Frank P Varney's Books

General Grant and the Verdict of History

Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War

By: Frank P Varney

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General Grant and the Verdict of History

Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War

By: Frank P Varney

General Ulysses S. Grant is best remembered today as a war-winning general, and he certainly deserves credit for his efforts on behalf of the Union. But has he received too much credit at the expense of other men? Have others who fought the war with him suffered unfairly at his hands? General Grant and the Verdict of History: Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War explores these issues. Professor Frank P. Varney examines Grants relationship with three noted Civil War generals: the brash and uncompromising Fighting Joe Hooker; George H. Thomas, the stellar commander who earned the sobriquet Rock of Chickamauga; and Gouverneur Kemble Warren, who served honorably and well in every major action of the Army of the Potomac before being relieved less than two weeks before Appomattox, and only after he had played a prominent part in the major Union victory at Five Forks. 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 par with Grant himself; today, he is largely forgotten. Rosecranss star dimmed, argues Varney, because Grant orchestrated the effort. 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 sourcesthe letters, journals, reports, and memoirs of other witnesses and the transcripts of courts-martial to examine Grants story from a fresh perspective. The results are enlightening and more than a little disturbing.

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303

Publisher

Savas Beatie

Published Date

ISBN 10

1611215544

ISBN 13

9781611215540

General Grant and the Rewriting of History

How the Destruction of General William S. Rosecrans Influenced Our Understanding of the Civil War

By: Frank P. Varney

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General Grant and the Rewriting of History

How the Destruction of General William S. Rosecrans Influenced Our Understanding of the Civil War

By: Frank P. Varney

“[A] marvelously bold new book . . . Grant was The Man Who Saved the Union. Varney’s invaluable book helps us understand why we remember him that way” (Emerging Civil War). In 1885, a former president of the United States published one of the most influential books ever written about the Civil War. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant may be superbly written, Frank P. Varney persuasively argues in General Grant and the Rewriting of History, but is so riddled with flaws as to be unreliable. Juxtaposing primary source documents (some of them published here for the first time) against Grant’s own pen and other sources, Professor Varney sheds new light on what really happened on some of the Civil War’s most important battlefields. He does so by focusing much of his work on Grant’s treatment of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, a capable army commander whose reputation Grant (and others working with him) conspired to destroy. Grant’s memoirs contain not only misstatements but outright inventions to manipulate the historical record. But Grant’s injustices go much deeper. He submitted decidedly biased reports, falsified official documents, and even perjured himself before an army court of inquiry. There is also strong evidence that his often-discussed drinking problem affected the outcome of at least one battle. The first of two volumes on this subject, General Grant and the Rewriting of History aptly demonstrates that blindly accepting historical “truths” without vigorous challenge is a perilous path to understanding real history. “An invaluable addition to Civil War Studies and reference shelves . . . and a sharp caution against putting too much blind faith in any one person’s testimony, memoir, or historical accounting. Highly Recommended.” —Midwest Book Review

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303

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Savas Beatie

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ISBN 10

1611211190

ISBN 13

9781611211191

General Grant and the Rewriting of History

How the Destruction of General William S. Rosecrans Influenced Our Understanding of the Civil War

By: Frank P. Varney

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General Grant and the Rewriting of History

How the Destruction of General William S. Rosecrans Influenced Our Understanding of the Civil War

By: Frank P. Varney

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Page Count

303

Publisher

Savas Beatie

Published Date

ISBN 10

1611211190

ISBN 13

9781611211191

General Grant and the Verdict of History

Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War

By: Frank P Varney

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

General Grant and the Verdict of History

Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War

By: Frank P Varney

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

303

Publisher

Savas Beatie

Published Date

ISBN 10

1611215544

ISBN 13

9781611215540

Book's by Frank P Varney

General Grant and the Verdict of History

General Grant and the Verdict of History

General Grant and the Rewriting of History

General Grant and the Rewriting of History

General Grant and the Rewriting of History

General Grant and the Rewriting of History

General Grant and the Verdict of History

General Grant and the Verdict of History

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