"The fact is, I think I am a verb instead of a personal pronoun. A verb is anything that signifies to be, to do, or to suffer. I signify all three." -Ulysses S. Grant Could a hardworking man who seemingly failed at everything he did become a leader of men in wartime and president of a young nation struggling for its identity in a time of great expansion? May I Quote You, General Grant? answers that question with a glimpse at the man who claimed such accomplishments. With his gruff personality, slovenly appearance, and humble character, Ulysses S. Grant hardly represented a figure who would have inspired loyalty-either on the battlefield or along the tortuous paths that a developing nation would need to follow toward becoming a world power. Grant's uncommon determination, however, allowed him to seize victory during the Civil War and helped whisk him into the presidency for two successive terms. No other leader in the history of America has risen from store clerk to army commander to president in a period of eight years. Yet Grant's humility, will, and reserved brilliance allowed him to rise to national and international prominence.