The war over the unity of our country is one that still grips the masses in its bloody memory. Although we may patriotically wave flags and eat hot dogs in throes of excitement on July 4th, doggedly (perhaps blindly) celebrating independence and the subsequent, mythical revolution, the Civil War is our nation’s raw spot. Photographs from this conflict continue to haunt the pages of our modern text books, the unrefined carnage eliminating the veil of illusion. War is not glorious. The men who fought, died, bled, and directed were not dolls, but visceral human beings; the heroes of the battle live now in legend, but the truths of their genuine life-stories far eclipse the fables. Civil War historian, Charles Bracelen Flood, brings the tale of General Ulysses S. Grant into focus with his latest book, Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year. Presenting tomorrow, Wednesday, October 19th, at Carmichael’s Bookstore, Flood will explore the last year of Grant’s life, weaving a story both tragic and inspiring.
A man credited with leading Union soldiers to victory, Ulysses S. Grant ended his life in a painful race to write his own story before the ravages of throat and mouth cancer consumed him. His subsequent autobiography, Memoirs, helped to bridge the gap and sooth the wounds America faced after the Civil War’s campaign of voracious fighting. Through his own words, Americans – from both the North and the South – would come to esteem Grant for his determination and his show of graceful respect for his enemy. Flood’s history, Grant's Final Victory, brings the account of Grant’s healing legacy to light, interlacing the starkness of Grant’s suffering with the power of his character.
A past president of PEN America, Charles Bracelen Flood has served on the governing bodies of both the Authors League and the Authors Guild. Flood is the renowned writer of twelve previous books on numerous subjects, including Lee: The Last Years, Rise, and Fight Again, 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History, Hitler – The Path to Power and Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War, which Salon.com named one of the “Top 12 Civil War Books Ever Written.” A graduate of Harvard, Flood has been honored with the Harvard Lampoon’s Clem Wood Award, and is also the recipient of the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award.
Hosted at Carmichaels’ Frankfort Avenue location, Flood will be on hand to discuss his work, pen signatures and promote the poignant life of one of history’s most resolute heroes. Copies of Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Historic Last Year can be purchased at Carmichael’s in hardcover for $27.50.
Carmichael’s Bookstore has two area locations 1295 Bardstown Road and 27220 Frankfort Avenue
For information, visit the Charles Bracelen Flood event page or call the Frankfort Avenue store at 502-896-6950
Photo: Courtesy of Carmichael’s Bookstore website www.carmichaelsbookstore.com
