The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

The Memoirs are divided into two volumes. The autobiography is unusual but not unique in that large sections of Grant’s life (most notably, his childhood and his presidency) are given brief mention or not discussed at all. The focus of the book is Grant’s military career—his service in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.

Grant’s writing has been praised for its conciseness and clarity—a sharp contrast from contemporary Civil War memoirs, which tended to reflect the Victorian fondness for elaborate (and sometimes overblown) language.