Veterans Day Biography Episode: Ulysses S. Grant

Matt Emerson returns to the Political Notebook for a reflection on the life of one of the great figures in U.S. military history. General Ulysses S. Grant won the Civil War for the Union and served as president during the tumultuous period of Reconstruction. How did an underachieving young man get thrust onto the bright lights of history? What made him such a brilliant general? What were his guiding principles? Why is he sometimes seen as a bad president even though he kept the country in one piece in the aftermath of the Civil War? The themes that emerge from this historical discussion are immediately relevant to life and politics today. The conversation stems from the biography "Grant" by Ron Chernow: (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/311248/grant-by-ron-chernow/9780143110637/) Feedback? Email: [email protected]