Military Review English Edition July-August 2016 | Page 148

GRANT UNDER FIRE

An Exposé of Generalship & Character in the
American Civil War
Joseph A. Rose, Alderhanna Publishing,
New York, 2015, 816 pages

G

rant Under Fire is a stinging critique of Lt. Gen.
Ulysses Grant’s character and the historical
records that have shaped his popular reputation.
The book covers Grant’s life prior to and following the
Civil War but focuses primarily on his generalship during
the war. The author uses a myriad of sources from over a
decade of research to highlight the historical distortions of
Grant’s record. One of the primary targets of the author’s
research is Grant’s own Personal Memoirs. Grant Under Fire
highlights the many false records and outright lies written
in Grant’s memoirs and later by a host of modern historians that have used his record without questioning its accuracy. The author also outlines Grant’s political connections
that paved the way for his promotions, and a cabal of
journalists that distorted the record by spinning Grant’s
image in Northern newspapers. Grant’s closest colleague,
Gen. William T. Sherman, is also exposed by the author as
incompetent, morally questionable, and having only been
promoted due to the influence of his prominent friend
and political allies. This and much more are highlighted in
Grant Under Fire, including Grant’s incompetence, cronyism, alcoholism, and hostility to those he disliked even at
the expense of lives and the Union war effort.
Grant Under Fire is not written to attack or impugn
Grant’s character but to simply set the record straight:
a record that was clearly written to place Grant among
history’s greatest military leaders, a record subsequently
honored by the institution of the U.S. Army. I could not
ignore the irony of reading this book in my home on Fort
Leavenworth, which sits on the main road named in honor of Grant, adjacent to his bronze statue that is also down
the hill from the former Command and General Staff
College building also named in his honor. Connecting
buildings were also named in honor of his two closest
protégés: Sherman and Sheridan. These physical impressions are a lasting reminder of Grant’s legacy, no matter
how it was recorded, and its impact on the U.S. Army in
the early twentieth century.
Grant Under Fire is a fascinating book that takes a
critical eye to known Civil War records and refutes what
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many believed to be the sterling image of the general. It
is written for more advanced readers and researchers of
the Civil War. As written, it is assumed that the reader
already has a foundational understanding of events during
the war. This book also validates what I have read in other
books concerning Grant’s character, including Benson
Bobrick’s book, Master of War, The Life of General George H.
Thomas. I highly recommend Grant Under Fire to anyone with a deep interest in American history or to those
looking for an authoritative source for researching general
officer leadership and ethics in the American Civil War.

Lt. Col. Andrew P. Creel, U.S. Army,
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

A CHRISTMAS FAR FROM HOME
An Epic Tale of Courage and Survival
During the Korean War
Stanley Weintraub, Da Capo Press,
Boston, 2014, 261 pages

B

ombs, artillery, rifles, and blood characterized
the Christmas of 1950. That holiday season
for soldiers and marines in Korea was certainly one they would never forget. A Christmas Far from
Home by Stanley Weintraub is an essential read for all
combat and service support commanders throughout
the chain of command.
Weintraub, through primary source material, creates
a descriptive image of the post-Thanksgiving offensive
and subsequent withdrawal of United Nations (UN)
forces in 1950. Even though he provides opinions about
Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his “home by Christmas
offensive,” Weintraub offers ample evidentiary support
in his opposition to the offensive. The historical account
reads like a novel as it tracks soldiers and marines from
the banks of the Yalu River and creates a broad understanding of the withdrawal through multiple individual
perspectives. His account sheds a light on one of the most
significant turning points in the Korean War, namely the
Chinese intervention that pushed the American offensive
back through the Chosin Reservoir and Funchilin Pass to
the strategic rescue at Hungnam Harbor. A Christmas Far
from Home is a true Christmas story that offers a broad
view of the American and Chinese offensives while incorporating personal accounts of heroism.
July-August 2016  MILITARY REVIEW