Ken Burn's The Civil War will always be remembered as the greatest documentary about that time, but this inspiring insight into Ulysses S. Grant's life is also a must-watch. His first nickname was Useless Grant. He got the name when his father gave him $25 to buy the horse he wanted telling him to offer $20 then $25 if he refuses. When young Grant is buying the horse he tells the man,
"My Pa told me to offer you $20 and if you refuse, then $25."
The H S in his middle name was a West Point typo that got him ridiculed there as well with nicknames like US Grant and Uncle Sam Grant. He would struggle with boredom, drinking, and constant failure in civilian life until the army asked him to lead again where he would excel becoming the top American soldier since George Washington, the 18th President of the United States, and a much cooler nickname of Unconditional Surrender Grant.
The acting and battle recreations are so realistic that it starts with a graphic warning because it will make you feel like you are there much like Saving Private Ryan's opening did. Abraham Lincoln, Fredrick Douglass, and Robert E. Lee are also expertly portrayed in this historical drama.
"The art of war is simple. Fight it out till the end."
Ulysses S. Grant
