Books Discussed
The recent proposal by some Republicans that Grant's portrait on the 50 Dollar Bill be replaced by Reagan's has triggered some
reevaluation of Grant. Others have discussed the trajectory of Grant's reputation, strong immediately after the war, and then apparently declining in response to the development of the "Myth of the Lost Cause". It may be time for a rebirth of Grant's reputation.
So the other day, I ran across
Grant and Twain_, and had to get it. It is a very nice book, an excellent way to arrive at an understanding of Grant's final years, and how he came to write his memoirs - for those who are unfamilar with them, _Personal Memoirs is one of the truly great works of military autobiography, frequently compared to Caesar's Commentaries.
In the same time frame that Grant started on his memoirs, Twain was completely blocked, with
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn half finished. In _Grant & Twain_, Perry tries to make the case that the two influenced each other, Twain persuading Grant to write, and Grant inspiring Twain to finish his masterpiece. Perry is not completely successful in making this case, but nonetheless the factual narrative is very well done and compelling, making this book well worth reading, as it helps a great deal in understanding the character of Grant. Those of us who have studied Grant are very familiar with the stubborn general, standing in the rain at Shiloh chewing on a cigar and telling General Sherman, "We'll whip 'em tomorrow". Those who aren't familiar with that Grant could stand to learn a bit from _Grant and Twain_.