To Rescue the Republic

Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876

By: Bret Baier, Catherine Whitney

Narrated by: Bret Baier

#1 New York Times Bestseller | Narrated by author Bret Baier

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 civil-rights oppression.

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.

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.

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

Excellent humanizing account of American Hero

Read beautifully and told so well- Grant’s life story. His epic achievements and also his failures. The author tells the human story. I think every American should read this book!

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.

Really held my interest

Bret makes history so warm and real. This is not a topic I would expect to find interesting at all and I couldn't wait to listen to more.