GrantGrant
Score Modern
What it's about
Ulysses S. Grant failed at almost everything before the Civil War, as a farmer, a businessman, and a soldier who left the army under a cloud over drinking. Then the war came, and he became the general who won it. Ron Chernow follows him through his victories, his two terms as president, when he fought to protect the rights of formerly enslaved people during Reconstruction, and his last year, when, dying of cancer, he raced to write his memoirs.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Chernow restores the reputation of a misunderstood American, and it's one of the best biographies of recent years.
You'll love it if you liked
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Washington: A Life
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of FreedomGood to know
It's around 1,000 pages. It deals with Grant's alcoholism in detail.
By the numbers
- Readers99 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #55 of the 198 history books we rank
- #59 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #154 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #296 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Dark
More by Ron Chernow
Alexander HamiltonWashington: A Life
Mark Twain
The House of MorganIf you like this, read next
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Quick answers
Is Grant worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller. It ranks #296 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Grant about?
Ulysses S. Grant failed at almost everything before the Civil War, as a farmer, a businessman, and a soldier who left the army under a cloud over drinking. Then the war came, and he became the general who won it. Ron Chernow follows him through his victories, his two terms as president, when he fought to protect the rights of formerly enslaved people during Reconstruction, and his last year, when, dying of cancer, he raced to write his memoirs.
How long does it take to read Grant?
About 28 hours (1104 pages), or about 8 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Grant?
If you liked it, try Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow or Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight.