Lee and Grant: A Dual Biography - Tapa blanda

"A significant achievement . . . Vivid, interwoven biographical portraits set side by side against a sweeping historical background." -The Washington Post "Unfolds like a well-plotted novel . . . Full of telling vignettes and anecdotes . . . Gene Smith is a master." -Houston Chronicle "A brilliant, moving dual biography." -The Columbus Dispatch "A great story . . . Superb . . . History at its best." -Publishers Weekly "A fascinating side-by-side study of the two formidable men as they moved toward and through their dates with destiny." -United Press International "Compelling . . . Thrilling . . . Brings history to life." -The Oregonian "Delivers the double value that the title implies . . . A revealing portrait of two great commanders . . . Also makes the Civil War understandable and exciting." -The Charlotte Observer "A writer of consummate skill . . . the most vivid style since Bruce Catton . . . What makes this book literally sing is its author's storytelling abilities. . . . Absolutely enthralling, quite like meeting two entirely different people whom we thought we had known intimately." -The Washington Times Magazine

A biography of the two gifted Civil War commanders from a New York Times-bestselling author: "A great story . . . History at its best" (Publishers Weekly). Their names are forever linked in the history of the Civil War, but Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant could not have been more dissimilar. Lee came from a world of Southern gentility and aristocratic privilege while Grant had coarser, more common roots in the Midwest. As a young officer trained in the classic mold, Lee graduated from West Point at the top of his class and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War. Grant's early military career was undistinguished and marred by rumors of drunkenness. As commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Lee's early victories demoralized the Union Army and cemented his reputation as a brilliant tactician. Meanwhile, Grant struggled mightily to reach the top of the Union command chain. His iron will eventually helped turn the tide of the war, however, and in April 1864, President Abraham Lincoln gave Grant command of all Union forces. A year later, he accepted Lee's surrender at the Appomattox Court House. With brilliance and deep feeling, New York Times-bestselling author Gene Smith brings the Civil War era to vivid life and tells the dramatic story of two remarkable men as they rise to glory and reckon with the bitter aftermath of the bloodiest conflict in American history. Never before have students of American history been treated to a more personal, comprehensive, and achingly human portrait of Lee and Grant.