“Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant” - without a dobut the best book ever written by a U.S. President.
I am also a Mark Twain impersonator. I believe this is the book that Twain encouraged Grant to write as the President was suffering/dying from throat cancer.
Twain advanced Grant funds and continued to give advances as the dying President dictated sometimes 10,000 to 20,000 words a day. (Grant had lost his life savings to someone who took advantage and gambled with his investments on Wall Street from what I remember.)
I think Grant had resigned his commission as General to be President so had no pension AND there was no Presidential retirement/pension at the time.
In reading Twain’s biography I read of occasions when those from Grant’s household would come to Twain and let him know President Grant had no money for food or medicine. Twain would sit down, write a check and send it to the family.
Twain owned a publishing company at the time and Grant’s book was the only real success.