Presenting an original, thought-provoking look at Ulysses S. Grant, Soldier of Destiny evokes the life of the general through his conflicted connection to slavery, allowing readers a clearer understanding of this great American.

John Reeves is an author based in Washington, D.C. You can follow him on Twitter @reevesjw.

Praise for Soldier of Destiny

"Reeves has done a superb job of tracing the evolution of Grant's attitude toward slavery under the influence first of his antislavery father and then of his slaveholding wife and proslavery father-in law.  But it was the impact of his experience as a Civil War commander that shaped his ultimate conviction that slavery must go if the Union was to be preserved and given a new birth of freedom.  An added bonus of Reeves' lucid portrayal of this process is the most sensible and even-handed treatment of the issue of Grant's drinking that I have encountered." —James M. McPherson, author of BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM

"A brilliant, riveting book on the finest officer to ever wear a US Army uniform - Ulysses S. Grant - and his relationship to the most important subject in American history – slavery. How did a tanner from Galena Illinois save the United States and destroy slavery? Reeves, a master storyteller, provides the answer." —Ty Seidule, author of Robert E. Lee and Me and Professor Emeritus of History, West Point

“In this timely character study of the Union’s greatest general, John Reeves once again offers us a fascinating, well-written narrative, this time spotlighting Grant’s checkered connection with the peculiar institution. He meshes personal biography with military, social, and economic history in crisp, well-written prose that keeps the pages turning.” —Christian B. Keller, Prof. of History, US Army War College, and author of the award-winning The Great Partnership: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the Fate of the Confederacy.