Kirkus Reviews, BEA Special Issue, 4/15/11
andldquo;A lucid, often somber account of the sad but noble decline of Ulysses S. Grantandhellip;Upon learning of his death, Grantandrsquo;s former opponent James Longstreet called him andlsquo;the truest as well as the bravest man who ever lived.andrsquo; In this swiftly moving narrative, Flood ably shows why he deserved the accolade. A welcome addition to the literature surrounding Grant and his time.andrdquo;
The Waterline, 6/2/11
andldquo;Floodandrsquo;s book is an excellent read about a little explored aspect of General Grant, and is recommended to those with a passion for American history and specifically the Civil War.andrdquo;
Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion
andldquo;Charles Bracelen Flood has painted a moving and illuminating portrait of Ulysses Grantandrsquo;s grace as the dying general faced possible ruin. Grant is so important, yet he somehow seems always on the periphery of the American mind. Floodandrsquo;s excellent new book should help put Grant where he belongs: in the center of our memory.andrdquo;
Jean Edward Smith, author of the Pulitzer Prize-finalist, Grant
andldquo;An unsurpassed account of Grantandrsquo;s final year. Mr. Flood has written not only the definitive study, but also the most readable. A wonderful book.andrdquo;Charles P. Roland, author of An American Iliad: The Story of the Civil Warand#160;
andldquo;Charles Bracelen Flood has now set his deft and discerning pen to the story of General U. S. Grant's heroic effort during the last year of his life in writing his famous memoirs. Anyone with as much as a grain of interest in the nation's history will derive both profit and pleasure from Flood's work.andrdquo;
Thomas Fleming, author of The Secret Trial of Robert E. Lee
andldquo;Seldom if ever have I read a book that plunges so deeply andndash; and so masterfully andndash; into the human side of a major historical figure. When that figure is a man as laconic and private as Ulysses S. Grant, the achievement is even more remarkable. Charles Bracelen Flood has combined his talents as a novelist and historian to create an irresistible book.andrdquo;
Frank J. Williams, president of the Ulysses S. Grant Association and chair of The Lincoln Forum
andldquo;In his latest winning book, Grantandrsquo;s Final Victory, Charles Bracelen Flood defines a true American hero in this sensitive telling of Ulysses S. Grantandrsquo;s last campaign to provide for his family in the last year of his life.andrdquo;
William C. Davis, author of Battle at Bull Run
andldquo;In a fitting companion to his classic Lee: The Last Years, Charles Bracelen Floodandrsquo;s Grant's Final Victory provides a moving account of a hero's last heroic deeds struggling against financial disaster to provide for his family, and battling cancer to complete what would become one of the greatest memoirs ever written by an American. Crippled by pain, unable to speak, his last chapters written almost in a scrawl, the general who saved the Union demonstrated once again his power of command, just as Flood has shown once more his mastery of narrating the most poignant and inspiring moments of our past.andrdquo;
Harold Holzer, author of Lincoln at Cooper Union and chairman of the Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation
andldquo;Ulysses S. Grant won the war but lost both his money and his reputation in the aftermath of his checkered presidency. With consummate grace, Charles Bracelen Flood traces the old generalandrsquo;s resurrection, as he battled misfortune and disease to complete his peerless memoir and secure his familyandrsquo;s future. They say heroes have no second act, but Grant did, and Flood recalls his fall and rise in a gripping and elegant narrative.andrdquo;Publishers Weekly, 6/27/11
andldquo;A moving if painful portrait of a dying national hero.andrdquo;
Booklist, 9/1/11
andldquo;Flood captures Grantandrsquo;s stoic determination to finish, delivering the poignant backstory to his famous, ever-popular recollections.andrdquo;
Library Journal, 9/1/11
andldquo;Flood writes movingly of the last months of Ulysses S. Grantandrsquo;s lifeandhellip;Flood has great respect for his subject and succeeds in transmitting it to the reader. Those who like presidential or post-Civil War history will especially enjoy this book, aimed at general readers, with its compelling portrait of a well-known historical figure.andrdquo;American History, December 2011
andldquo;Flood has chosen one of the great profiles in courage from American history and told it splendidly.andrdquo;and#160;Houston Chronicle, 10/9/11andldquo;The exhilarating and heroic story of the race to complete Grantandrsquo;s memoirs.andrdquo;and#160;Cannonball (blog), 10/3/11andldquo;A must read for Civil War buffs, presidential history enthusiasts, or anyone looking for a book on a courageous person who refused to give upandhellip;Floodandrsquo;s new book neatly captures the essence of the old war hero and two-term President, intermixing the struggle of his last days with brief flashbacks into his life and career to help add depth and background to his emotions and actions as he battled bankruptcy and cancer. Free flowing and easy to read, Grantandrsquo;s Final Victory stands as another masterpiece by Floodandhellip;The book is lucidly written, fast-paced, comprehensive, and well researched, and yet reads like a well crafted storyandhellip;Floodandrsquo;s book is certain to become the definitive work on Grantandrsquo;s final year of life.andrdquo;and#160;48th Pennsylvania Infantry (blog), 10/5/11
andldquo;[An] excellent historyandhellip;Flood tells the story masterfully; it is a story that is at once tragic and inspiringandhellip;Flood writes in such a clear and easy-to-read manner that it took but two sittings for me to read through this 250-page bookandhellip;Will appeal to a wide audience, but especially those interested in the Civil War and one of its most legendary figuresandhellip;This is more than just the story of Grant's final year; it is also a story of hope in the face of adversity, and inspiration in the face of tragedy.andrdquo;
Christian Science Monitor, 10/19/11
andldquo;Flood offers a fascinating coda to a remarkable life in this brisk, well-told history of the final months and days of Ulysses S. Grantandhellip;[Flood] demonstrates a keen understanding of Grant and other major figures without bogging the story down in excessive detail. The authorandrsquo;s command of details and anecdotes shines throughout.andrdquo;Shelf Awareness for Readers, 10/18/11andldquo;A deceptively brief but inspiring account of how, in the midst of tragedy, Ulysses S. Grant found the strength to write one of America's greatest memoirs.andrdquo;
and#160;Richmond Register, 10/23/11andldquo;Flood turns a spotlight on the tumultuous drama Grant faced before he diedandhellip;With such vivid detail, the 247-page book is not easily put down.andrdquo;and#160;Relaxed Fit eZine, 10/18/11andldquo;Provide[s] some new material and a new viewpoint...Grantandrsquo;s Final Victory is a thoughtful, well-researched workandhellip;Mr. Flood has provided an accurate, moving portrait of a legendary leader.andrdquo;and#160;Deseret News, 10/17/11andldquo;Flood beautifully details the sobering last year of Civil War hero and President Ulysses S. Grantandhellip;Flood accurately captures the spirit of a man determined to put forth his best effort while staring death squarely in the face. Fans of historical non-fiction will appreciate Floodandrsquo;s superb styleandhellip;A compelling read.andrdquo;
and#160;Washington Times, 10/28/11andldquo;Flood burnishes his reputation as a top-notch historian with the poignant story of the last year of a gallant American hero. Grant's performance under adversity makes for an inspiring story.andrdquo;and#160;Tucson Citizen, 11/6/11andldquo;An intimate account of Grantandrsquo;s determination and resolve as his life slowly slipped away. This is an exceptional piece of historical reporting and a book that should be at the top of everyoneandrsquo;s reading list this autumn.andrdquo;and#160;Rhapsody in Books, 10/25/11andldquo;Under the able hands of the entertaining historian Charles Bracelen Flood, this book is a page-turner that has you not only reaching for the Kleenex box, but aching to get to Grantandrsquo;s memoir itself.andrdquo;
and#160;Roanoke Times, 9/25/11andldquo;Flood fills the pages of Grantandrsquo;s Final Victory with richly detailed descriptions of a time often lost to casual studies of historyandmdash;the years following the Civil Warandhellip;Floodandrsquo;s real contribution is showing the heroic Grant. It is not the heroics of battlefield bravery but the heroics of fighting a terminal illness in order to finish a project thatand#160;will support the Grant family after the generalandrsquo;s deathandhellip;Floodandrsquo;s talent as a storyteller engages the reader from the very first page. He keeps the reader involved in Grantandrsquo;s life and the lives of his friends and family to the very end. The book ends with one the most powerful passages I have ever read.andrdquo;and#160;New York Journal of Books, 10/15/11andldquo;What an inspiring story; and so well told. I could not put it down, despite knowing the ending. Anyone interested in the Civil War Era should read Grantandrsquo;s Final Victory.andrdquo;
Minneapolis Star Tribune, 11/26/11
andldquo;[An] inspiring tale of resilience.andrdquo;
Bookviews blog, December 2011
andldquo;Flood goes beyond Grantandrsquo;s memoirsandhellip;Flood paints a picture of a man devoted to his family. His determination, love of family and nation, is captured in this biography.andrdquo;Midwest Book Review, November 2011
andldquo;[An] absorbing, vivid tale of one man's struggle against the inevitable, highly recommended.andrdquo;
and#160;Author magazine, December 2011
andldquo;[A] fascinating and entertaining bookandhellip;Grant's Memoirs remain a classic to this day, and Flood's view into the circumstances surrounding their creation makes a perfect companion piece.andrdquo;
and#160;Tucson Citizen, 1/3/12andrdquo;Completed just four days before his death in 1885, Grantandrsquo;s book was an instant hit and has long been considered the best ever written by a former military leader or president. Flood provides the riveting true story behind this literary achievement.andrdquo;and#160;Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 1/15/12andldquo;Flood describes Grant's painful struggle to write as the tumors spread and ultimately took his lifeandmdash;just three days after he completed the final page. Once you read Flood's highly recommended book, you will want to put Grant's memoirs on your reading list.andrdquo;
and#160;Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review, 1/25/12andldquo;Floodandrsquo;s account of Grantandrsquo;s final year does justice to his subjectandrsquo;s heroic story.andrdquo;
Politics and Patriotism (blog), 1/25/12
andldquo;This is more than a documentation of one manandrsquo;s death. Itandrsquo;s a closer look at what it means to do andlsquo;great things.andrsquo;andrdquo;and#160;Asbury Park Sunday Press, 1/29/12andldquo;A spectacular book about the incredible bravery this war hero had in his domestic life.andrdquo;and#160;Tulsa Book Review, February 2012andldquo;Floodandrsquo;s account of Grantandrsquo;s final year does justice to his subjectandrsquo;s heroic story.andrdquo;
and#160;Civil War News, Feb/March issueandldquo;With crisp writing and a devotion to historical research, Charles Bracelen Flood has succeeded in immersing us in Ulysses S. Grantandrsquo;s final and tragic yearandhellip;He captures the turmoil and challengeandhellip;Floodandrsquo;s book not only exposes us to the greatness of Grant but redefines him so the reader will gain new-found respect for the generalandhellip;Floodandrsquo;s research is first-rate and thorough. There is a perfect balance of narration with quotes from primary documents. The book is packed with gems and insights that will change a readerandrsquo;s opinion about Grant as a manandhellip;This volume would be a worthy addition to oneandrsquo;s personal library.andrdquo;
H-Net.org, April 2013andldquo;Paints a heroic picture of Grant, depicting him as a man of determination, firmly resolved to fix every problem affecting his family and reputation until death called him elsewhereandhellip;A wonderful readandhellip;Appealing to more than just presidential scholars and Civil War historians.andrdquo;
In a masterful narrative, a prominent historian brings to life the last year of General Grantand#8217;s lifeand#151;a tragic, poignant, and inspiring story