About The Book: Ulysses S. Grant was a prominent United States Army general during the American Civil War and Commanding General He was elected as the 18th President of the United States in 1868, serving from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, Grant worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln to lead the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy. After Lincoln's assassination, Grant's assignment in implementing Reconstruction often put him at odds with President Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's successor. Twice elected president, Grant led the Republicans in their effort to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism and slavery, protect African-American citizenship and civil rights, implement reconstruction and support economic prosperity. Grant's presidency has often been criticized for its scandals and for his failure to alleviate the economic depression following the Panic of 1873, but modern scholarship regards him as a president who performed a difficult job during the early post Civil War era. In this Special Library Collector's Edition, Historian James W. Edwards has combined the essential elements of Grant's biography with detailed letters written to his family during his tenure, then concluding with all his State of the Union addresses as he wrote and delivered them to an expectant nation. An essential addition to any public, academic or personal library, this volume captures the essence of Grant, much of it written in his own words a complicated and often unpredictable figure who faced enormous struggles and opposition to become one of the world's most important historical icons. REVIEWS "Grant's biography and letters give an important perspective on a legendary figure." - Wheldons Literary Review