PositiveThe RumpusWhite is most fresh and effective when he is shifting the focus from Grant’s stellar resume to his indomitable character. In American Ulysses, the things Grant did are less compelling than the manner in which he did them: calmly, quietly, with shame only for himself and none for others ... White’s case for Grant as a general and a man is solid; his case for Grant as a president is less so—not because the case is poorly made, but simply because the record of Grant’s two terms is more uneven.
