield achievements as a historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park; and as an academic; he has studied Grant’s literary career. His familiarity with the former president as a general and as a writer brings Grant’s Last Battle to life with new insight; told with the engaging prose that has become the hallmark of the Emerging Civil War Series.
#46692 in Books RODALE 2016-04-05 2016-04-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .36 x .3 x 4.60l; 1.00 #File Name: 1609615646288 pagesRODALE
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A great read for every woman runnerBy AggiegirlThanks to Amby Burfoot for compiling this compelling history! Women runners owe Amby (and all the women he profiled) a big thanks. It was eye-opening to learn that so many giant advances in women’s running have occurred in the past 55 years. The first time a woman ran in a road race was 1961; and she had to sneak on the racecourse to compete. Women couldn’t run longer than 800 meters in Olympic competition until 1972; when the 1500 meter “metric mile†became a women’s event; the Olympic women’s marathon didn’t become a reality until 1984. First Ladies of Running tells many other almost-unbelievable things; like the ill-fitting and borrowed clothing the early women runners wore; the sexist newspaper articles; the women who ran in remote places to avoid stares and unwanted attention; and the often-repeated falsehood that women were incapable of running marathons. But the book was also heartwarming in its portrayal of the quiet and humble Grete Waitz; who won the New York City Marathon an astounding nine times. And then there was Merry Lepper; who in 1963; became the first woman to run a certified marathon. When her running partner dropped out after 16 miles; Merry soldiered on so she could kill the misconception that women couldn’t run a marathon. I came to admire Dr. Joan Ullyot; who not only ran sub-three-hour marathons; but also wrote a book that dispelled some of the myths about women’s running. It made me smile to read how the men at road races often encouraged and supported the women running pioneers; it was the “fat old guys†(race organizers and officials) who tried to force female runners off racecourses. This book; written by someone who knew many of the women well; is a great read. It has earned a prominent place on my bookshelf.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Not for runners only: for everyone!By Jacqueline M. GanimI was going to wait until I finished this amazing book before I wrote this; but I want others to enjoy it while I am doing so! Amby has captured such an important part of "our" history. It's not just about running; it's about the pursuit of something bigger than yourself; it's about finding peace of mind and friendship. I am not a runner; but so appreciate these precious vignettes of ladies that came from all walks of life with the common theme of running that eventually brought them together. Having personally met many of them at the recent Boston Marathon; the oral histories were so powerful and inspiring. Globally and in the US; these profiles stand on their own and Amby's intimate knowledge having run with many of these women makes it ever so personal. He is a champion of running; of history; of women; and a great writer and lovely human being. I hope everyone reads his book.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is a great book; with the exception of the last chapterBy seminolestanThis is a great book; with the exception of the last chapter; where Oprah Winfrey is included amongst runners who are way out of her league. Oprah in no way deserved to be included in this book of such historic and ground breaking women runners; many of whom were excluded for years just because they were women. Thankfully; nowadays women have the full rights in the running world as do men. Many really great runners are highlighted in this book.
