
Crucible of Command
Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee - the War They Fought, the Peace They Forged
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Narrated by:
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Traber Burns
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By:
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William C. Davis
About this listen
A dual biography of two iconic leaders: how they fought a bloody, brutal war then forged a lasting peace that fundamentally changed our nation.
They met in person only four times, yet these two men determined the outcome of the Civil War and cast competing styles for the reunited nation. Each the subject of innumerable biographies, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee have never before been paired as they are here.
Exploring their personalities, their character, and their ethical, moral, political, and military worlds, William C. Davis finds surprising similarities between the two men as well as new perspectives on how their lives prepared them for the war they fought and influenced how they fought it. Davis reveals Lee's sense of failure before the war, Grant's optimism during disaster, and the sophisticated social and political instincts that each had when waging a war between democracies.
©2015 William C. Davis (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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long but great historical listen
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m My thoughts
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A good comparative history of 2 great generals.
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Good retelling
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Superb
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Worth the time and the dime...
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Great comparison of great Generals
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Great book!
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Would you listen to Crucible of Command again? Why?
Probably not, as I'm not one for rereading, and especially not of biographies.What about Traber Burns’s performance did you like?
He does a good job of indicating when the words are meant to be a quote vs summary text. Occasionally his voice changes (likely due to a break in recording) which can break the mood, but otherwise he does a good job.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Nope. Too long for that, and fairly 'dry' though not in a bad way.Any additional comments?
The first chapter was the hardest to get through while the author discussed their childhoods. It for the most part felt irrelevant, and the important points could have been summed up in almost a quarter of the time. Looking back now, I probably could have skipped it and not felt the loss.Overall, an excellent review of their lives
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Any additional comments?
A very long book, with more battle details than most readers will want, but worth working your way through to the insights on what made each successful. Both were, of course, outstanding leaders, able to inspire their armies and their countries. But Grant was the better manager, and the distinction was important to the results of the war.Fascinating comparison of 2 great men
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