Ulysses S. Grant

In Ulysses S. Grant: A Bibliography, Dr. Kelsey has created an invaluable resource for Grant scholars. The bibliography consists of twenty chapters covering Grant's early life, his careers both as soldier and as president, his associations with various individuals, his post-presidency activities, the role alcohol played in his life, his battle with throat cancer, and ultimately, his tragic death. What makes this book truly special is that Kelsey cites not only the usual books and journals but also a wide variety of nontraditional materials ranging from manuscripts to musical scores. Additionally, she has created a list of cited journals with OCLC numbers, making precise identification of old and obscure journals easy for researchers. Kelsey's sources are varied and multidimensional: she includes scholarly, popular, and ephemeral works to present the fullest possible picture of the legendary president.Kelsey also lists many obscure sources on not only Grant but also his associates, including all his cabinet members. The work includes citations about Julia Dent Grant, other Grant family members, Grant's cabinet members, John Rawlins, William Tecumseh Sherman, Ely Parker, Abraham Lincoln. Libraries of all types could benefit from including this resource in the reference collection. The text might get the most use in historical society libraries, as well as in the libraries of colleges and universities. Public libraries and private individuals interested in Grant and the Civil War would also appreciate the book's comprehensive nature.

"Like other volumes in the series, this one includes an exhaustive list of primary and secondary sources related to Grant's personal, military, and political life. The result is 4,242 items that span 402 pages. As a tool for researchers this bibliography is indespensable." - H-Net Reviews, "It is the most comprehensive bibliography on Ulysses S. Grant to date, covering every facet of the president's life. Kelsey has compiled more than forty-two hundred entries including monographs, articles, dissertations, government documents, and more....It is recommended for both public and academic libraries." - Reference & User Services Quarterly, "There is much information available about Grant (1822-85) during the Civil War, in which he was a heroic general for the US, says Kelsey, but very little scholarly work on his presidency in 1869-77, and most of that soundly negative without much factual background. She cites, and in most cases briefly describes and assesses, sources within such sections as manuscript and archival sources, his published writings and speeches, his military career in the Mexican War and the Civil War, the elections and his two presidential terms, family and personal life, post-presidental years, iconography and dramatic media, and historical sites and organizations." - Reference & Research Book News

Marie Ellen Kelsey is currently the director of the Educational Media and Technology program at the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota. Dr. Kelsey welcomes comments about Ulysses S. Grant: A Bibliography at mkelsey@css.edu.