Grant and Sherman

September 1, 2005
Nodding acquaintances at West Point, Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman met again in 1862 and liked each other immediately. The author of this engaging dual biography doesn't claim this friendship "won the Civil War," but it made Union leadership remarkably friction free. Sherman, returning from a four-month sick leave he took to combat nerves, arrived on the battlefield of Shiloh with reinforcements for Grant; he served Grant loyally during the Vicksburg campaign, then accompanied him east to share in the victory at Chattanooga in November 1863. When Lincoln appointed Grant leader of all Union forces, Grant gave Sherman the Army of the Tennessee, an independent command. He captured Atlanta and marched brutally across Georgia while Grant fought to a bloody stalemate with Lee near Richmond. The surrender at Appomattox restored Grant's pre-eminence, and he and Sherman remained close after the war. The key, Flood writes, is that Sherman was the ideal subordinate, brilliant but insecure. In Grant he found a leader whose poise was contagious and who convinced Sherman he could do whatever job he was assigned. Better biographies of both exist, but Flood (Lee: The Last Years ) has written a solid book that illuminates their productive relationship.

June 27, 2005
Nodding acquaintances at West Point, Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman met again in 1862 and liked each other immediately. The author of this engaging dual biography doesn't claim this friendship "won the Civil War," but it made Union leadership remarkably friction free. Sherman, returning from a four-month sick leave he took to combat nerves, arrived on the battlefield of Shiloh with reinforcements for Grant; he served Grant loyally during the Vicksburg campaign, then accompanied him east to share in the victory at Chattanooga in November 1863. When Lincoln appointed Grant leader of all Union forces, Grant gave Sherman the Army of the Tennessee, an independent command. He captured Atlanta and marched brutally across Georgia while Grant fought to a bloody stalemate with Lee near Richmond. The surrender at Appomattox restored Grant's pre-eminence, and he and Sherman remained close after the war. The key, Flood writes, is that Sherman was the ideal subordinate, brilliant but insecure. In Grant he found a leader whose poise was contagious and who convinced Sherman he could do whatever job he was assigned. Better biographies of both exist, but Flood (Lee: The Last Years
) has written a solid book that illuminates their productive relationship.

December 5, 2005
This dual biography of the Union's most celebrated Civil War generals, Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, examines the partnership that effectively ended the worst bloodshed in American history. The avuncular timbre of Flood's voice fits the narrative nicely, his masculine tone sounding almost battle-worn at times. His delivery, however, feels slack and his energy is too subdued in places. Authors who narrate their own stories carry the burden of rendering fresh long-lived-in material. Often, the result is a straight read rather than vivid animation of words and characters. In Grant and Sherman
, you can almost see Flood reading his sentences, reading the punctuation, pausing that full moment before quotes. The production also includes an author interview, during which Flood manages to react naturally to the artificial-sounding questions. And to his credit, he doesn't encapsulate the audiobook in his answers, but offers fresh thoughts on the topic plus insight into the genesis of his project. This is a worthy subject, but one Flood likely imparts more successfully in print. Simultaneous release with the FSG hardcover (Reviews, June 27).