A biography of the two gifted Civil War commanders from a New York
Times-bestselling author: "A great story . . . History at its best"
(Publishers Weekly).
Their names are forever linked in the history of the Civil War, but
Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant could not have been more dissimilar.
Lee came from a world of Southern gentility and aristocratic privilege
while Grant had coarser, more common roots in the Midwest. As a young
officer trained in the classic mold, Lee graduated from West Point at
the top of his class and served with distinction in the Mexican-American
War. Grant's early military career was undistinguished and marred by
rumors of drunkenness.
As commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Lee's early
victories demoralized the Union Army and cemented his reputation as a
brilliant tactician. Meanwhile, Grant struggled mightily to reach the
top of the Union command chain. His iron will eventually helped turn the
tide of the war, however, and in April 1864, President Abraham Lincoln
gave Grant command of all Union forces. A year later, he accepted Lee's
surrender at the Appomattox Court House.
With brilliance and deep feeling, New York Times-bestselling author
Gene Smith brings the Civil War era to vivid life and tells the dramatic
story of two remarkable men as they rise to glory and reckon with the
bitter aftermath of the bloodiest conflict in American history. Never
before have students of American history been treated to a more
personal, comprehensive, and achingly human portrait of Lee and
Grant.
