I’m 2 episodes into #GRANT and I have a few thoughts. But I’m not a drama critic or film expert, so I’m going to abstain from criticism of acting, props, sets, shots, etc. (wish more of my historian friends would also). /1

The talking head format is a challenge and the experts are at the mercy of the filmmakers. That said, most of what I saw in #GRANT was fine. Some were great. There are quibbles here and there but that’s ok. /2

If I can pinpoint any problem so far, it’s this: the issue of focusing our understanding of the Union military effort (even the entire ACW) on one figure. To ascribe the actions of an army primarily to one person, even one as effective as the USG of #GRANT, is reductive. /3

The art of command is a multilayered process involving many disparate elements and actors, from company level to corps. Sure, USG mattered, a lot. But there is a sense in #GRANT that HE won those battles by force of will, while the armies he led were props for his brilliance. /4

Military organizations are greater than any single general—hero, villain, or otherwise. Command is an ongoing effort to achieve mastery and control involving thousands, working
together or at cross-purposes, under strain, and within specific constraints. /5

The USG we see in #GRANT, on the other hand, figures out the solutions to vexing military problem, convinces Halleck or Lincoln or some other big shot to agree, and then it’s off to the races and only a matter of time until victory. If only it were that simple. /6

Tim Smith mentioned USG’s overconfidence several times. USG and Sherman often fell into a trap of underestimating their enemies. We tend to forget this given the ultimate outcome of the war and the generally triumphal account of USG’s military career, as in #GRANT. /7

Overall I think #GRANT shows the merits and pitfalls of biography as history. We put on blinders when we look at a major historical moment from the perspective of one person. But we also get value... /8

...from learning who Grant was. Ultimately who generals _are_ informs what armies _do_. And what armies, holistically, do determines the course of history. Yes, generals and command matter tremendously. But there’s more to it than that. Watch #GRANT, it’s worth your time. /end