PERSONAL MEMOIRS U. S. GRANT Orig Leather Bindings withCustom Slipcase 1st ed 1885

  
Webster & Company, New York. Volume Two includes the appendix, index and errata (on last page) for volume one. There were two volumes in dark green cloth, two volumes in full leather (sheep) with spine labels and the most expensive option, two volumes in 3/4 morocco leather.

This set is the full sheep version. These books were originally bound in full sheep leather. I have rebound them in new sheep leather in a style that closely approximates the original look of the books with the four raised bands and red and black spine leather. The leather has been finished to resemble the look of the original bindings after 150 years. Sheep has a soft feel, but the old sheep bindings were weak and acidic and nearly all of them have deteriorated or disintegrated over the years.

This new sheep leather is vegetable tanned and less acidic than the original leather and should give the books a much longer life. The interiors of these books are very clean and show much less acid toning than most examples of the first editions. I have built an unique slipcase box for these books which will help protect your investment and look great wherever it is placed. Grant was left penniless in May of 1884 after losing everything in a Ponzi scheme. The articles were well received by critics, and Johnson suggested Grant write a book of memoirs, as Sherman and others had successfully done.

Grant took up the project and asked an old friend and fellow writer, Adam Badeau, to review and critique his work (though Grant is reputed to have been the better writer). Century offered Grant a book contract, including a 10% royalty. When Grant shared this information with his friend Mark Twain, Twain suggested that Grant counter with a request for double the royalty; at the same time, he made his own offer to Grant for his memoirs, talking of a 75% royalty. That fall, the former president was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. Facing his mortality, Grant struck a publishing deal with Mark Twain and began working on his memoirs, hoping they would provide for his family after his death.. His son Fred assisted primarily with references and proofing. Grant suffered greatly in his final year. He was in constant pain from his illness and sometimes had the feeling he was choking. Despite his condition, he wrote at a furious pace, sometimes finishing 25 to 50 pages a day. In June 1885, as the cancer spread through his body, the family moved to Mount MacGregor, New York, to make Grant more comfortable. Propped up on chairs, and too weak to walk, Grant worked to finish the book. Friends, admirers and even a few former Confederate opponents made their way to Mount MacGregor to pay their respects. Grant finished the manuscript on July 18; he died five days later. Twain created a unique marketing system designed to reach millions of veterans with a patriotic appeal just as the nation began mourning the war hero's death. Ten thousand agents canvassed the North, following a script Twain had devised; many were themselves veterans who dressed in their old uniforms. Each copy contained what looked like a handwritten note from Grant himself. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant has been highly regarded by the general public, military historians and literary critics. Grant was a shrewd, intelligent, and effective writer. He portrayed himself in the persona of the honorable Western hero, whose strength lies in his honesty and straightforwardness. He candidly depicts his battles against both the external Confederates and internal Army foes. Grant's autobiography is unusual but not unique in that large sections of his life (most notably, his childhood and his presidency) are given brief mention or not discussed at all.

The focus of the book is Grant's military career-his service in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. Grant's writing has been praised for its conciseness and clarity-a sharp contrast from contemporary Civil War memoirs, which tended to reflect the Victorian fondness for elaborate (and sometimes overblown) language. 9 3/8 x 6 3/8 inches. These hard-cover books rebound and are in fine condition. The book's covers have been recovered with new leather (sheep) that closely resemble the original bindings.

Everything else is original to the 1885 books. They include the original marbled paper endpapers and marbled page edges. The hinges were covered similar old marbled paper. The text blocks have been rebound, retaining the original spine caps. The interiors of both volumes are very clean except for old owner name stamps on the blank pages preceding the half-title pages.

Also, the fragile edges of the endpapers have been reinforced and repaired. The yellow paper fold-out surrender letter to Lee in volume 2, which is notoriously fragile and often missing, is intact, but does have a tear.

I recommend never fully opening this fold-out. Overall the interiors are nice. Both books are capable of being read and handled. The slip case was constructed of acid-free materials-thick davy board, heavy-duty blue cotton cloth outside-tough wallpaper inside, and is lined around the front edges with genuine leather. The portrait surround on top is leather. The vignettes on the sides and top of the slip case-are color portraits of Grant. The round medal which was presented to Grant by Congress on the side is the same medal that embellished the original cloth and leather presentation editions of this book.

The title on the back of the slipcase is taken from the books' spine and allows you to turn the books around on the shelf so that they are not exposed to light. I had been comparing the memoirs with Caesar's Commentaries... I was able to say in all Apologetic forms that the same high merits distinguished both books - clarity of statement, directness, simplicity, manifest truthfulness, fairness and justice toward friend and foe alike and avoidance of flowery speech. General Grant was just a man, just a human being, just an author...

The fact remains and cannot be dislodged that General Grant's book is a great, unique and unapproachable literary masterpiece. There is no higher literature than these modest, simple Memoirs.

Their style is at least flawless, and no man can improve upon it. ALL ITEMS ARE CAREFULLY AND SECURELY PACKED TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE DANGER OF CRUSHING AND OR WATER/MOISTURE DAMAGE. I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE ALL OF THE BOOKS, AUTOGRAPHS AND SIGNATURES ON BOOKS I SELL.