Hold On with a Bulldog Grip
Hold On with a Bulldog Grip
A Short Study of Ulysses S. Grant
In this new short biography of Ulysses S. Grant, leading scholars provide an accessible introduction to Grant and his legacy. Grant led Federal forces to victory in the Civil War, was the first modern American president, and authored his memoirs, which would eventually become one of the greatest books of nonfiction by an American author.
The authors present a thematic exploration of Grant, providing the necessary insight to appreciate Grant and correct the myths that for too long clouded his true importance. They highlight specific moments or relationships in Grant’s life—including his connection to such key figures as Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain—and elaborate on the more controversial elements of Grant’s legacy, such as accusations about his drinking and corruption during the Grant presidency. Not to overlook his military accomplishments, they devote time to the study of Grant’s war strategy and military career, beginning as early as his reluctant enrollment into West Point.
From humble birth to tragic death, this new take on Ulysses S. Grant instills readers with a deeper understanding of the military legend’s nuanced personal history and an appreciation for the late president’s tragic and triumphant story.
The authors of Hold On with a Bulldog Grip: A Short Study of Ulysses S. Grant have produced an invaluable guide to the fascinating and incredibly eventful life of General and President Ulysses S. Grant. Students and teachers alike will benefit from the well-organized and clearly written text covering Grant’s life, career, and legacy.
Beautifully complementing the copious flood of new Grant literature, here is a compact, concise, almost conversational biography that will make new converts out of readers still unfamiliar with the general’s life story, while offering historians and buffs an ample supply of new interpretation and fresh analysis. Armed with sound research, hitting all the high points, four experts tell the entire story with an abundance of verve and a commendable lack of ornamentation—much like Grant himself. The result is one of the best little A-to-Z life stories to emanate from the new golden age of Grant scholarship inspired by the completed Grant papers and the thriving U. S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University.
The greatness of Ulysses S. Grant is narrated in a fresh way in Hold On with a Bulldog Grip. Grant’s integrity, humility, and moral courage can serve as an example in our present political tumult. His connections to Stephen D. Lee and Mississippi State University—past and present—will surprise and delight readers of this compelling biography.
John F. Marszalek is executive director of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and author of multiple books, including biographies of William T. Sherman, Henry W. Halleck, and George W. Murray. David S. Nolen is associate professor in the Mississippi State University Libraries. He served as the humanities reference librarian at MSU Libraries from 2008 to 2013 and began work as an editor with the Ulysses S. Grant Memoirs project in 2013. Louie P. Gallo is assistant editor at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. He previously worked at the National McKinley Birthplace Museum and Memorial. Frank J. Williams is a retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and president of the Ulysses S. Grant Association. Mark E. Keenum is president of Mississippi State University. Previously Marszalek, Nolen, and Gallo published The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition, winner of a 2017 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award and the Mississippi Library Association’s 2018 Authors Award for Non-Fiction.
