You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant: A Farcical Biography

A farcical biography of Ulysses S. Grant, You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant is a history lesson disguised as an uproarious novel. Spanning from Grant’s birth until his victory over the Confederacy, You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant gives us an honest—warts and all—portrait of a relatable American hero who wrestled with the same domestic divisions that we’re dealing with today. But what makes this book truly special is its playful, disruptive postmodernism and the characteristically Brad Neely, campy voice of its narrator. The book examines the validity of biography by hilariously breaking all the form’s rules. Through his humor, Neely brings Ulysses S. Grant to life. And in bringing Grant to life, Brad Neely has created his greatest cult classic yet.Taking the accessible, pop history of Coe’s You Never Forget Your First and adding more of the nerdy, punk humor of Rainn Wilson or Judd Apatow, You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant is for both history and humor readers alike. Though undeniably funny, the book forces us into an urgent discussion of how much progress we’ve really made since the Civil War and the costs we’re willing to pay to see justice. You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant removes the pomp to deliver a hopeful message of human potential, that the heroes we now venerate were also flawed, flesh and blood individuals and that we, too, are never too small to achieve great things.