Description
In his earlier book General Grant and the Rewriting of History, Dr. Varney studied the tempestuous relationship between Grant and Union General William S. Rosecrans. During the war, Rosecrans was considered by many of his contemporaries to be on a par with Grant himself; today, he is largely forgotten. Rosecrans’s star dimmed, argues Varney, because Grant orchestrated the effort. In General Grant and the Verdict of History, Varney continues his study of Grant and that his memoirs have heavily shaped how the war is remembered (and written about) today.
Unbeknownst to most students of the war, Grant used his official reports, interviews with the press, and his memoirs to influence how future generations would remember the war and his part in it. Aided greatly by his two terms as president, by the clarity and eloquence of his memoirs, and in particular by the dramatic backdrop against which those memoirs were written, our historical memory has been influenced to a degree greater than many realize. It is beyond time to return to the original sources—the letters and journals and reports and memoirs of other witnesses and the transcripts of courts-martial—to examine Grant’s story from a fresh perspective. The results are enlightening, and more than a little disturbing.
Book Information
ISBN 9781611215533
Author Frank P. Varney
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Savas Beatie
Publisher Savas Beatie