The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant

Preserving the Civil War's Legacy

De: Paul Kahan

Narrado por: Jared Cram

Until recently, scholars have portrayed Grant as among the country’s worst chief executives. Though the scholarly consensus about Grant’s presidency is changing, the general public knows little, if anything, about his two terms, other than their outsized reputation for corruption. While scandals are undoubtedly part of the story, there is more to Grant’s presidency: Grant faced the Panic of 1873, the severest economic depression in US history, defeated the powerful Senator Charles Sumner on the annexation of Cuba, and deftly avoided war with Spain while laying the groundwork for the “special relationship” between Great Britain and the United States. Grant’s efforts to ensure justice for African Americans and American Indians, however, were undercut by his own decisions and by the contradictory demands of the various constituencies that made up the Republican Party.

In The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant: Preserving the Civil War’s Legacy, historian Paul Kahan focuses on the unique political, economic, and cultural forces unleashed by the Civil War and how Grant addressed these issues during his tumultuous two terms as chief executive. A timely reassessment, The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant sheds new light on the business of politics in the decade after the Civil War and portrays an energetic and even progressive executive whose legacy has been overshadowed by both his wartime service and his administration’s many scandals.

The book is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"Paul Kahan paints a revealing portrait…should change your thinking.” (Stephen Puleo, author of The Caning)

©2018 Paul Kahan (P)2021 Redwood Audiobooks

Moreover

This is the 4th book on Grant that I’ve listened to in the past month. I’ve enjoyed all of them. This one particularly because of its hyper focus on the presidency since I felt the previous had not been enough. Understandably since access to information had been limited and Grant in himself didn’t detail his terms in his autobiography. The conclusion will continue to increase my capacity for empathy.

Amazing and Thourough Overview

If you are looking for a book that covers the Grant Presidency in depth, Kahan's book is for you! I like that he even goes over Grant's post-presidency and his failed 1880 bid.