Monday 27 February 2017
At the moment, in the Guardian...
A series called:
The 100 best nonfiction books:
And one of them is...
No 55 – Personal Memoirs by Ulysses S Grant (1885)
The
civil war general turned president was a reluctant author, but set
the gold standard for presidential memoirs
American military
commander (and future US President) Ulysses S Grant, photographed
towards the end of the civil war, 1865. Photograph: Stock
Montage/Getty Images
Monday 20 February
2017
According to Mark
Twain, these are “the best [memoirs] of any general’s since
Caesar”, but we have to take that verdict with a pinch of salt:
Twain was also Grant’s publisher.
As a one-time Confederate
soldier, Twain liked to joke that it was General Grant’s prowess on
behalf of the Union cause that had persuaded him to desert the
colours and become a journalist.
Twain had first
invited the retired president to write his autobiography in 1881, but
Grant had declined the offer.
A modest man, he had replied, “No one
is interested in me”, referring to two books about him which had
recently flopped.
But when, in 1884, he was swindled out of his
savings, and desperate for money, Twain’s offer seemed much more
tempting.
Now, writing in pencil, or dictating to a secretary, he
began to compose the book that many commentators agree sets the gold
standard for presidential memoirs.
His
narrative has the simple directness of the finest English prose: the
overall effect is both intimate and majestic
Perhaps he was
lucky.
The unputdownable heart of Grant’s book is his eyewitness
account of the vicissitudes of the American civil war: the outbreak
of hostilities; the battle
of Shiloh; the campaign
against Vicksburg; the battle
of Chattanooga; Sherman’s
March; Lincoln’s assassination; and Lee’s surrender.
Although
Grant was on the winning side, he was always brutally honest about
both his successes and failures, and never failed to acknowledge the
grinding poverty from which the civil war rescued him. Indeed,
Grant’s life story is both remarkable and moving.
For the critic
Edmund Wilson, who put Grant in the exalted literary company of
Walt Whitman
and Henry
Thoreau, this powerful autobiography is “a unique expression of
the national character. [Grant] has conveyed the suspense which was
felt by himself and his army and by all who believed in the Union
cause. The reader finds himself on edge to know how the civil war is
coming out.”
Grant’s memoirs
are all the more remarkable for having been completed under duress.
When he began to write, he had begun to suffer the agonising pain of
throat cancer.
It was only his inflexible determination, the quality
that had made him a great general, that mastered the torments of
ill-health – sleepless nights, fear of dying – to articulate his
account for a devoted American audience.
By many accounts, Grant’s
memoirs fully capture the man himself: they are well observed, often
humorous, invariably charming, penetrating and lucid.
His account of the
Confederate surrender is especially moving: “I was without a sword,
as I usually was when on horseback in the field, and wore a soldier’s
blouse for a coat, with the shoulder straps of my rank to indicate to
the army who I was. When I went into the house I found General Lee. I
had my staff with me, a good portion of whom were in the room during
the whole of the interview…
“What General
Lee’s feelings were I do not know. As he was a man of much dignity,
with an impassible face, it was impossible to say whether he felt
inwardly glad that the end had finally come, or felt sad over the
result, and was too manly to show it… General Lee was dressed in
full uniform which was entirely new, and was wearing a sword of
considerable value. In my rough travelling suit, the uniform of a
private, I must have contrasted very strangely with a man so
handsomely dressed, six feet high and of faultless form. But this was
not a matter that I thought of until afterwards.”
Throughout this
very substantial autobiography, like the great man he was, Grant is
supremely generous to his enemies, loyal to his friends and
associates, and always devoted to another civil war hero, his
president, Abraham Lincoln.
On every page, his narrative has the
simple directness of the finest English prose, inspired by the King
James Bible on which he had been raised. The overall effect is both
intimate and majestic.
In the spring of
1885, while Grant was struggling to complete his manuscript, Twain’s
subscription agents were spreading out across the US to raise advance
orders for Grant’s memoirs, a two-volume set offered for $3.50.
They were dressed in the faded blue uniforms of the Union army, often
wearing medals from Shiloh or Gettysburg. Countless veterans signed
up for a story that was not just a presidential memoir, but a lasting
and tangible mirror to their own individual struggles and sacrifice.
When Grant finished
the manuscript in July 1885, it was rushed into galley proof.
On 23
July, having completed his final corrections, Grant died in his
summer cottage on the slopes of Mount McGregor, in New York state.
His Personal Memoirs,
published a few months later, were at once acclaimed as a
masterpiece.
One contemporary critic wrote that “no other American
president has told his story as powerfully as Ulysses S Grant.
The
book is one of the most unflinching studies of war in our
literature.” More than a century later, Gore
Vidal added his own assessment: “It is simply not possible to
read Grant’s memoirs without realising that the author is a man of
first-rate intelligence.”
Personal
Memoirs immediately sold
more than 300,000 copies. It has remained in print ever since.
A signature sentence
“Mr Lincoln was
at City Point at the time, and had been for some days; I would have
let him know what I contemplated doing only while I felt a strong
conviction that the move was going to be successful, yet it might not
prove so; and then I would have only added another to the many
disappointments he had been suffering for the past three years.”
Three to compare
Abraham Lincoln:
Speeches and Writings
1832-1858
Omar Bradley: A General’s Story (1951)
Bill Clinton: My Life (2004)
Omar Bradley: A General’s Story (1951)
Bill Clinton: My Life (2004)
Thursday 23 February 2017
Wednesday 22 February 2017
Tuesday 21 February 2017
Monday 20 February 2017
Sunday 19 February 2017
Saturday 18 February 2017
Tuesday 14 February 2017
Monday 13 February 2017
Sunday 12 February 2017
Saturday 11 February 2017
Friday 10 February 2017
Thursday 9 February 2017
Wednesday 8 February 2017
Maddie's power...
If I had a
superpower it would be bewitchment.
Whoever plunges its eyes into my eyes, would be
under my influence for one hundred days.
The only solution to break this charm should be to
pronunce eighty-nine times the word «RASA» (a
magic word) one fullmoon night.
I've chosen this superpower because that allows me
to have an influence on people and turn bad guys into
good people.
In this way I would change the World.
Futhermore for my part this power is more real than
other superpowers like flying or throwing fireballs.
My power is sweeter because it wouldn't kill anybody
just change themselves.
And death is not the good solution contrary to a little
charm.
It's more effective and smart.
We don't need superpowers to kill because nowadays
in our World, we can also kill with things that aren't
superpowers.
But like all superpowers there are lot of
disadvantages.
To my power I think the problem should be that I
may become crazy and control all the World.
Or maybe I'll make a mistake and control good
persons.
And those disadvantages are why Superpowers don't
exist anyway, even if this one is sometimes given to a
few people.
Watch out!
Whoever plunges its eyes into my eyes, would be
under my influence for one hundred days.
The only solution to break this charm should be to
pronunce eighty-nine times the word «RASA» (a
magic word) one fullmoon night.
I've chosen this superpower because that allows me
to have an influence on people and turn bad guys into
good people.
In this way I would change the World.
Futhermore for my part this power is more real than
other superpowers like flying or throwing fireballs.
My power is sweeter because it wouldn't kill anybody
just change themselves.
And death is not the good solution contrary to a little
charm.
It's more effective and smart.
We don't need superpowers to kill because nowadays
in our World, we can also kill with things that aren't
superpowers.
But like all superpowers there are lot of
disadvantages.
To my power I think the problem should be that I
may become crazy and control all the World.
Or maybe I'll make a mistake and control good
persons.
And those disadvantages are why Superpowers don't
exist anyway, even if this one is sometimes given to a
few people.
Watch out!
Tuesday 7 February 2017
Reese's super power...
Reese
is back ! Hello everyone,
Today
I’ll talk to you about a secret dream…
If I had a power for just one
day, I would like to see my dream. I think we miss our dreams and it
could be so cool to realize what we think about during the
night when we sleep.
I
imagine I could direct a movie with all the dreams we had.
Maybe I
could discover a new hobby or the dark side of our brain…
I could
see terrible things because sometimes, during our dreams we just
imagine the worst things possible.
I
have so many questions about my dreams : How many time do they
last ?
Are they realistic or totally abstract ?
Do my
dreams represent what I want in my life ?
Maybe
if I dream about someone I love, it could make me sad.
For
example, when someone dies and I dream about this person, I could
remember the happy moments, but also the worst…
Finally,
I think I don't want this power for all my life, I just want to try
for some days because I think it's good and mysterious to keep the
secret of our dreams.
Today we went to the cinema...
To watch Birth of a Nation, by Nat Turner.
What did you think of the film?
Monday 6 February 2017
Lady Gaga Super Bowl Halftime Show 2017 - Lady Gaga Opening Superbowl 20...
It's an American tradition: millions of people watch the Superbowl (the American Football championship) and the half-time show is watched by even more people!
What do you think of Lady Gaga's performance? Didn't she look like a superheroine?
Today marks The Queen's Sapphire Jubilee
It has been 65 years since Her Majesty acceded to the throne.
On 6 February 1952, King George VI sadly died following a prolonged illness.
On 6 February 1952, King George VI sadly died following a prolonged illness.
Princess Elizabeth immediately acceded to the throne, becoming Queen
Elizabeth II and taking on all of the responsibilities which came with
her new title.
In the photograph, The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding gift in 1947.
Find out more about The Queen's accession and coronation on the website: http://bit.ly/24irGhZ
In the photograph, The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding gift in 1947.
Find out more about The Queen's accession and coronation on the website: http://bit.ly/24irGhZ
Minimalist's super power...
Super Minimalist !!!
I never dreamed of being a super hero but if I could have a super power for one day, I would like to have the power of precognition.
Why ? Just because I find it practical.
With this super power I could see in the future or in the past.
I'm not religious but I believe in fate so I could see what fate has in store for me. ( A lot of good things, I hope ! haha)
With the power of precognition I could see myself in 20 years, for example; If I managed to become Makeup Artist for Chanel Company and if I created my cosmetic brand, but also if I have children or not (Nevertheless, I hope that when I am 37 years, I will have some).
With this same power, I could see myself when I was a child and see again my childhood memories.
I could see my parents and my grandparents in their teens. (I think that it could be very funny !)
With this power I could travel in time; I could go back to Prehistoric times, in the Middle Ages but especially during the Victorian or Edwardian era. (You begin to know me, now !)
On the other side, this power has some drawbacks because I could see my life without my family and for the moment I can't imagine my life without the persons I love.
Next, I could see how I'm going to die, but I couldn't change my destiny so I couldn't avoid my death, for example.
To give you another example, I could see bad things which will happen to me and I don't prefer to know that in advance.
I hope you enjoyed my article and I can't wait to see what power you have chosen.
Bye !
Today...
...some students from our Extra English Class are visiting the local law School.
I hope they will tell us about it when they come back!
Answer to the game!
This lovely wolf is a FENRIR!
In Norse mythology, it is a monstrous wolf.
It is the son of Loki and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Vidarr.
So, the second element was RAGNARÖK...
Because of Fenrir and Riggnarok, your fellow pupils on this blog.
See, that was easy!
[The wolf was from Mr P.'s collection]
[The wolf was from Mr P.'s collection]
Friday 3 February 2017
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