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Crucible of Command: Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee--The War They Fought, the Peace They Forged
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About Crucible Of Command: Ulysses S. Grant And Robert
Product Description They met in person only four times, yet these two men—Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee—determined the outcome of America's most divisive war and cast larger-than-life shadows over their reunited nation. They came from vastly different backgrounds: Lee from a distinguished family of waning fortunes; Grant, a young man on the make in a new America. Differing circumstances colored their outlooks on life: Lee, the melancholy realist; Grant, the incurable optimist. Then came the Civil War that made them both commanders of armies, leaders of men, and heroes to the multitudes of Americans then and since who rightfully place them in the pantheon of our greatest soldiers. Forged in battle as generals, these two otherwise very different men became almost indistinguishable in their instincts, attributes, attitudes, and skills in command. Each the subject of innumerable biographies, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee have never before been paired as they are here. Exploring their personalities, their characters, their ethical and moral compasses, and their political and military worlds, William C. Davis, one of America's preeminent historians, uses substantial, newly discovered evidence on both men to find surprising similarities between them, as well as new insights and unique interpretations on how their lives prepared them for the war they fought and influenced how they fought it. Crucible of Command is both a gripping narrative of the final year of the war and a fresh, revealing portrait of these two great commanders as they took each other's measure across the battlefield with the aid of millions of men. Review "There are many volumes contrasting Lee and Grant, but William C. Davis has gone far beyond the typical wartime comparisons. This beautifully written and wonderfully entertaining study falls right into line with his other excellent works, and the side-by-side comparisons of the lives and growth of Lee and Grant offer far more than the usual examination of Civil War strategy. This is a surprisingly fresh addition to any Civil War library." Jeff Shaara, New York Times bestselling author of Gods and Generals "William C. Davis brings a vast familiarity with events and personalities of the Civil War to this engaging portrait of the conflict's two great military figures. With keen analysis and descriptive flair, Davis creates a narrative that plays out against an epic story. Even readers familiar with the basic outline of the generals' lives will read this book with pleasure and profit." Gary W. Gallagher, author of The Union War "This refreshingly new comparative study rises above overworked analyses of strategy and tactics and concentrates on character and personality. For those who like their history human, here is the starting point for an accurate understanding of what Lee and Grant meantto each other as well as to the nation they molded." James I. Robertson, Jr., author of Stonewall Jackson A Main Selection of The History Book Club Advance praise for Crucible of Command "Dual biographies are famously difficult to pull off, but William C. Davis has done it with panache. His research in previously unexploited sources reveals new information and insights on both Grant and Lee. With narrative skill that shifts the focus back and forth between the two generals, Davis builds the tension as their careers converge toward the climax at Appomattox. Here we have something genuinely new in Civil War scholarship." James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the New York Times bestseller Battle Cry of Freedom "Magical and magisterial, William C. Davis's transportive joint biography truly brings these iconic warriors vividly to life., tracing their inevitably linked stories so compellingly that readers will be forgiven if they find themselves on the edge of their seats as the narrative hurtles toward an outcome they thought they already knew. Using primary sources with his cus
