Before he became president of the United States in 1869, Ulysses S. Grant led quite an exciting life. He grew up on a farm in Ohio, went to college at West Point, and joined the U.S. Army. He then fought in the Mexican-American War and later the American Civil War. In fact, by the end of the Civil War, he was the highest ranked general in the Union army. Besides significant information like this, readers of this thought-provoking book will also learn how the military man became involved in politics. Striking images and fact boxes supplement this noteworthy biography.