author
Horace Porter
b. 1863
A Civil War officer turned diplomat, he later wrote vivid firsthand accounts of Ulysses S. Grant and the era around him. His life moved from West Point and the Union Army to public service, business, and writing.
3 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Pennsylvania in 1837, he graduated from West Point in 1860 and served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He became closely associated with Ulysses S. Grant, serving on Grant’s staff and later as one of his secretaries, which gave him a front-row view of some of the best-known people and events of the time.
After the war, he worked in government and business, including with the Pullman company, and later served as U.S. ambassador to France. He was also active in efforts to locate and return the remains of John Paul Jones to the United States, a project that brought him lasting public attention.
As an author, he is best remembered for memoirs and historical writing drawn from direct experience, especially his book about Grant. His work is especially appealing to listeners who enjoy military history, presidential history, and eyewitness accounts from the nineteenth century.