• To Rescue the Republic

  • Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876
  • By: Bret Baier, Catherine Whitney
  • Narrated by: Bret Baier
  • Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (776 ratings)

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To Rescue the Republic  By  cover art

To Rescue the Republic

By: Bret Baier, Catherine Whitney
Narrated by: Bret Baier
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Publisher's summary

Number-One New York Times best seller

Fox News Channel’s chief political anchor illuminates the heroic life of Ulysses S. Grant

"To Rescue the Republic is narrative history at its absolute finest. A fast-paced, thrilling and enormously important book." (Douglas Brinkley)

An epic history spanning the battlegrounds of the Civil War and the violent turmoil of Reconstruction to the forgotten electoral crisis that nearly fractured a reunited nation, Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Republic dramatically reveals Ulysses S. Grant’s essential yet underappreciated role in preserving the United States during an unprecedented period of division.

Born a tanner’s son in rugged Ohio in 1822 and battle-tested by the Mexican-American War, Grant met his destiny on the bloody fields of the Civil War. His daring and resolve as a general gained the attention of President Lincoln, then desperate for bold leadership. Lincoln appointed Grant as Lieutenant General of the Union Army in March 1864. Within a year, Grant’s forces had seized Richmond and forced Robert E. Lee to surrender.

Four years later, the reunified nation faced another leadership void after Lincoln’s assassination and an unworthy successor completed his term. Again, Grant answered the call. At stake once more was the future of the Union, for though the Southern states had been defeated, it remained to be seen if the former Confederacy could be reintegrated into the country - and if the Union could ensure the rights and welfare of African Americans in the South. Grant met the challenge by boldly advancing an agenda of Reconstruction and aggressively countering the Ku Klux Klan.

In his final weeks in the White House, however, Grant faced a crisis that threatened to undo his life’s work. The contested presidential election of 1876 produced no clear victory for either Republican Rutherford B. Hayes or Democrat Samuel Tilden, who carried most of the former Confederacy. Soon Southern states vowed to revolt if Tilden was not declared the victor. Grant was determined to use his influence to preserve the Union, establishing an electoral commission to peaceably settle the issue. Grant brokered a grand bargain: the installation of Republican Hayes to the presidency, with concessions to the Democrats that effectively ended Reconstruction. This painful compromise saved the nation, but tragically condemned the South to another century of oppression of civil rights.

Deep with contemporary resonance and brimming with fresh detail that takes readers from the battlefields of the Civil War to the corridors of power where men decided the fate of the nation in back rooms, To Rescue the Republic reveals Grant, for all his complexity, to be among the first rank of American heroes.

©2021 Bret Baier (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

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What listeners say about To Rescue the Republic

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Intriguing

Phenomenal . A truly enjoyable audio book. Grant played such an important role in the Civil War and the unification of the North and South, in order to strengthen the Union.

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I Laughed, I Cried! No, Seriously; I Did!

This was my first Bret Baier book and I am so impressed! I have read other biographies about our 18th president and President Lincoln's best General; but this one, I felt, brought him to life in my imagination. I laughed at his jokes (especially the Galena, Illinois lawyers one) and I cried as the Union seemed bent on tearing itself apart a second time. All the stupid waste was vividly portrayed by Mr. Baier's words. Finally, the way everything is tied to current events is sobering. READ THIS BOOK 📖!

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Well done Mr. Baier!

A great read I’m sure, and certainly an excellent listen. Certainly gives an even-handed perspective on how our greatest conscientious leaders are still imperfect people doing what they see as best in the context of their day.

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sueb

Bair states he is not an historian and this is true. I found him a great repair of historical facts. loved the book

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Very educational and extremely well written

Well written, incredible content of man many think they know. This book is for anyone who appreciates this country and those indifferent! You may learn and appreciate how hard we have worked to keep this Union together.

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Great Learning Experience

We all kind of hear how great US Grant was but really he falls into the “also rans” of our significant Presidents. But hearing this book will change your opinion and realize he arguably was as important figure in history as Lincoln. Brett Baer didn’t claim to offer new insight or opinions but to present the history. He did that part well. I will listen to another of his books in the future.

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Educational and entertaining

I am not a Civil War expert by any stretch, but trying to learn more about this difficult period in our nation's history. I greatly enjoyed this book and felt it was a honest portrayal of Ulysses Grant.

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What a great man Grant was. Wonder where leaders like him are today

I liked Brett Baier read his own work and the book was incredibly well researched with personal stories of Grant’s relationships. Also liked the stories of the admiration of the confederate officers and soldiers for Grant. It is amazing how Grant’s rank as a poor president has improved over the years

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Thank you

Thank you for research, writing the historical accuracy on President Grant. Stating the obvious error on General Grants statue being defaced and torn down. We cannot let those that are ignorant destroy our countries history, we must preserve our history, learn from it and teach future generations. W

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Fantastic! History junkie or not.

Bret Baier is a GREAT NARRATOR!

That out of the way this a one of a kind, professionally researched and skillfully written history of President Grant.

Well done!

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