Shortly after losing all of his wealth in a terrible 1884 swindle, Ulysses S. Grant learned he had terminal throat and mouth cancer. Destitute and dying, Grant began to write his memoirs to save his family from permanent financial ruin. As Grant continued his work, suffering increasing pain, the American public became aware of this race between Grant's writing and his fatal illness. Twenty years after his respectful and magnanimous demeanor toward Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, people in both the North and the South came to know Grant as the brave, honest man he was, now using his famous determination in this final effort. Grant finished Memoirs just four days before he died in July 1885. Published after his death by his friend Mark Twain, Grant's Memoirs became an instant bestseller, restoring his family's financial health and, more importantly, helping to cure the nation of bitter discord. More than any other American before or since, Grant, in his last year, was able to heal this—the country's greatest wound. Minneapolis Star-Tribune , 1/15/12 “Flood describes Grant's painful struggle to write as the tumors spread and ultimately took his life—just three days after he completed the final page. Once you read Flood's highly recommended book, you will want to put Grant's memoirs on your reading list.”   Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review , 1/25/12 “Flood’s account of Grant’s final year does justice to his subject’s heroic story.” Politics & Patriotism (blog), 1/25/12 “This is more than a documentation of one man’s death. It’s a closer look at what it means to do ‘great things.’”  Asbury Park Sunday Press , 1/29/12 “A spectacular book about the incredible bravery this war hero had in his domestic life.”  Tulsa Book Review , February 2012 “Flood’s account of Grant’s final year does justice to his subject’s heroic story.”   Civil War News , Feb/March issue Kirkus Reviews , BEA Special Issue, 4/15/11 “A lucid, often somber account of the sad but noble decline of Ulysses S. Grant…Upon learning of his death, Grant’s former opponent James Longstreet called him ‘the truest as well as the bravest man who ever lived.’ In this swiftly moving narrative, Flood ably shows why he deserved the accolade. A welcome addition to the literature surrounding Grant and his time.” The Waterline, 6/2/11 “Flood’s book is an excellent read about a little explored aspect of General Grant, and is recommended to those with a passion for American history and specifically the Civil War.” Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion “Charles Bracelen Flood has painted a moving and illuminating portrait of Ulysses Grant’s grace as the dying general faced possible ruin. Grant is so important, yet he somehow seems always on the periphery of the American mind. Flood’s excellent new book should help put Grant where he belongs: in the center of our memory.” Jean Edward Smith, author of the Pulitzer Prize-finalist, Grant “An unsurpassed account of Grant’s final year. Mr. Flood has written not only the definitive study, but also the most readable. A wonderful book.” Charles P. Roland, author of Publishers Weekly, 6/27/11 “A moving if painful portrait of a dying national hero.” Booklist, 9/1/11 “Flood captures Grant’s stoic determination to finish, delivering the poignant backstory to his famous, ever-popular recollections.” Library Journal, 9/1/11 “Flood writes movingly of the last months of Ulysses S. Grant’s life…Flood has great respect for his subject and succeeds in transmitting it to the reader. Those who like presidential or post-Civil War history will especially enjoy this book, aimed at general readers, with its compelling portrait of a well-known historical figure.” American History , December 2011 “Flood has chosen one of the great profiles in courage from American history and told it splendidly.”  Houston Chronicle, 10/9/11 “The exhilarating and heroic story of the race to complete Grant’s memoirs.”  Cannonball (blog), 10/3/11 New York Journal of Books, 10/15/11 “What an inspiring story; and so well told. I could not put it down, despite knowing the ending. Anyone interested in the Civil War Era should read Grant’s Final Victory .” Minneapolis Star Tribune, 11/26/11 “[An] inspiring tale of resilience.” Bookviews blog, December 2011 “Flood goes beyond Grant’s memoirs…Flood paints a picture of a man devoted to his family. His determination, love of family and nation, is captured in this biography.” Midwest Book Review, November 2011 “[An] absorbing, vivid tale of one man's struggle against the inevitable, highly recommended.”   Author magazine, December 2011 “[A] fascinating and entertaining book…Grant's Memoirs remain a classic to this day, and Flood's view into the circumstances surrounding their creation makes a perfect companion piece.”   Tucson Citizen , 1/3/12 ”Completed just four days before his death in 1885, Grant’s book was an instant hit and h