Faced with failing health and financial ruin, the Civil War's greatest general and former president wrote his personal memoirs to secure his family's future - and won himself a unique place in American letters. Devoted almost entirely to his life as a soldier, Grant's Memoirs traces the trajectory of his extraordinary career - from West Point cadet to general-in-chief of all Union armies. For their directness and clarity, his writings on war are without rival in American literature, and his autobiography deserves a place among the very best in the genre.

With kaleidoscopic, trenchant, path-breaking insights, Elizabeth D. Samet has produced the most ambitious edition of Ulysses Grant’s Memoirs yet published. One hundred and thirty-three years after its 1885 publication by Mark Twain, Elizabeth Samet has annotated this lavish edition of Grant’s landmark memoir, and expands the Civil War backdrop against which this monumental American life is typically read. No previous edition combines such a sweep of historical and cultural contexts with the literary authority that Samet, an English professor obsessed with Grant for decades, brings to the table. Whether exploring novels Grant read at West Point or presenting majestic images culled from archives, Samet curates a richly annotated, highly collectible edition that will fascinate Civil War buffs. The edition also breaks new ground in its attack on the “Lost Cause” revisionism that still distorts our national conversation about the legacy of the Civil War. Never has Grant’s transformation from tanner’s son to military leader been more insightfully and passionately explained than in this timely edition, appearing on the 150th anniversary of Grant’s 1868 presidential election.

As seen in the new movie The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep, here is the captivating, inside story of the woman who piloted the Washington Post during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of American media. In this bestselling and widely acclaimed memoir, Katharine Graham, the woman who piloted the Washington Post through the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, tells her story - one that is extraordinary both for the events it encompasses and for the courage, candour and dignity of its telling. Here is the awkward child who grew up amid material wealth and emotional isolation; the young bride who watched her brilliant, charismatic husband - a confidant to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson - plunge into the mental illness that would culminate in his suicide. And here is the widow who shook off her grief and insecurity to take on a president and a pressman's union as she entered the profane boys' club of the newspaper business. As timely now as ever, Personal History is an exemplary record of our history and of the woman who played such a shaping role within them, discovering her own strength and sense of self as she confronted - and mastered - the personal and professional crises of her fascinating life.

Beginning in 1611 with the King James Bible and ending in 2014 with Elizabeth Kolbert's 'The Sixth Extinction', this extraordinary voyage through the written treasures of our culture examines universally-acclaimed classics such as Pepys' 'Diaries', Charles Darwin's 'The Origin of Species', Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time' and a whole host of additional works --

In the spring of 1884 Ulysses S. Grant heeded the advice of Mark Twain and finally agreed to write his memoirs. Little did Grant or Twain realize that this seemingly straightforward decision would profoundly alter not only both their lives but the course of American literature. Over the next fifteen months, as the two men became close friends and intimate collaborators, Grant raced against the spread of cancer to compose a triumphant account of his life and times—while Twain struggled to complete and publish his greatest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.In this deeply moving and meticulously researched book, veteran writer Mark Perry reconstructs the heady months when Grant and Twain inspired and cajoled each other to create two quintessentially American masterpieces. In a bold and colorful narrative, Perry recounts the early careers of these two giants, traces their quest for fame and elusive fortunes, and then follows the series of events that brought them together as friends. The reason Grant let Twain talk him into writing his memoirs was simple: He was bankrupt and needed the money. Twain promised Grant princely returns in exchange for the right to edit and publish the book—and though the writer’s own finances were tottering, he kept his word to the general and his family. Mortally ill and battling debts, magazine editors, and a constant crush of reporters, Grant fought bravely to get the story of his life and his Civil War victories down on paper. Twain, meanwhile, staked all his hopes, both financial and literary, on the tale of a ragged boy and a runaway slave that he had been unable to finish for decades. As Perry delves into the story of the men’s deepening friendship and mutual influence, he arrives at the startling discovery of the true model for the character of Huckleberry Finn. With a cast of fascinating characters, including General William T. Sherman, William Dean Howells, William Henry Vanderbilt, and Abraham Lincoln, Perry’s narrative takes in the whole sweep of a glittering, unscrupulous age. A story of friendship and history, inspiration and desperation, genius and ruin, Grant and Twain captures a pivotal moment in the lives of two towering Americans and the age they epitomized.

"Raymond Mhlaba is one of the most committed comrades , Thembeka Mufamadi had the honour to know and work with in the many years of the liberation struggle. What marks him above all in her memory is the absolute honesty and integrity of the man. It is right and fitting that such a hero and veteran of our struggle should leave posterity with a record in his own words of his life and experiences. This story is told with the same honesty, simplicity and lack of self -aggrandisement that have always characterised Raymond Mhlaba. This book is commended very strongly for the voice it gives to one of the great heroes of our struggle." "Raymond Mhlaba exemplifies the kind of leader that survived all the injustices of white supremacy. His character was defined by Chief Luthuli, president of the African National Congress as embodying the courage that rises with danger. It is fortunate that individuals such as Mhlaba led South Africa's transition to democracy. He is a product of all that is best in South Africa."

This personal and unique gift expresses the elegant sentiment to your loved one: This Family Channel Seal of Quality-winning gift says to someone whose story you want to know: Your life is important to me. I value who you are. Please tell me more. It invites your mother or father, a grandparent, favorite aunt or uncle, or special friend to share memories, facts, perspectives, beliefs, knowledge, and wisdom gained from a lifetime of experience. Hundreds of gentle questions encourage thoughtful responses. When complete, it's a priceless heirloom for future generations. "Your life is important to me. I value where you've been, what you've done and who you are. Please tell me more." The recipient is invited to write his or her life story and perspective by answering almost 500 thought-provoking questions right in the book. Perfect gift for almost any occasion -- holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's and Father's Days, weddings, baby and bridal showers, Grandparents' Day, graduation, Valentine's Day, family reunions, etc. Shows honor, respect and loving interest in the life of the person to whom it is given. Assists a person in telling his or her life story and philosophy easily and quickly, guiding every step of the way with a comprehensive series of gentle questions. Passes along wisdom and knowledge gained from life experience. Richly restores and preserves special memories and perspectives while there is still time. Strengthens bonds with loved ones by providing a deeper understanding in the present. Instills lasting appreciation for family heritage, legacies and traditions by memorializing the storied past. Enhances personal growth through the therapeutic value of introspection. Becomes a timeless and priceless heirloom to be treasured for generations. Keeps on giving.

In this colorful, large-format volume packed with dramatic surf and travel photography, celebrated Hawai'i waterman and Polo Ralph Lauren model Buzzy Kerbox shares a life full of stories, from the big waves of O'ahu's North Shore to fashion photo shoots around the world.

Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner. He went to West Point reluctantly and graduated in the middle of his class. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was appointed by the governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment, quickly rising to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. In February 1862, he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, ?No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.' The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers. At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, ?I can't spare this man'he fights.' For his next major objective, Grant then maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, cutting the Confederacy in two. Then he broke the Confederate hold on Chattanooga. Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief in March 1864. Grant directed Sherman to drive through the South while he himself, with the Army of the Potomac, pinned down General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Finally, on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered. Grant wrote out magnanimous terms of surrender that would prevent treason trials. As President, Grant presided over the Government much as he had run the Army. Indeed he brought part of his Army staff to the White House. After retiring from the Presidency, Grant became a partner in a financial firm, which went bankrupt. About that time he learned that he had cancer of the throat. He started writing his recollections to pay off his debts and provide for his family, racing against death to produce these Memoirs. Soon after completing the last page, in 1885, he died.