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Truman
The Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Harry S. Truman, whose presidency included momentous events from the atomic bombing of Japan to the outbreak of the Cold War and the Korean War, told by America’s beloved and distinguished historian.The life of Harry S. Truman is one of the greatest of American stories, filled with vivid characters—Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Wallace Truman, George Marshall, Joe McCarthy, and Dean Acheson—and dramatic events. In this riveting biography, acclaimed historian David McCullough not only captures the man—a more complex, informed, and determined man than ever before imagined—but also the turbulent times in which he rose, boldly, to meet unprecedented challenges. The last president to serve as a living link between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, Truman’s story spans the raw world of the Missouri frontier, World War I, the powerful Pendergast machine of Kansas City, the legendary Whistle-Stop Campaign of 1948, and the decisions to drop the atomic bomb, confront Stalin at Potsdam, send troops to Korea, and fire General MacArthur. Drawing on newly discovered archival material and extensive interviews with Truman’s own family, friends, and Washington colleagues, McCullough tells the deeply moving story of the seemingly ordinary “man from Missouri” who was perhaps the most courageous president in our history.
1690 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 1992
About the author
David McCullough
94 books10.6k followersDavid McCullough was a Yale-educated, two-time recipient of both the Pulitzer Prize (Truman; John Adams) and the National Book Award (The Path Between the Seas; Mornings on Horseback). His many other highly-acclaimed works of historical non-fiction include The Greater Journey, 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, The Wright Brothers, and The Johnstown Flood. He was honored with the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the National Humanities Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in addition to many other awards and honors. Mr. McCullough lived in Boston, Mass.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,999 reviews
July 3, 2007
For some reason or another, I had to read this book in 3 days. It was like a full time job, considering it's about 3284293842034820384238 pages long. I did it though, and for about two months or so I was a motherfucking Harry Truman expert. Then I forgot almost everything.
Anyway, if you want seem like a history encyclopedia for a little while, take a three-day weekend and rip this bad boy open. Maybe you'll get laid.
(one word of caution: reading this gave me the temerity to say "mcarthur was a giant pussy" in history class, at which point i found out that the substitute that day had served under mcarthur. apparently that's a sensitive subject. be careful)
Anyway, if you want seem like a history encyclopedia for a little while, take a three-day weekend and rip this bad boy open. Maybe you'll get laid.
(one word of caution: reading this gave me the temerity to say "mcarthur was a giant pussy" in history class, at which point i found out that the substitute that day had served under mcarthur. apparently that's a sensitive subject. be careful)
June 17, 2023
“[Harry Truman] had had to assume command of the most powerful industrial nation on earth at the very moment when that power, in combination with stunning advances in science and technology, had become an unparalleled force in the world. The responsibilities he bore were like those of no other president before him, and he more than met the test…Ambitious by nature, he was never torn by ambition, never tried to appear as something he was not. He spoke the common tongue. As much as any president since Lincoln, he brought to the highest office the language and values of the common American people. He held to the old guidelines: work hard, do your best, speak the truth, assume no airs, trust in God, have no fear. Yet he was not and had never been a simple, ordinary man. The homely attributes, the Missouri wit, the warmth of his friendship, the genuineness of Harry Truman, however appealing, were outweighed by the larger qualities that made him a figure of world stature, both a great and good man, and a great American president…”
- David McCullough, Truman
Most biographers of American presidents are doing more than simply telling a life story; they’re making a case for their subject’s accomplishments. Chroniclers of presidents as different as John Quincy Adams, Ulysses Grant, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover have all produced prodigious volumes arguing that their particular chief executive is better than their popular reputation suggests. While the feat of revisionism is often attempted, it is rarely as successful as that achieved by David McCullough’s Truman.
When Harry S. Truman left the White House, his approval ratings were dismal. Having taken over the presidency following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death, he had served seven years and nine months in the nation’s highest office, during some of his country’s most tumultuous days. Despite the near-impossibility of some of his challenges, ordinary Americans were not cutting him any slack. Truman was blamed for things beyond his responsibility, such as the “fall” of China to Mao’s communists, and the occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, he received criticism for decisions – such as intervention in Korea – that could only be judged in the fullness of time. Even his unalloyed successes tended to be attributed to others, with the Marshal Plan being a prime example.
Since 1953, however, Truman’s standing has risen considerably. He now regularly cracks the top-ten in those ubiquitous lists of best presidents. Every time Kim Jong-un rattles his nuclear missiles, for instance, Truman’s choice to wage the Korean War looks even more farsighted, a decision that kept millions of people from the clutches of the Kim family’s tyrannical dynasty.
McCullough cannot be given all the credit, of course. Indeed, as McCullough himself notes, perceptions about Truman started improving almost immediately upon exiting Pennsylvania Avenue.
Still, you can’t discount the Truman effect on Truman’s legacy. It’s a one-thousand page, gorgeously written, Pulitzer Prize-winning epic that spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Though written in 1992, it remains fresh, and many of its conclusions only bolstered by new material gleaned from Soviet archives. It is, by any objective measure, one of the best presidential biographies ever written, and on a short list of the best single-volume biographies I have ever read.
***
Truman is an old-fashioned book for an old-fashioned man. My paperback version is roughly the size of a baby pug; it is told in strictly chronological fashion, following the man from birth to death; and it demonstrates an unapologetic belief that character is destiny, and that a person’s destiny can change the world.
***
It is a testament to McCullough’s storytelling acumen and writerly skills that Truman starts strong and simply gets better throughout. Generally, the slowest parts of any biography cover the subject’s early years. That’s why so many modern bios begin with a teaser prologue, to make sure you don’t quit reading before you start.
But McCullough is so good at his craft, and has such a strong grasp of what he’s trying to do, that even the descriptions of Truman’s family tree are interesting, and add valuable background to Truman’s personality.
This tale is helped by the sheer implausibility of Truman’s journey. The last president who did not attend college, Truman’s path from farm boy to global leader is the exact opposite of inevitable, and included stops as a failed haberdasher, a county commissioner, an artillery officer in the First World War, and a U.S. Senator given a boost by the machine politics of Kansas City’s boss Tom Pendergast.
***
There is always a risk in a book like this that it becomes too dense, the facts crammed together so tightly that dramatic incidents fall flat, and there is no time for reflection. McCullough manages this by shaping his narrative so that it coalesces around big set pieces.
There are many examples of this, both large and small, from Truman’s work building roads for his county, to his unlikely nomination as FDR’s vice president. In a volume full of highlights, though, nothing tops the chapter on the 1948 election pitting Truman against New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. It’s a show-stopper.
***
McCullough admittedly believes that Harry Truman belongs in the top-tier of U.S. Presidents. That said, McCullough does not ignore Truman’s many imperfections, and his occasional ugliness.
One unpleasant attribute that McCullough touches on several times is Truman’s use of abhorrent racial and anti-Semitic language. This is somewhat mitigated by his strong stance on civil rights, but it is nevertheless disappointing. There was also an unfortunate incident in which President Truman – who otherwise tried to dignify his high position – sent a churlish letter to a music critic who had given an unfavorable review to his daughter Margaret, an aspiring singer.
In the political realm, Truman is faulted for – among other things – threatening to draft striking workers into the army, unconstitutionally seizing steel mills during the Korean War, and his Grant-like penchant for loyalty to “friends” who were better described as “cronies.”
***
There is simply too much to Truman’s life to give all of it the depth it deserves. Thus, some extremely important events get shorted.
The big one for me is Truman’s work for civil rights. McCullough says that Truman did a great deal, but fails to prove it to my satisfaction. Specifically, he devotes only a single sentence to Executive Orders 9980 and 9981, ending racial discrimination in federal agencies and the U.S. military.
In my opinion, this is one of the low-key major moments in civil rights history, the first steps that would culminate in Brown v. The Board of Education, and later, the historic marches of Martin Luther King. Following the Second World War, people around the globe rightly wondered at America’s self-righteous exporting of its so-called values, while large parts of the country had legally-mandated segregation. The answer lies within the federal system, where states have considerable leeway to do what they want, irrespective of the president’s wishes.
By signing those two orders, Truman did what many other presidents – including Franklin Roosevelt – could have done with their authority, but failed to do, for lack of guts, virtue, or both. I wish McCullough had explored this.
In the end, McCullough grasps for a level of comprehensiveness impossible for a single book. Still, Truman is mostly made better for his ambitions.
***
I’m a charter member of the Big Books Club, but I also recognized Truman as a potential book-challenge killer. It is enormous. When I started it, I thought I’d take it a chapter at a time, while also reading some shorter books on the side. It wasn’t long before I gave up on that strategy.
This is just so good, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
***
As I’ve said elsewhere, when I finish a biography, I ask myself: What would it be like to share a room with this man or woman? Here, I feel like I know. I feel like I’ve been in that room.
McCullough casts a spell that lets you share Truman’s life, both the highs and the lows, and all the in-betweens. You get to know the people in his orbit, from his humbly devoted wife Bess, to duty-bound George Marshal. You get to know his quirks, including the brisk morning walks followed by an ounce of Wild Turkey. You see his commonsense, his shrewdness. You see the broadness of his vision, his sharp formulation of presidential power, and the strategies he implemented in an atomic world where all the rules had changed. A world where he had to invent concepts like “containment” and “limited war” on the fly.
When I reached the last page, I actually felt like I’d lost someone, even though Truman had been gone for half a century. Even though I’d never met him at all. It’s a rare masterpiece that can give you such a profound illusion.
- David McCullough, Truman
Most biographers of American presidents are doing more than simply telling a life story; they’re making a case for their subject’s accomplishments. Chroniclers of presidents as different as John Quincy Adams, Ulysses Grant, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover have all produced prodigious volumes arguing that their particular chief executive is better than their popular reputation suggests. While the feat of revisionism is often attempted, it is rarely as successful as that achieved by David McCullough’s Truman.
When Harry S. Truman left the White House, his approval ratings were dismal. Having taken over the presidency following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death, he had served seven years and nine months in the nation’s highest office, during some of his country’s most tumultuous days. Despite the near-impossibility of some of his challenges, ordinary Americans were not cutting him any slack. Truman was blamed for things beyond his responsibility, such as the “fall” of China to Mao’s communists, and the occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, he received criticism for decisions – such as intervention in Korea – that could only be judged in the fullness of time. Even his unalloyed successes tended to be attributed to others, with the Marshal Plan being a prime example.
Since 1953, however, Truman’s standing has risen considerably. He now regularly cracks the top-ten in those ubiquitous lists of best presidents. Every time Kim Jong-un rattles his nuclear missiles, for instance, Truman’s choice to wage the Korean War looks even more farsighted, a decision that kept millions of people from the clutches of the Kim family’s tyrannical dynasty.
McCullough cannot be given all the credit, of course. Indeed, as McCullough himself notes, perceptions about Truman started improving almost immediately upon exiting Pennsylvania Avenue.
Still, you can’t discount the Truman effect on Truman’s legacy. It’s a one-thousand page, gorgeously written, Pulitzer Prize-winning epic that spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Though written in 1992, it remains fresh, and many of its conclusions only bolstered by new material gleaned from Soviet archives. It is, by any objective measure, one of the best presidential biographies ever written, and on a short list of the best single-volume biographies I have ever read.
***
Truman is an old-fashioned book for an old-fashioned man. My paperback version is roughly the size of a baby pug; it is told in strictly chronological fashion, following the man from birth to death; and it demonstrates an unapologetic belief that character is destiny, and that a person’s destiny can change the world.
***
It is a testament to McCullough’s storytelling acumen and writerly skills that Truman starts strong and simply gets better throughout. Generally, the slowest parts of any biography cover the subject’s early years. That’s why so many modern bios begin with a teaser prologue, to make sure you don’t quit reading before you start.
But McCullough is so good at his craft, and has such a strong grasp of what he’s trying to do, that even the descriptions of Truman’s family tree are interesting, and add valuable background to Truman’s personality.
This tale is helped by the sheer implausibility of Truman’s journey. The last president who did not attend college, Truman’s path from farm boy to global leader is the exact opposite of inevitable, and included stops as a failed haberdasher, a county commissioner, an artillery officer in the First World War, and a U.S. Senator given a boost by the machine politics of Kansas City’s boss Tom Pendergast.
***
There is always a risk in a book like this that it becomes too dense, the facts crammed together so tightly that dramatic incidents fall flat, and there is no time for reflection. McCullough manages this by shaping his narrative so that it coalesces around big set pieces.
There are many examples of this, both large and small, from Truman’s work building roads for his county, to his unlikely nomination as FDR’s vice president. In a volume full of highlights, though, nothing tops the chapter on the 1948 election pitting Truman against New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. It’s a show-stopper.
***
McCullough admittedly believes that Harry Truman belongs in the top-tier of U.S. Presidents. That said, McCullough does not ignore Truman’s many imperfections, and his occasional ugliness.
One unpleasant attribute that McCullough touches on several times is Truman’s use of abhorrent racial and anti-Semitic language. This is somewhat mitigated by his strong stance on civil rights, but it is nevertheless disappointing. There was also an unfortunate incident in which President Truman – who otherwise tried to dignify his high position – sent a churlish letter to a music critic who had given an unfavorable review to his daughter Margaret, an aspiring singer.
In the political realm, Truman is faulted for – among other things – threatening to draft striking workers into the army, unconstitutionally seizing steel mills during the Korean War, and his Grant-like penchant for loyalty to “friends” who were better described as “cronies.”
***
There is simply too much to Truman’s life to give all of it the depth it deserves. Thus, some extremely important events get shorted.
The big one for me is Truman’s work for civil rights. McCullough says that Truman did a great deal, but fails to prove it to my satisfaction. Specifically, he devotes only a single sentence to Executive Orders 9980 and 9981, ending racial discrimination in federal agencies and the U.S. military.
In my opinion, this is one of the low-key major moments in civil rights history, the first steps that would culminate in Brown v. The Board of Education, and later, the historic marches of Martin Luther King. Following the Second World War, people around the globe rightly wondered at America’s self-righteous exporting of its so-called values, while large parts of the country had legally-mandated segregation. The answer lies within the federal system, where states have considerable leeway to do what they want, irrespective of the president’s wishes.
By signing those two orders, Truman did what many other presidents – including Franklin Roosevelt – could have done with their authority, but failed to do, for lack of guts, virtue, or both. I wish McCullough had explored this.
In the end, McCullough grasps for a level of comprehensiveness impossible for a single book. Still, Truman is mostly made better for his ambitions.
***
I’m a charter member of the Big Books Club, but I also recognized Truman as a potential book-challenge killer. It is enormous. When I started it, I thought I’d take it a chapter at a time, while also reading some shorter books on the side. It wasn’t long before I gave up on that strategy.
This is just so good, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
***
As I’ve said elsewhere, when I finish a biography, I ask myself: What would it be like to share a room with this man or woman? Here, I feel like I know. I feel like I’ve been in that room.
McCullough casts a spell that lets you share Truman’s life, both the highs and the lows, and all the in-betweens. You get to know the people in his orbit, from his humbly devoted wife Bess, to duty-bound George Marshal. You get to know his quirks, including the brisk morning walks followed by an ounce of Wild Turkey. You see his commonsense, his shrewdness. You see the broadness of his vision, his sharp formulation of presidential power, and the strategies he implemented in an atomic world where all the rules had changed. A world where he had to invent concepts like “containment” and “limited war” on the fly.
When I reached the last page, I actually felt like I’d lost someone, even though Truman had been gone for half a century. Even though I’d never met him at all. It’s a rare masterpiece that can give you such a profound illusion.
June 22, 2017
Sometimes I even laughed......
Cheers for the late bloomers in life!!! A man after my own heart!!!
Harry's cousin said Harry was 'always' a late bloomer. He did everything a little later than his contemporaries.
He didn't marry until he was 35...so, why would it be crazy to him to first arrive in Washington in his early 50's?
"Harry is a fine man, intelligent, able, and has integrity. He doesn't know much about foreign affairs, but he's learning fast..." --Franklin D Roosevelt
This book gets the reader involved! I listened to hours and hours of the audiobook--
I'm still not done with the audiobook. Eventually I checked out the e-book from the library to speed things along. The e-book and audiobook that I have are not synced together which is not a bad thing. I have reread and re-listened to different parts a few times, and I haven't cared one bit.....being in one part in the book - behind in the audiobook.
Some parts are so personal -- showing us how much Truman loved his mother -respected his father--his love for his wife Bess and daughter Margaret. He was a very hard worker--loved books, music, theater, and quiet time at home. He read the Bible and was a Baptist. Truman loved 'cake' -- and hated 'guns'. There was so much 'warmth' for this man.!!!!!
His military experience, knowing how much he hated guns, was gut wrenching to read.
Truman spent 10 years working on a farm - never got a formal College education... but nobody self taught himself more -- other parts give us a greater appreciation and understanding for a critical time in history when Truman was President.
There is so much to pull out of this book --from his early life through the rise of the future President he would become - to the history of the Cold War --scandals challenges--mistakes --an understanding of the dispute between Truman and Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War . Lots of major decisions that he had to make: he had to make decisions with Churchill and Stalin shortly after Roosevelt died. He had to decide to use the atomic bomb on Japan. ....giving us the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki --
We learn more about how Truman helped with general Marshall to develop the Marshall plan to revive Europe......and we got a look at the overall Republican and Democratic party machines and how they work.
There were many times when they were situations when it was easy to see that many of the problems were a source of egos. Politicians all wanting to be leaders and be right.
I enjoy the subtleties of the inside thoughts of Truman. For example before he was president- ( Vice President with FDR as President)....Truman wrote letters home to Bess ( his wife), saying "He so damn afraid that he won't have all the power and glory that he won't let his friends help as it should be done".
Truman, was a man spoke his mind... had integrity...."a straight shooter".
Truman had been raised I'm straight answers by people who nearly always meant what they said. Roosevelt wasn't that way. --Truman never publicly expressed how he felt, but his biggest objection to President Franklin D Roosevelt was that he lied.
Do we need to wonder what he would think of Trump?
It's impossible to read about past Presidents and not think about our own.
I've watched TV episodes of "Designated Survivor", with Kiefer Sutherland. I remember the first episode, was a shock when Sutherland suddenly became President of the United States. ( zero notice).
What was it like for Truman- to wake up one morning - no advance notice and because of the sudden death of Franklin D Roosevelt: just-like-that > Truman was President?/!
Oh my .... the gossip and the news.....I think would've driven me crazy:
"Good God, Truman will be President", it was being said everywhere. "If Harry Truman can be president, so could my next-door neighbor".
Others knew Truman. They knew what kind of man he was. They knew how entirely honest he was.
"He, of course, has the limitations upon his judgment and wisdom that the limitations of his experience produce, but I think he will learn fast and will inspire confidence. It seems to me that it is a blessing that he is President and not Henry Wallace.
David McCullough is a master at storytelling about our Past Presidents!!! And Truman was a distinctive good man!!!
Cheers for the late bloomers in life!!! A man after my own heart!!!
Harry's cousin said Harry was 'always' a late bloomer. He did everything a little later than his contemporaries.
He didn't marry until he was 35...so, why would it be crazy to him to first arrive in Washington in his early 50's?
"Harry is a fine man, intelligent, able, and has integrity. He doesn't know much about foreign affairs, but he's learning fast..." --Franklin D Roosevelt
This book gets the reader involved! I listened to hours and hours of the audiobook--
I'm still not done with the audiobook. Eventually I checked out the e-book from the library to speed things along. The e-book and audiobook that I have are not synced together which is not a bad thing. I have reread and re-listened to different parts a few times, and I haven't cared one bit.....being in one part in the book - behind in the audiobook.
Some parts are so personal -- showing us how much Truman loved his mother -respected his father--his love for his wife Bess and daughter Margaret. He was a very hard worker--loved books, music, theater, and quiet time at home. He read the Bible and was a Baptist. Truman loved 'cake' -- and hated 'guns'. There was so much 'warmth' for this man.!!!!!
His military experience, knowing how much he hated guns, was gut wrenching to read.
Truman spent 10 years working on a farm - never got a formal College education... but nobody self taught himself more -- other parts give us a greater appreciation and understanding for a critical time in history when Truman was President.
There is so much to pull out of this book --from his early life through the rise of the future President he would become - to the history of the Cold War --scandals challenges--mistakes --an understanding of the dispute between Truman and Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War . Lots of major decisions that he had to make: he had to make decisions with Churchill and Stalin shortly after Roosevelt died. He had to decide to use the atomic bomb on Japan. ....giving us the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki --
We learn more about how Truman helped with general Marshall to develop the Marshall plan to revive Europe......and we got a look at the overall Republican and Democratic party machines and how they work.
There were many times when they were situations when it was easy to see that many of the problems were a source of egos. Politicians all wanting to be leaders and be right.
I enjoy the subtleties of the inside thoughts of Truman. For example before he was president- ( Vice President with FDR as President)....Truman wrote letters home to Bess ( his wife), saying "He so damn afraid that he won't have all the power and glory that he won't let his friends help as it should be done".
Truman, was a man spoke his mind... had integrity...."a straight shooter".
Truman had been raised I'm straight answers by people who nearly always meant what they said. Roosevelt wasn't that way. --Truman never publicly expressed how he felt, but his biggest objection to President Franklin D Roosevelt was that he lied.
Do we need to wonder what he would think of Trump?
It's impossible to read about past Presidents and not think about our own.
I've watched TV episodes of "Designated Survivor", with Kiefer Sutherland. I remember the first episode, was a shock when Sutherland suddenly became President of the United States. ( zero notice).
What was it like for Truman- to wake up one morning - no advance notice and because of the sudden death of Franklin D Roosevelt: just-like-that > Truman was President?/!
Oh my .... the gossip and the news.....I think would've driven me crazy:
"Good God, Truman will be President", it was being said everywhere. "If Harry Truman can be president, so could my next-door neighbor".
Others knew Truman. They knew what kind of man he was. They knew how entirely honest he was.
"He, of course, has the limitations upon his judgment and wisdom that the limitations of his experience produce, but I think he will learn fast and will inspire confidence. It seems to me that it is a blessing that he is President and not Henry Wallace.
David McCullough is a master at storytelling about our Past Presidents!!! And Truman was a distinctive good man!!!
August 27, 2013
I was shocked that a presidential biography could be so good. Many readers had praised the Truman book, but I thought they were exaggerating. I was happy to be proven wrong.
I think there are several reasons why "Truman" was so compelling. First and most importantly was the man himself. So epic was his odyssey that Truman seemed like a character in a novel. Harry S. Truman was born in a small town in Missouri and he grew up on a farm. He was bookish, played the piano and wore glasses, which prevented him from playing sports. He enlisted in the National Guard and fought during World War I. Then he returned home to run a clothing store, and was asked to run for county judge. Later, he became a U.S. Senator, and then he was picked to be Franklin Roosevelt's vice president in 1944. He became president when FDR died in April 1945.
Epic and astounding, yes? Truman comes across as a decent, hardworking, loyal, honest and down-to-earth guy. It's hard not to root for him -- he was so genuine.
Another reason the book was so good was the brilliance of the writing. McCullough is a skilled historian and he wove a beautiful narrative. Truman was a prolific writer of letters, and many details and quotes in the book came from those epistles. I loved the stories of Truman's courtship of his wife, Bess, of his dream to be a concert pianist, of his battle experiences during the Great War, of his senator campaign, of his unlikely path to become vice president, of his whistle stop tour. Marvelous, just marvelous stories.
Finally, there is the knowledge that Truman was such a key figure in American and world history. He had to take command at the close of World War II, he chose to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he decided to send American troops to Korea, and he ushered in a new kind of foreign policy for the United States. Each of those events was incredibly significant and had lasting consequences.
One aspect that I found especially interesting was how Truman handled the atomic bombs. After he became president, he was briefed on the Manhattan Project -- which had started way back in 1939 -- and was told the nuclear weapon would be ready within a few months. I had assumed there would have been some serious debate over whether to use such a bomb, but it sounded like the project was so far advanced that Truman didn't consider turning back. The goal of dropping it was to shock the Japanese into surrendering and quickly ending the war, but it was still jarring and disturbing to hear about the casualties inflicted. (Having read John Hersey's book "Hiroshima," I was picturing the devastation on the ground, and I had to pause in silence for several minutes.)
Speaking of controversial decisions, apparently some historians have criticized McCullough for not being tough enough on Truman. It was clear that the author held the former president in high esteem, but as a reader, McCullough's narrative made it a more enjoyable book. If I wanted to read a harsh polemic on Truman's wartime and foreign policies, I wouldn't have chosen an 1,100-page biography. That's what newspaper columnists are for.
I listened to "Truman" on audio that was narrated by McCullough, and he had a fantastic reading voice. The recording included various sound bites from Truman's speeches, which were wonderful to hear. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history.
I think there are several reasons why "Truman" was so compelling. First and most importantly was the man himself. So epic was his odyssey that Truman seemed like a character in a novel. Harry S. Truman was born in a small town in Missouri and he grew up on a farm. He was bookish, played the piano and wore glasses, which prevented him from playing sports. He enlisted in the National Guard and fought during World War I. Then he returned home to run a clothing store, and was asked to run for county judge. Later, he became a U.S. Senator, and then he was picked to be Franklin Roosevelt's vice president in 1944. He became president when FDR died in April 1945.
Epic and astounding, yes? Truman comes across as a decent, hardworking, loyal, honest and down-to-earth guy. It's hard not to root for him -- he was so genuine.
Another reason the book was so good was the brilliance of the writing. McCullough is a skilled historian and he wove a beautiful narrative. Truman was a prolific writer of letters, and many details and quotes in the book came from those epistles. I loved the stories of Truman's courtship of his wife, Bess, of his dream to be a concert pianist, of his battle experiences during the Great War, of his senator campaign, of his unlikely path to become vice president, of his whistle stop tour. Marvelous, just marvelous stories.
Finally, there is the knowledge that Truman was such a key figure in American and world history. He had to take command at the close of World War II, he chose to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he decided to send American troops to Korea, and he ushered in a new kind of foreign policy for the United States. Each of those events was incredibly significant and had lasting consequences.
One aspect that I found especially interesting was how Truman handled the atomic bombs. After he became president, he was briefed on the Manhattan Project -- which had started way back in 1939 -- and was told the nuclear weapon would be ready within a few months. I had assumed there would have been some serious debate over whether to use such a bomb, but it sounded like the project was so far advanced that Truman didn't consider turning back. The goal of dropping it was to shock the Japanese into surrendering and quickly ending the war, but it was still jarring and disturbing to hear about the casualties inflicted. (Having read John Hersey's book "Hiroshima," I was picturing the devastation on the ground, and I had to pause in silence for several minutes.)
Speaking of controversial decisions, apparently some historians have criticized McCullough for not being tough enough on Truman. It was clear that the author held the former president in high esteem, but as a reader, McCullough's narrative made it a more enjoyable book. If I wanted to read a harsh polemic on Truman's wartime and foreign policies, I wouldn't have chosen an 1,100-page biography. That's what newspaper columnists are for.
I listened to "Truman" on audio that was narrated by McCullough, and he had a fantastic reading voice. The recording included various sound bites from Truman's speeches, which were wonderful to hear. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history.
April 29, 2021
David McCullough's work has almost everything one can wish for in a biography. After reading it, I feel as if I got to know Harry Truman personally. It is a rather voluminous book, covering Truman's childhood, early life, and extensive political career, but it is so gripping and readable you won't be able to put it down.
As McCullough acknowledges, the writing of his outstanding work had been significantly facilitated by Truman himself: the President poured himself out on paper "with vigor and candor" all his adult life, and made it possible for the author, through the great body of surviving letters, diaries, private memoranda, and autobiographical sketches, to go below the surface, to know what he felt, what he wanted, his worries, his anger, the exceptional and the commonplace details of his days.
Grown up in a family of farmers in Missouri, the self-educated Truman, who never attended college, had an almost ravenous interest in history. In his memoirs, he reports that as a boy he indulged in “endless reading of history,” a passion he continued as an adult. “I wanted to know what caused the successes or the failures of all the famous leaders of history.” He read Plutarch’s Lives, spent time on Abbott’s biographies of famous men, explored accounts of ancient Egypt, the Mesopotamian civilizations, Greece and Rome, ruminated on cultures of the Orient, read widely about modern nations, and tracked the drama of America’s birth and growth. His education gave him a solid grounding in his early years. But his need to earn a living soon overshadowed his academic pursuits – a career in business intervened. When he was thirty-three, however, and not having enjoyed great success, he quit his commercial work and went to France to fight in the World War I; he rose to the rank of captain. According to McCullough, that extraordinary and trying experience proved to him that he had leadership abilities.
The most captivating part of the book, of course, begins with his miraculous election to the US Senate, which was achieved with the help of the political machine of Tom Pendergast (T.J.), the saloonkeeper whose power was "greater than that of any political boss in the country". There, on Capitol Hill, we gain the most fascinating insight into Truman's personality. While despised by many senators for being "a guy . . . sent up [to Washington] by gangsters", he persevered to prove his diligence: most mornings, he turned up at his office so early – about seven – and so in advance of everyone else in the building that it was decided he should have his own passkey, reportedly the first ever issued to a senator. Unlike most senators, Truman was no orator and made no brilliant speeches (He dared to propose his first bill after whole four months in the Senate.), but he demonstrated a strong desire to learn; he sat in the back row of the top-heavy Democratic side of the Senate at every session, listening, absorbing, learning. Later, in 1941, the gained experience combined with his straightforward personality contributed to the great success of the Truman Committee that was established to investigate all activities involving national defense. It is during the Committee's hearings that warm-hearted, easygoing Truman's persistence and toughness emerged, showing a side most people didn't know existed.
McCullough devotes a substantial part of the biography to Harry Truman's political campaigns. Although they are maybe too detailed for my taste, they provide valuable insight into how Truman inexhaustible energy and determination. It was interesting to read about the backstairs schemes during his run for Vice President, but I won't spoil this chapter for you; it is enough to say that Roosevelt appears as impossible to decipher as ever, and this leads to some curious results...
To say that Truman was prepared for the presidency would be an overstatement. In his twelve-week tenure as Roosevelt’s second in command, he had remained a complete outsider. By the time when, on April 12, 1945, FDR died, Truman had seen the president officially only eight times. Roosevelt had fully excluded him from his decision-making process regarding foreign affairs, this denying his green successor the needed opportunity to gain experience. While the new president wasn't as as naïve a man as some Americans suspected, he was a newbie in foreign affairs, and committed diplomatic blunders. (As the wife of Robert A. Taft, the conservative senator from Ohio, had remarked, "To err is Truman.") One of the most conspicuous was the harsh tone he adopted during a meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov; Molotov, visibly offended, took the President's behavior for a confirmation that the years of cooperation between the USSR and America had indeed ended, a perception that, in combination with other misconceptions and suspicions, would lead to the Cold War.
Highly challenging were the issues that Roosevelt had left Truman to untangle. For example, although the new President had been aware of the Manhattan Project since the time he headed the Truman Committee, he knew nothing of its purpose because Secretary of War Stimson had asked for permission not to reveal a secret that only four people in the world knew. One can only imagine what a bombshell revelation the possession by the USA of an atomic bomb, the most formidable weapon ever created, must have been for him.
Another issue was the Poland question. Since Poland was a nation with many emigrants to the States, Americans did not want it to be absorbed by the USSR, which had claimed it as a part of the proposed Soviet post-war security zone; because of public discontent, the issue turned into a political one. FDR, though, was more concerned with maintaining wartime solidarity, so he postponed the settlement of Poland's fate, thus making it the inexperienced Truman's problem, which he, exasperated by Molotov's obstinacy, handled rather undiplomatically.
McCullough's work has one drawback that has to be noted. He pays too little attention to Truman's decision-making process in regard to a number of key episodes, such as, for instance, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Well, the President was, indeed, silent in his journal on the fateful day he made the decision in Potsdam, and this is understandable. (Who wouldn't have been in his place?) But still... There is little information on the deterioration of Soviet-American relations and the Korean War. Truman's second term is also described primarily through his sensational campaign, a miraculous, unpredicted victory over the Republican, anti-Communist candidate Thomas E. Dewey, and through his subsequent search for a suitable Democratic candidate to success him in the White House and to continue his policy. (He tried recruiting General Dwight Eisenhower, the most popular man in the States at the time, but failed – Ike became the Republican Party's candidate instead.)
What is a really brilliantly depicted in McCullough's biography are Truman's personal relationships with his beloved wife Bess, their adored daughter Margaret, his mother, sister Mary Jane, and cousins Ethel and Nellie Noland. Curious are also Truman's often inexplainable friendships and partnerships, such as that with the elegant, polished Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, whose place in the Cabinet was unrivaled. That Harry Truman of Missouri, product of the Pendergast machine, could possibly have anything in common with Dean Gooderham Acheson, "Groton ’11, Yale ’15, Harvard Law ’19," or feel at ease in such a partnership, struck many as almost ludicrous. At first glance, Acheson seemed to be everything the President despised, "the ultimate 'striped pants boy.'" Yet, among the "clannish and snooty" members of the State Department, which – according to Truman – were extremely bright people who made tremendous college marks but who had had very little association with actual people down to the ground, Acheson was doing a “whale of a job," and the President hoped he would never leave the government.
In my opinion, David McCullough has also done "a whale of a job." Despite the drawback I mentioned, this is a presidential biography at its finest. It creates a uniquely wholesome picture of Harry Truman and his administration; all characters, from minor to major, are coming to life under McCullough's pen. We are always at the President's side, at his highs and at his lows; we get to know his courage, determination, candor, and occasional mistakes. Furthermore, this masterly account handles an enormous amount of of material with such deftness that one can't help but be astonished. TRUMAN is a long, thoroughly absorbing work that deserves much more than five stars.
As McCullough acknowledges, the writing of his outstanding work had been significantly facilitated by Truman himself: the President poured himself out on paper "with vigor and candor" all his adult life, and made it possible for the author, through the great body of surviving letters, diaries, private memoranda, and autobiographical sketches, to go below the surface, to know what he felt, what he wanted, his worries, his anger, the exceptional and the commonplace details of his days.
Grown up in a family of farmers in Missouri, the self-educated Truman, who never attended college, had an almost ravenous interest in history. In his memoirs, he reports that as a boy he indulged in “endless reading of history,” a passion he continued as an adult. “I wanted to know what caused the successes or the failures of all the famous leaders of history.” He read Plutarch’s Lives, spent time on Abbott’s biographies of famous men, explored accounts of ancient Egypt, the Mesopotamian civilizations, Greece and Rome, ruminated on cultures of the Orient, read widely about modern nations, and tracked the drama of America’s birth and growth. His education gave him a solid grounding in his early years. But his need to earn a living soon overshadowed his academic pursuits – a career in business intervened. When he was thirty-three, however, and not having enjoyed great success, he quit his commercial work and went to France to fight in the World War I; he rose to the rank of captain. According to McCullough, that extraordinary and trying experience proved to him that he had leadership abilities.
The most captivating part of the book, of course, begins with his miraculous election to the US Senate, which was achieved with the help of the political machine of Tom Pendergast (T.J.), the saloonkeeper whose power was "greater than that of any political boss in the country". There, on Capitol Hill, we gain the most fascinating insight into Truman's personality. While despised by many senators for being "a guy . . . sent up [to Washington] by gangsters", he persevered to prove his diligence: most mornings, he turned up at his office so early – about seven – and so in advance of everyone else in the building that it was decided he should have his own passkey, reportedly the first ever issued to a senator. Unlike most senators, Truman was no orator and made no brilliant speeches (He dared to propose his first bill after whole four months in the Senate.), but he demonstrated a strong desire to learn; he sat in the back row of the top-heavy Democratic side of the Senate at every session, listening, absorbing, learning. Later, in 1941, the gained experience combined with his straightforward personality contributed to the great success of the Truman Committee that was established to investigate all activities involving national defense. It is during the Committee's hearings that warm-hearted, easygoing Truman's persistence and toughness emerged, showing a side most people didn't know existed.
McCullough devotes a substantial part of the biography to Harry Truman's political campaigns. Although they are maybe too detailed for my taste, they provide valuable insight into how Truman inexhaustible energy and determination. It was interesting to read about the backstairs schemes during his run for Vice President, but I won't spoil this chapter for you; it is enough to say that Roosevelt appears as impossible to decipher as ever, and this leads to some curious results...
To say that Truman was prepared for the presidency would be an overstatement. In his twelve-week tenure as Roosevelt’s second in command, he had remained a complete outsider. By the time when, on April 12, 1945, FDR died, Truman had seen the president officially only eight times. Roosevelt had fully excluded him from his decision-making process regarding foreign affairs, this denying his green successor the needed opportunity to gain experience. While the new president wasn't as as naïve a man as some Americans suspected, he was a newbie in foreign affairs, and committed diplomatic blunders. (As the wife of Robert A. Taft, the conservative senator from Ohio, had remarked, "To err is Truman.") One of the most conspicuous was the harsh tone he adopted during a meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov; Molotov, visibly offended, took the President's behavior for a confirmation that the years of cooperation between the USSR and America had indeed ended, a perception that, in combination with other misconceptions and suspicions, would lead to the Cold War.
Highly challenging were the issues that Roosevelt had left Truman to untangle. For example, although the new President had been aware of the Manhattan Project since the time he headed the Truman Committee, he knew nothing of its purpose because Secretary of War Stimson had asked for permission not to reveal a secret that only four people in the world knew. One can only imagine what a bombshell revelation the possession by the USA of an atomic bomb, the most formidable weapon ever created, must have been for him.
Another issue was the Poland question. Since Poland was a nation with many emigrants to the States, Americans did not want it to be absorbed by the USSR, which had claimed it as a part of the proposed Soviet post-war security zone; because of public discontent, the issue turned into a political one. FDR, though, was more concerned with maintaining wartime solidarity, so he postponed the settlement of Poland's fate, thus making it the inexperienced Truman's problem, which he, exasperated by Molotov's obstinacy, handled rather undiplomatically.
McCullough's work has one drawback that has to be noted. He pays too little attention to Truman's decision-making process in regard to a number of key episodes, such as, for instance, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Well, the President was, indeed, silent in his journal on the fateful day he made the decision in Potsdam, and this is understandable. (Who wouldn't have been in his place?) But still... There is little information on the deterioration of Soviet-American relations and the Korean War. Truman's second term is also described primarily through his sensational campaign, a miraculous, unpredicted victory over the Republican, anti-Communist candidate Thomas E. Dewey, and through his subsequent search for a suitable Democratic candidate to success him in the White House and to continue his policy. (He tried recruiting General Dwight Eisenhower, the most popular man in the States at the time, but failed – Ike became the Republican Party's candidate instead.)
What is a really brilliantly depicted in McCullough's biography are Truman's personal relationships with his beloved wife Bess, their adored daughter Margaret, his mother, sister Mary Jane, and cousins Ethel and Nellie Noland. Curious are also Truman's often inexplainable friendships and partnerships, such as that with the elegant, polished Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, whose place in the Cabinet was unrivaled. That Harry Truman of Missouri, product of the Pendergast machine, could possibly have anything in common with Dean Gooderham Acheson, "Groton ’11, Yale ’15, Harvard Law ’19," or feel at ease in such a partnership, struck many as almost ludicrous. At first glance, Acheson seemed to be everything the President despised, "the ultimate 'striped pants boy.'" Yet, among the "clannish and snooty" members of the State Department, which – according to Truman – were extremely bright people who made tremendous college marks but who had had very little association with actual people down to the ground, Acheson was doing a “whale of a job," and the President hoped he would never leave the government.
In my opinion, David McCullough has also done "a whale of a job." Despite the drawback I mentioned, this is a presidential biography at its finest. It creates a uniquely wholesome picture of Harry Truman and his administration; all characters, from minor to major, are coming to life under McCullough's pen. We are always at the President's side, at his highs and at his lows; we get to know his courage, determination, candor, and occasional mistakes. Furthermore, this masterly account handles an enormous amount of of material with such deftness that one can't help but be astonished. TRUMAN is a long, thoroughly absorbing work that deserves much more than five stars.
December 29, 2014
McCullough’s engaging portrayal of Harry Truman depicts a man of integrity, a trait rare in politicians. As president, his simple straightforward approach often led to extreme unpopularity. His inexperience and initial indecisiveness took its toll. But Harry Truman’s best quality as Clark Clifford noted, “was Harry Truman’s capacity to grow.” Thrust into a job for which he was ill prepared, Truman overcame his shortcomings working through an onslaught of difficult problems to provide genuine leadership and unlike other presidents, maintain his principles while doing it. Even though unappreciated at the time, Truman proved to be a remarkable president.
McCullough covers every aspect of Truman’s life, but here I focus on his presidency and what I found most interesting, Truman’s ability to adapt while keeping his values. Truman’s character was shaped by hard work and hardship early in life. The same is true of LBJ. Both had fathers who failed financially making both highly motivated to succeed. Yet Truman developed morals while LBJ became Machiavellian, a difference which epitomized both their careers.
Truman was the compromise choice for FDR’s VP in 1944, acceptable to North and South, selected primarily on lack of political vulnerabilities rather than consideration of his ability to be president. This is somewhat surprising since FDR’s ill health was well known and Henry Wallace was dumped due to pressure from those who could not picture the extreme liberal Wallace as president. FDR let others pick his running mate in one of his typical political dances even though FDR knew his own health was failing. Even more disturbing, FDR did nothing to prepare Truman to assume the presidency, only meeting with him twice and never discussing anything of substance.
When Truman did take over, he was immediately faced with tough foreign policy issues in which he had absolutely no experience; How to end the war and deal with a postwar world with a communist Russia as a major power. His first test was meeting with Churchill and Stalin at the Potsdam conference as the war was winding down. Here, McCullough, whose affection for Truman shows throughout the book, cuts Truman some slack. He cites how well Truman prepared for his meeting with Churchill and Stalin. Truman prepared by reading background material and consulting with his Washington staff and his new Secretary of State Jimmy Byrnes, a former fellow Senator and ill-considered selection also with limited experience. Truman spent little time with his ambassador to Moscow, Averill Harriman (assisted by Kennan), who knew Stalin and Russian politics well. He also disregarded Churchill’s warnings about Stalin. Thus Truman approached Stalin idealistically thinking, as Roosevelt did before him, that he could deal with Stalin as a person of good faith. Harriman and his staff knew otherwise. Truman was completely fooled by Stalin. He thought well of Stalin and thought Stalin liked him. Stalin later told Khrushchev he thought Truman was “worthless”. Roosevelt and Truman were very different but both greatly overestimated their personal capacity to influence Stalin. Truman as he later admitted was naïve.
Preparation and organization were not hallmarks of Truman’s early presidency. Truman reacted to problems as they came rather than rigorously organizing an agenda. His hurriedly crafted a wide ranging liberal program announced upon his return from Potsdam that was not properly vetted or politically evaluated. His lofty propositions were rejected out of hand. Truman was over his head. He neither selected a competent staff he could work with nor did he master the art of delegation.
In foreign affairs he did not establish long term objectives around which to form a coherent policy. His indecisiveness encouraged the Soviet Union to do as it pleased and lost the respect of the American public. Stalin declared publically in February 1946 that Soviet and Western values were incompatible and another war inevitable. Truman reacted by speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Proponents of a hard line Soviet policy such as Admiral Leahy, Forrestal and Dean Acheson were sure the president agreed with them. Advocates of an accommodative policy such as Henry Wallace and Jimmy Byrnes were sure the President agreed with them.
More telling was his equivocation over Churchill’s famous “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri March 5, 1946. Truman invited Churchill to give the speech and traveled with him to Westminster, introduced him and supported Churchill’s hard line position in prior private conversation. Then Truman backtracked publically and completely once wide spread media criticism of Churchill’s speech appeared. He even invited Stalin, who he still said he liked, to America to give his own speech which Stalin declined. Just think what would have ensued if Stalin had accepted!
The public perception of the president as weak and befuddled weighed in domestic matters as well. In trying to resolve the 1946 railroad strike, one of many after the war, the president worked out a reasonable compromise. Truman’s top assistant, John Steelman, telling labor leaders they had to agree to a fair offer from the President of the United States, was told by them that nobody listened to this President. Ineffective in negotiations Truman decided to draft the strikers into the army. Told he was exceeding his constitutional limits, Truman responded that he wasn’t interested in philosophy. Think of a president saying that today! While the Senate voted down his proposed law, his speech to Congress was forceful and popular with the public. But this was followed by embarrassing disarray as Henry Wallace, Truman’s Secretary of Commerce, spoke out in direct contradiction of Truman’s Soviet policy. After more waffling and again looking weak, Truman finally fired Wallace, but the perception of his presidency was again one of incompetence. By the fall of 1946, his approval rating was 32%. A year earlier it had been 82%.
Truman’s fortunes ticked up in 1947 with the appointment of George Marshall as Secretary of State. Marshall was everything Truman hadn’t been: organized, a great delegator, a good judge of men. Marshall was also a team player something the man he replaced, Jimmy Byrnes was not. Marshall was respected and his choice reflected well on Truman. He was someone who Truman could work with and who would help him. Having also made Clark Clifford White House Counsel in 1946, with State Department Undersecretary Dean Acheson playing a more prominent role, the ascendance of George Kennan’s influence, Averill Harriman, Charles Bohlen and George Elsey staying on, Truman was finally assembling a talented team.
March 1947 marked a turning point when The Truman Doctrine advocating containment of Soviet expansion was presented to Congress and aid for Greece and Turkey requested. The Truman Doctrine was based partly on George Kennan’s famous “Long Telegram” and the internal Clifford-Elsey Report. Finally a coherent policy of how to deal with the Soviet Union was being promulgated. This was followed by formulation of the Marshall Plan which recognized America’s interest in Europe’s economic success. The National Security Act followed in July establishing the CIA, the National Security Council, and the unification of the services under the Secretary of Defense. Truman was leading with huge masterful strokes choreographed by his recently formed and exceedingly loyal staff.
Just as he grew in his ability to craft foreign policy, so he grew in terms of Civil Rights. Coming in with a Southern heritage, in office he realized his country needed to change. He was the first president to address the NAACP. He put forward Civil Rights legislation to abolish the poll tax, outlaw lynching and support equal rights when such a stand in 1948 was unpopular with most voters. Later he issued an executive order to end discrimination in the armed forces and the civil service.
He handled the issue of the partition of Palestine and recognition of Israel reasonably well, given a heatedly divided staff. Truman hesitated; looking wobbly again, but in the end came through. His Secretary of State, the extremely popular General Marshall, was adamantly opposed, but with deference and patience, Truman was able to get him to acquiesce and the US became the first nation to recognize Israel. This was also politically expedient. Truman’s response to the Soviet blockade of Berlin was smart and effective. The blockade could have easily led to capitulation or conversely war. Truman threaded the needle with his long term airlift which his advisors told him wouldn’t work.
Truman’s 1948 campaign is the signature event in his career, his fortitude overcoming all odds, his persistence proving the naysayers wrong. It is unusual in national politics to see one person so right in his course, so confident in his decisions, when virtually every pundit, every poll was against him. Dewey helped, overconfident and not personable, running a lackluster campaign. Truman knew how to take advantage and he did it by standing for the things he really believed in. His authenticity connected with the American people.
Truman’s second term brought no respite. Only restraint and persistence saw him through. Russia acquiring the atomic bomb, the decision to develop the H-bomb, the Klaus Fuchs atomic secrets spy scandal, Joe McCarthy’s lists of “communist infiltrators”, North Korea’s invasion of South Korea and last but far from least Douglas MacArthur’s public defiance. As Truman related in retrospect, he was probably too patient with MacArthur. He and the country would have been better off if he had fired MacArthur months earlier. Truman deserves kudos for leadership. Firing MacArthur was extremely unpopular and Truman accepted the heat. He wasn’t devious, no FDR shell games. He fired MacArthur straight out knowing the firestorm of protest that awaited him.
Truman left office unloved and unwanted (22% approval, Nixon had 24% when he left office) by a public lost in McCarthyism and the tail fins growing on their cars. Only time would reveal his true legacy. Cast in a role he never envisioned, he got off to a shaky start, but in the end he held his own in the most demanding times in the most demanding job in the world even if the public did not appreciate it. And he did it the right way, without resorting to deceit, backhand deals and quid pro quos. He guided America through many complex and dangerous challenges. We in America were very fortunate to have him as our president. Truman was a great leader and McCullough’s book is a great testament to his accomplishments.
McCullough covers every aspect of Truman’s life, but here I focus on his presidency and what I found most interesting, Truman’s ability to adapt while keeping his values. Truman’s character was shaped by hard work and hardship early in life. The same is true of LBJ. Both had fathers who failed financially making both highly motivated to succeed. Yet Truman developed morals while LBJ became Machiavellian, a difference which epitomized both their careers.
Truman was the compromise choice for FDR’s VP in 1944, acceptable to North and South, selected primarily on lack of political vulnerabilities rather than consideration of his ability to be president. This is somewhat surprising since FDR’s ill health was well known and Henry Wallace was dumped due to pressure from those who could not picture the extreme liberal Wallace as president. FDR let others pick his running mate in one of his typical political dances even though FDR knew his own health was failing. Even more disturbing, FDR did nothing to prepare Truman to assume the presidency, only meeting with him twice and never discussing anything of substance.
When Truman did take over, he was immediately faced with tough foreign policy issues in which he had absolutely no experience; How to end the war and deal with a postwar world with a communist Russia as a major power. His first test was meeting with Churchill and Stalin at the Potsdam conference as the war was winding down. Here, McCullough, whose affection for Truman shows throughout the book, cuts Truman some slack. He cites how well Truman prepared for his meeting with Churchill and Stalin. Truman prepared by reading background material and consulting with his Washington staff and his new Secretary of State Jimmy Byrnes, a former fellow Senator and ill-considered selection also with limited experience. Truman spent little time with his ambassador to Moscow, Averill Harriman (assisted by Kennan), who knew Stalin and Russian politics well. He also disregarded Churchill’s warnings about Stalin. Thus Truman approached Stalin idealistically thinking, as Roosevelt did before him, that he could deal with Stalin as a person of good faith. Harriman and his staff knew otherwise. Truman was completely fooled by Stalin. He thought well of Stalin and thought Stalin liked him. Stalin later told Khrushchev he thought Truman was “worthless”. Roosevelt and Truman were very different but both greatly overestimated their personal capacity to influence Stalin. Truman as he later admitted was naïve.
Preparation and organization were not hallmarks of Truman’s early presidency. Truman reacted to problems as they came rather than rigorously organizing an agenda. His hurriedly crafted a wide ranging liberal program announced upon his return from Potsdam that was not properly vetted or politically evaluated. His lofty propositions were rejected out of hand. Truman was over his head. He neither selected a competent staff he could work with nor did he master the art of delegation.
In foreign affairs he did not establish long term objectives around which to form a coherent policy. His indecisiveness encouraged the Soviet Union to do as it pleased and lost the respect of the American public. Stalin declared publically in February 1946 that Soviet and Western values were incompatible and another war inevitable. Truman reacted by speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Proponents of a hard line Soviet policy such as Admiral Leahy, Forrestal and Dean Acheson were sure the president agreed with them. Advocates of an accommodative policy such as Henry Wallace and Jimmy Byrnes were sure the President agreed with them.
More telling was his equivocation over Churchill’s famous “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri March 5, 1946. Truman invited Churchill to give the speech and traveled with him to Westminster, introduced him and supported Churchill’s hard line position in prior private conversation. Then Truman backtracked publically and completely once wide spread media criticism of Churchill’s speech appeared. He even invited Stalin, who he still said he liked, to America to give his own speech which Stalin declined. Just think what would have ensued if Stalin had accepted!
The public perception of the president as weak and befuddled weighed in domestic matters as well. In trying to resolve the 1946 railroad strike, one of many after the war, the president worked out a reasonable compromise. Truman’s top assistant, John Steelman, telling labor leaders they had to agree to a fair offer from the President of the United States, was told by them that nobody listened to this President. Ineffective in negotiations Truman decided to draft the strikers into the army. Told he was exceeding his constitutional limits, Truman responded that he wasn’t interested in philosophy. Think of a president saying that today! While the Senate voted down his proposed law, his speech to Congress was forceful and popular with the public. But this was followed by embarrassing disarray as Henry Wallace, Truman’s Secretary of Commerce, spoke out in direct contradiction of Truman’s Soviet policy. After more waffling and again looking weak, Truman finally fired Wallace, but the perception of his presidency was again one of incompetence. By the fall of 1946, his approval rating was 32%. A year earlier it had been 82%.
Truman’s fortunes ticked up in 1947 with the appointment of George Marshall as Secretary of State. Marshall was everything Truman hadn’t been: organized, a great delegator, a good judge of men. Marshall was also a team player something the man he replaced, Jimmy Byrnes was not. Marshall was respected and his choice reflected well on Truman. He was someone who Truman could work with and who would help him. Having also made Clark Clifford White House Counsel in 1946, with State Department Undersecretary Dean Acheson playing a more prominent role, the ascendance of George Kennan’s influence, Averill Harriman, Charles Bohlen and George Elsey staying on, Truman was finally assembling a talented team.
March 1947 marked a turning point when The Truman Doctrine advocating containment of Soviet expansion was presented to Congress and aid for Greece and Turkey requested. The Truman Doctrine was based partly on George Kennan’s famous “Long Telegram” and the internal Clifford-Elsey Report. Finally a coherent policy of how to deal with the Soviet Union was being promulgated. This was followed by formulation of the Marshall Plan which recognized America’s interest in Europe’s economic success. The National Security Act followed in July establishing the CIA, the National Security Council, and the unification of the services under the Secretary of Defense. Truman was leading with huge masterful strokes choreographed by his recently formed and exceedingly loyal staff.
Just as he grew in his ability to craft foreign policy, so he grew in terms of Civil Rights. Coming in with a Southern heritage, in office he realized his country needed to change. He was the first president to address the NAACP. He put forward Civil Rights legislation to abolish the poll tax, outlaw lynching and support equal rights when such a stand in 1948 was unpopular with most voters. Later he issued an executive order to end discrimination in the armed forces and the civil service.
He handled the issue of the partition of Palestine and recognition of Israel reasonably well, given a heatedly divided staff. Truman hesitated; looking wobbly again, but in the end came through. His Secretary of State, the extremely popular General Marshall, was adamantly opposed, but with deference and patience, Truman was able to get him to acquiesce and the US became the first nation to recognize Israel. This was also politically expedient. Truman’s response to the Soviet blockade of Berlin was smart and effective. The blockade could have easily led to capitulation or conversely war. Truman threaded the needle with his long term airlift which his advisors told him wouldn’t work.
Truman’s 1948 campaign is the signature event in his career, his fortitude overcoming all odds, his persistence proving the naysayers wrong. It is unusual in national politics to see one person so right in his course, so confident in his decisions, when virtually every pundit, every poll was against him. Dewey helped, overconfident and not personable, running a lackluster campaign. Truman knew how to take advantage and he did it by standing for the things he really believed in. His authenticity connected with the American people.
Truman’s second term brought no respite. Only restraint and persistence saw him through. Russia acquiring the atomic bomb, the decision to develop the H-bomb, the Klaus Fuchs atomic secrets spy scandal, Joe McCarthy’s lists of “communist infiltrators”, North Korea’s invasion of South Korea and last but far from least Douglas MacArthur’s public defiance. As Truman related in retrospect, he was probably too patient with MacArthur. He and the country would have been better off if he had fired MacArthur months earlier. Truman deserves kudos for leadership. Firing MacArthur was extremely unpopular and Truman accepted the heat. He wasn’t devious, no FDR shell games. He fired MacArthur straight out knowing the firestorm of protest that awaited him.
Truman left office unloved and unwanted (22% approval, Nixon had 24% when he left office) by a public lost in McCarthyism and the tail fins growing on their cars. Only time would reveal his true legacy. Cast in a role he never envisioned, he got off to a shaky start, but in the end he held his own in the most demanding times in the most demanding job in the world even if the public did not appreciate it. And he did it the right way, without resorting to deceit, backhand deals and quid pro quos. He guided America through many complex and dangerous challenges. We in America were very fortunate to have him as our president. Truman was a great leader and McCullough’s book is a great testament to his accomplishments.
September 28, 2024
When I downloaded the audio book, the 54 hour run time seemed insane to me. But it flew by, feeling like I was listening to a fast-paced action story. What an incredible life, from his WWI heroism, dramatic come from behind election wins, and of course all the tumultuous world events he was at the center of.
I never really appreciated all the important changes that happened during his presidency, and Truman’s hand in guiding that course. The endearing story of his courtship with Bess was also a highlight of the book.
I am tempted to list all the great stories I learned in the book, but I will just talk about one: the story of Truman’s pick as VP in 1944. It came down to 3 very different men: Jimmy Byrnes, the conservative southern segregationist, Henry Wallace, the nerdy left-wing progressive, and Truman. The decision happened at the Democratic National Convention over the course of a few days and was ultimately decided by the actions of a small number of power brokers and some lucky bounces that landed Truman’s way. Everyone knew that the VP choice would likely be President, as FDR was in poor health, but the decisions were based more on electoral considerations than anything else. There was a lot of crazy drama and things could have easily ended up in a different direction. Who knows how history would have unfolded if it was Byrnes or Wallace that got the nod instead.
I cannot resist mentioning one other thing that was wild to me. In 1948, as Truman’s popularity was in decline, many Democrats wanted Eisenhower to take Truman’s place as the Democratic nominee. Truman himself even entertained this. Never mind that they did not know what Eisenhower’s political beliefs were, as in fact he was a Republican. Or that he did not even want the job. The widespread clamor for him to be the Democratic nominee was just weird.
While the political drama was very entertaining, at its heart, the book is a study of character. Truman’s character was tested in some of the most extreme ways imaginable: war, politics, personal attacks, opportunities for personal gain in morally questionable ways. And he sometimes failed, as he is flawed like all of us. But overall, he has a record to be proud of. From Truman’s personal letters, which fortunately have been preserved, we can get a lot of insight into his thoughts as he faced these challenges. What was striking to me is how deeply and how often, starting from an early age, he thought about history, philosophy, and what kind of person he wanted to be. It felt to me that this prepared him for the moral challenges he would later face.
I never really appreciated all the important changes that happened during his presidency, and Truman’s hand in guiding that course. The endearing story of his courtship with Bess was also a highlight of the book.
I am tempted to list all the great stories I learned in the book, but I will just talk about one: the story of Truman’s pick as VP in 1944. It came down to 3 very different men: Jimmy Byrnes, the conservative southern segregationist, Henry Wallace, the nerdy left-wing progressive, and Truman. The decision happened at the Democratic National Convention over the course of a few days and was ultimately decided by the actions of a small number of power brokers and some lucky bounces that landed Truman’s way. Everyone knew that the VP choice would likely be President, as FDR was in poor health, but the decisions were based more on electoral considerations than anything else. There was a lot of crazy drama and things could have easily ended up in a different direction. Who knows how history would have unfolded if it was Byrnes or Wallace that got the nod instead.
I cannot resist mentioning one other thing that was wild to me. In 1948, as Truman’s popularity was in decline, many Democrats wanted Eisenhower to take Truman’s place as the Democratic nominee. Truman himself even entertained this. Never mind that they did not know what Eisenhower’s political beliefs were, as in fact he was a Republican. Or that he did not even want the job. The widespread clamor for him to be the Democratic nominee was just weird.
While the political drama was very entertaining, at its heart, the book is a study of character. Truman’s character was tested in some of the most extreme ways imaginable: war, politics, personal attacks, opportunities for personal gain in morally questionable ways. And he sometimes failed, as he is flawed like all of us. But overall, he has a record to be proud of. From Truman’s personal letters, which fortunately have been preserved, we can get a lot of insight into his thoughts as he faced these challenges. What was striking to me is how deeply and how often, starting from an early age, he thought about history, philosophy, and what kind of person he wanted to be. It felt to me that this prepared him for the moral challenges he would later face.
July 12, 2015
Excellent read for lining up all the threads of a great leader's life in a narrative that flows like the story from a novel. Even at 1,000 pages, so much history passed through Truman's hands that major events such as the decision to bomb Hiroshima and the Korean War have to slip by with only a few pages. What comes through as a thread in the whole tapestry is the fundamental decency of the man, a pragmatism typical of farmers who face diverse challenges day by day, and a core belief in fairness for all and a distaste for wealthy privilege. His empathy for the poor was based on his own experience of the farming life and early business failures. His racist language is downplayed in relation to his efforts as president to support a Jewish State and steps toward civil rights. His political origins through the Pendergast machine in Kansas City taught him how to use and live with a patronage system, but it also seems to have given him enough knowledge of corruption and monied power to make his name exposing corruption as a senator and to be vigilant about influence buying while a president. Got to appreciate a fellow who hated Hoover and McCarthy from the get go. He saw enough war as an artillery captain in World War 1 to hate war, but was effective enough at it to inform his role as Commander in Chief during both the end of World War 2 and the Korean War. Despite a conception of Truman as hot tempered, his restraint was often remarkable. For example, the impulse to fire McArthur immediately for pushing in the media for a war with China was tempered by waiting for assessment of his value from a military perspective by the Joint Chiefs.
October 22, 2013
ETA: I adored this book when I read it, but now my perspectives are a bit changed....... I am currently reading American Prometheus by Kai Bird. It is essential to get another view on Truman's actions and choices concerning atomic weapons, the arms race and the Cold War. To get a fuller understanding of the time and era I strongly recommend reading American Prometheus too!
**************************************
I listened to the audiobook format of this book, that means more than 54 hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Little content could have been removed. The narration by Nelson Runger was wonderful. I have complained about his slurping before, but the producers have removed the slurps. His steady clear pace perfectly matches the informative text. His intonation for Truman, was perfect, both the strength of his speeches in the presidency and his reflections, to-the-point remarks and sarcastic jokes of the elderly man. Our voice does change with age, and Runger has mastered this. (Some voices were, however, in my opinion, too low and ponderous.) At the end, and this is a book that covers all aspects of Truman’s life, from birth to death, i.e. 1884-1972, there were tears in my eyes. This is a book about a man dedicated to fighting for his beliefs, but he was a politician at heart. Keep in mind that I tend to instinctively distrust politicians. It is rather remarkable that I so loved this book. I will try to never again shy away from a book about politicians……well, at least such books written by John McCullough.
Why did I love this book? You learn about American life and values as they were when America was still a land of pioneers to what it had become by the middle of the 20th Century. What the political parties stood for has changed dramatically with time. On completion of this book you have a thorough understanding of the American party system. You travel from an agrarian Midwest value mindset through WW1, the Depression, the New Deal, WW2, the emergence of atomic weapons, the birth of the UN and NATO, the Berlin blockade and successful airlift, the Cold War and McCarthyism, the focus on civil rights, the Korean War all the way up to Kennedy’s presidency. You follow this time-period through the life of a man living through its events, and a man who as president shaped many of these events. McCullough gives you a thorough understanding of all these events and a thorough understanding of the man Truman.
It is an honest book that never shies away from the mistakes made. I wasn’t thrilled with Truman’s friendship and dependence upon Pendergast. I felt that Truman’s relationship with his wife was at first not adequately clarified. By the end I understood Truman, all of him. I believe I comprehend both his familial relationships and the value he put on friendships, which explain his relationship with Pendergast . You see both the good and the bad. I very much admire the strength and forthrightness of Truman who was at heart a marvelous politician. Yes, definitely a politician who fought for his party and made mistakes, but dam he tried his best. Always. He never shirked his responsibilities. He never ran away from a problem, but faced them head on. He was not infallible. I still don’t understand why they never had more children……
I was born in 1951. I understand now what my parents lived through and why they were who they were. I understand now what lead up to the world I was born into. I totally loved this book.
**************************************
I listened to the audiobook format of this book, that means more than 54 hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Little content could have been removed. The narration by Nelson Runger was wonderful. I have complained about his slurping before, but the producers have removed the slurps. His steady clear pace perfectly matches the informative text. His intonation for Truman, was perfect, both the strength of his speeches in the presidency and his reflections, to-the-point remarks and sarcastic jokes of the elderly man. Our voice does change with age, and Runger has mastered this. (Some voices were, however, in my opinion, too low and ponderous.) At the end, and this is a book that covers all aspects of Truman’s life, from birth to death, i.e. 1884-1972, there were tears in my eyes. This is a book about a man dedicated to fighting for his beliefs, but he was a politician at heart. Keep in mind that I tend to instinctively distrust politicians. It is rather remarkable that I so loved this book. I will try to never again shy away from a book about politicians……well, at least such books written by John McCullough.
Why did I love this book? You learn about American life and values as they were when America was still a land of pioneers to what it had become by the middle of the 20th Century. What the political parties stood for has changed dramatically with time. On completion of this book you have a thorough understanding of the American party system. You travel from an agrarian Midwest value mindset through WW1, the Depression, the New Deal, WW2, the emergence of atomic weapons, the birth of the UN and NATO, the Berlin blockade and successful airlift, the Cold War and McCarthyism, the focus on civil rights, the Korean War all the way up to Kennedy’s presidency. You follow this time-period through the life of a man living through its events, and a man who as president shaped many of these events. McCullough gives you a thorough understanding of all these events and a thorough understanding of the man Truman.
It is an honest book that never shies away from the mistakes made. I wasn’t thrilled with Truman’s friendship and dependence upon Pendergast. I felt that Truman’s relationship with his wife was at first not adequately clarified. By the end I understood Truman, all of him. I believe I comprehend both his familial relationships and the value he put on friendships, which explain his relationship with Pendergast . You see both the good and the bad. I very much admire the strength and forthrightness of Truman who was at heart a marvelous politician. Yes, definitely a politician who fought for his party and made mistakes, but dam he tried his best. Always. He never shirked his responsibilities. He never ran away from a problem, but faced them head on. He was not infallible. I still don’t understand why they never had more children……
I was born in 1951. I understand now what my parents lived through and why they were who they were. I understand now what lead up to the world I was born into. I totally loved this book.
April 17, 2013
A good and complete biography of Truman. David McCullough describes well the political events surrounding the era and his climb to power – which was gradual but well earned. Truman was only two years younger than Roosevelt but in far better health. He was a vastly different person more prone to indiscretions. Even so he survived well in a turbulent era - the end of World War II, taking the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, the commencement of the Cold War, the creation of the state of Israel (where he did waffle) and the Korean War. Truman importantly promoted the U.N.
He was not afraid to take decisions, but he could be petulant as in writing to the Washington Post when they dared to criticize his daughter’s musical performance at a concert (this was something Roosevelt would never have done).
I felt the author devoted too many pages to the 1948 campaign (over 60 pages). Very little was said about Truman’s efforts to desegregate the armed forces (how much opposition did this receive?) Also I am somewhat perplexed about Truman’s marriage to his wife Bess. He did marry quite late – at 35 – which is unusual in that era. Bess did not spend that much time with him in Washington during his Senate and Presidential years when he could have used the emotional support. Also they resided in her mother’s house when in Independence, Missouri. For a strong-willed individual Harry Truman seemed to be dominated by both his wife and mother-in-law.
His firing of Douglas MacArthur is well depicted as well as his increasing frustration with Joe McCarthy – where it could be said that it was beneath presidential dignity to deal with such a scoundrel. His friendship with his staff – Clark Clifford, Dean Acheson and the illustrious George Marshall is conveyed. His growing irritation with his successor Eisenhower is interesting.
A portrait of a warm and up-front person emerges – plus that of someone who could quickly grasp new situations and evaluate new personalities (with the exception of Josef Stalin – but he was not alone in this). He was expeditious to root out the “hangers on” of the Roosevelt administration, but did not lose site of the accomplishments of that era.
He was not afraid to take decisions, but he could be petulant as in writing to the Washington Post when they dared to criticize his daughter’s musical performance at a concert (this was something Roosevelt would never have done).
I felt the author devoted too many pages to the 1948 campaign (over 60 pages). Very little was said about Truman’s efforts to desegregate the armed forces (how much opposition did this receive?) Also I am somewhat perplexed about Truman’s marriage to his wife Bess. He did marry quite late – at 35 – which is unusual in that era. Bess did not spend that much time with him in Washington during his Senate and Presidential years when he could have used the emotional support. Also they resided in her mother’s house when in Independence, Missouri. For a strong-willed individual Harry Truman seemed to be dominated by both his wife and mother-in-law.
His firing of Douglas MacArthur is well depicted as well as his increasing frustration with Joe McCarthy – where it could be said that it was beneath presidential dignity to deal with such a scoundrel. His friendship with his staff – Clark Clifford, Dean Acheson and the illustrious George Marshall is conveyed. His growing irritation with his successor Eisenhower is interesting.
A portrait of a warm and up-front person emerges – plus that of someone who could quickly grasp new situations and evaluate new personalities (with the exception of Josef Stalin – but he was not alone in this). He was expeditious to root out the “hangers on” of the Roosevelt administration, but did not lose site of the accomplishments of that era.
September 3, 2022
Truman is David McCullough's cradle-to-grave account of the life and career of Harry S. Truman, a president who, despite being overshadowed by the likes of Washington, Lincoln and FDR in collective historical memory, arguably had an even greater impact on the world than those more vaunted leaders. Certainly, one gets the impression from McCullough's hefty tome that Truman was one of the more courageous men to assume the presidency, trusting his instincts and sense of honour as he navigated the grim conclusion of World War II, then clung brilliantly to power in the face of Thomas E. Dewey's challenge -- an election campaign about which McCullough writes brilliantly. Indeed, Truman tells you just about everything you might want to know about its subject, although McCullough at times shies away from the aspects of Truman's character that he'd evidently rather not know. I didn't really buy McCullough's insistence that Truman, who was given to using racist language in his correspondence, had issues with the Civil Rights Movement simply because he fell for J. Edgar Hoover's "communism" bugaboo, and especially not after McCullough had already documented Truman's contempt for Joseph McCarthy and his fellow red scare witchfinders. Despite this, McCullough doesn't go all-in on the whitewashing of his subject like lesser biographers might have. Ultimately, Truman emerges as a credible, essential biography of one of America's greatest leaders.
April 28, 2019
Few presidents have made as many pivotal decisions or faced the number of history-changing events as Harry Truman -- the final five months of World War II, the Potsdam conference, the birth of atomic warfare, the post-war nationwide rail strike, the Marshall Plan, the partition of Palestine and the creation of Israel, the Czechoslovak coup d'etat, the Berlin Airlift, war in Korea and the relief of Douglas MacArthur, the formation of NATO, the reorganization of the U.S. defense establishment and the wartime government seizure of the steel industry. Truman faced these issues with determination, honesty, directness, and complete faith in his administration and the fundamental common sense of the American people.
McCullough summed up Truman's story on the last page:
If Truman's life was an American Odyssey, then McCullough was his Homer. He combined broad research and interviews with an engaging prose style to create a comprehensive, detailed, and easily-readable look at the life of the 33rd President of the United States. At 992 pages of text (the Simon & Schuster 1st edition), it never dragged or seemed padded. McCullough's Truman clearly demonstrates his standing, alongside Jean Edward Smith, as one of the two leading biographers of illustrious figures in American history. Harry Truman deserved a biographer of David McCullough's skill and stature. Truman is certainly Five Star material in my library.
McCullough summed up Truman's story on the last page:
He was the kind of president the founding fathers had in mind for the country. He came directly from the people. He was America. In his time, in his experience, from small town to farm to World War in far-off France in 1918; from financial failure after the war to the world of big-city machine politics to the revolutionary years of the New Deal in Washington to the surge of American power during still another terrible World War, he had taken part in the great chronicle of American life as might have a character in a novel. There was something almost allegorical about it all: The Man of Independence and His Odyssey.
If Truman's life was an American Odyssey, then McCullough was his Homer. He combined broad research and interviews with an engaging prose style to create a comprehensive, detailed, and easily-readable look at the life of the 33rd President of the United States. At 992 pages of text (the Simon & Schuster 1st edition), it never dragged or seemed padded. McCullough's Truman clearly demonstrates his standing, alongside Jean Edward Smith, as one of the two leading biographers of illustrious figures in American history. Harry Truman deserved a biographer of David McCullough's skill and stature. Truman is certainly Five Star material in my library.
June 19, 2008
David McCullough is a master, plain and simple. Who else could make a 992 page paperback biography compulsively readable? I knew essentially nothing about Harry Truman before reading this biography, and now I think he might be my favorite president. Truly a man of the people, who never let the highest office in the country go to his head, Truman made difficult decisions that would have crippled other men within the first four months of his presidency. While not all of his policies were popular during his time, most have been shown to be the right course of action in hindsight. His decision to use the atomic bomb to end World War II lay heavily on conscience, and because of that he was reluctant to ever use it again. Because of this, even with public outcry growing, he refused to use the atomic bomb or the newly developed H-bomb in Korea. Truman was a man of his principles, who put the good of the nation and the people who lived in it before the good of his own public image. I think all of our modern leaders could learn some valuable lessons about public service by following the example of Harrison S. Truman.
April 22, 2024
Audible credit 54 hours 17 min. Narrated by Nelson Runger (A)
Review:
I was born in 1947, lived outside D.C, and my mother was an avid follower of the news (Chet Huntley and David Brinkly, Walter Cronkite) and the first president I remember is Dwight D. Eisenhower. As Republicans my parents probably voted for him. Before reading this biography, I had a vague negative opinion of Harry Truman perhaps because of his swearing. I still do not approve of cursing, but my opinion of Truman has improved 90 percent.
He wasn't a perfect man but who among us is? He is the prime example of how a common man without even a college degree could become the leader of the Free World and do a good job. Truman knew his greatest asset was his ability to make friends with men who had the experience he lacked. He was beloved by the the White House staff and his secret service agents "the little people." Friends from his childhood stood willingly behind him even during the darkest, most trying times, not because because was president but because he was Harry Truman, the friend. I loved the letters from Harry Truman to his mother, sister, cousin, daughter and especially his wife. These gave more real introspection of the man he was.
This is such a great biography! I only regret that it wasn't until last year that I discovered David McCullough. I have been working my way through his works starting with John Adams in 2021.
I love ice cream, and I admit I'm a snob. I'd rather have a pint of a quality product than a quart of lesser quality. As the end of Harry Truman's life was approaching, I felt like I was scraping the bottom of the container of my favorite mint chocolate chip. It was so delicious that I was sad to see it end!
For a truly remarkable review of this book read the one written by Stefania D from April, 2021. She's written a brilliant review!
Personal notes only I use a tablet for GR and don't have the luxury of saving a file.
My introduction to two great "wise men" Henry L. Stimson and Clark Clifford, each deserving of their own biographies.
George C. Marshall. David Lillianthal (TVA, civilin head of AEC) James Forrestal ( super carrier fire Vietnam Nam 1st Sec. Depart. of Defense), Dean Atcheson, Charlie Ross
Cincinatus the mythical hero championed by Geo. Washington also admired by HST.
HST knew that the alure of power was addictive like gambling and drinking.
Cutting the fat from the defense dept spending ultimately cut muscle and bone ultimately Truman's responsibility. HST ignored the advice of Forrestal at drastic drawdown after WW2.
Responsible for organizing the Berlin Airlift and the recognition of Israel as a country.
First president since Lincoln to back civil rights for blacks. Ordered integragration of the military and federal civil service jobs.
Douglas MacArthur prima dona Korea came as complete surprise Truman has no reservations about fighting in Korea but his greatest fear was of it becoming 3rd WW against Communists. He resisted using nuclear weapons.The war dragged on for years despite Ts best efforts to to arrive at an honorable peace. This peace did not come until the death of Stalin and that during Ike's first term.
Joe McCarthy's baseless hectoring and vile accusations of Communist agenda against the President, Dean Acheson ,and especially George Marshall.
The sudden loss of his boyhood friend Charles Ellis who had become his White House press secretary and advisor deeply affected him during his presidency as did the sudden death of his only close male friend Dean Acheson at the end of his life. HST took friendship seriously.
HT was never financially secure enough to even own his own home. When he and Bess were married, Truman moved into his mother-in-law's house where the couple continued to live throughout his career and until his death.When they first went to Washington, D.C. after his election as senator, they were forced to move five times trying to find a place they could afford. When he suddenly became president, they moved into the Blair house until Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Hopkin's and others could vacate the White House. When they did move into the White House, it was in such poor condition, it was not only embarrassing it was dangerous. The floor was actually unsafe giving way underneath weight of the president's bathroom and his daughter's piano. They were forced to move back to the Blair House where they lived throughout most of the renovation but moved back into "the tax payers house", Truman felt deeply about maintaining original integriy and faithful restoration after the interior demolition. Three years four months later President and Mrs.Truman were able to move back into the most famous American house and HST pronounced it "lovely."
April 12, 1950 he wrote a letter refusing to run for presidency in 1952 and filed it away, and brought out to deliver two years later.
HST recognized leadership skills of D.D.E during WW2 and even offered to support him as Democrat for president. When DDE finally ran as a Republican, he snubbed HST even to to point of ignoring him in person. HST felt this personally because had held Ike in such high regard. After Ike was elected, HST offered to have Ike into his office to help bring Ike up-to-date and to help with a smooth transition of power, Ike refused his help. Ike even refused a dinner at the WH, and on the morning of inauguration even refused to come in for coffee though they were riding together. Ike was completely caught off guard to see his son who was stationed in Korea waiting at the inauguration. One of Truman's last acts as president had been to assure that Ike's son be released temporarily from his duties in Korea and flown to DC to see his father take the oath of office. Truman did what he thought was right and honorable without making it known to either man.
HST left for MO without a pension money he had saved from his salary as P invested in government bonds, no offers for a real job. He had to get a small loan from a DC bank to tide them over until he could "make do". He refused to peddle his position as President to be used in any way for financial gain.
Truman was devastated by the assassination of John F. Kennedy for whom he taken a great liking despite the fact that he hated John's father. He and Bess had even had dinner at the White House with President and Mrs. Kennedy. It brought back the unsuccessful attack on his own life years ago.
One his greatest joys was to become grandfather to four boys and he delighted in introducing them to his little WH in the FL Keys.
HST worked tirelessly to raise funds for his presidential library in his hometown of Independence, Missouri. His presence there and interaction with the visitors bought joy to the final years of his life. Great story of the painting of the mural.
Sorry to have to use Goodreads as a record of some of the highlights I have learned.
Review:
I was born in 1947, lived outside D.C, and my mother was an avid follower of the news (Chet Huntley and David Brinkly, Walter Cronkite) and the first president I remember is Dwight D. Eisenhower. As Republicans my parents probably voted for him. Before reading this biography, I had a vague negative opinion of Harry Truman perhaps because of his swearing. I still do not approve of cursing, but my opinion of Truman has improved 90 percent.
He wasn't a perfect man but who among us is? He is the prime example of how a common man without even a college degree could become the leader of the Free World and do a good job. Truman knew his greatest asset was his ability to make friends with men who had the experience he lacked. He was beloved by the the White House staff and his secret service agents "the little people." Friends from his childhood stood willingly behind him even during the darkest, most trying times, not because because was president but because he was Harry Truman, the friend. I loved the letters from Harry Truman to his mother, sister, cousin, daughter and especially his wife. These gave more real introspection of the man he was.
This is such a great biography! I only regret that it wasn't until last year that I discovered David McCullough. I have been working my way through his works starting with John Adams in 2021.
I love ice cream, and I admit I'm a snob. I'd rather have a pint of a quality product than a quart of lesser quality. As the end of Harry Truman's life was approaching, I felt like I was scraping the bottom of the container of my favorite mint chocolate chip. It was so delicious that I was sad to see it end!
For a truly remarkable review of this book read the one written by Stefania D from April, 2021. She's written a brilliant review!
Personal notes only I use a tablet for GR and don't have the luxury of saving a file.
My introduction to two great "wise men" Henry L. Stimson and Clark Clifford, each deserving of their own biographies.
George C. Marshall. David Lillianthal (TVA, civilin head of AEC) James Forrestal ( super carrier fire Vietnam Nam 1st Sec. Depart. of Defense), Dean Atcheson, Charlie Ross
Cincinatus the mythical hero championed by Geo. Washington also admired by HST.
HST knew that the alure of power was addictive like gambling and drinking.
Cutting the fat from the defense dept spending ultimately cut muscle and bone ultimately Truman's responsibility. HST ignored the advice of Forrestal at drastic drawdown after WW2.
Responsible for organizing the Berlin Airlift and the recognition of Israel as a country.
First president since Lincoln to back civil rights for blacks. Ordered integragration of the military and federal civil service jobs.
Douglas MacArthur prima dona Korea came as complete surprise Truman has no reservations about fighting in Korea but his greatest fear was of it becoming 3rd WW against Communists. He resisted using nuclear weapons.The war dragged on for years despite Ts best efforts to to arrive at an honorable peace. This peace did not come until the death of Stalin and that during Ike's first term.
Joe McCarthy's baseless hectoring and vile accusations of Communist agenda against the President, Dean Acheson ,and especially George Marshall.
The sudden loss of his boyhood friend Charles Ellis who had become his White House press secretary and advisor deeply affected him during his presidency as did the sudden death of his only close male friend Dean Acheson at the end of his life. HST took friendship seriously.
HT was never financially secure enough to even own his own home. When he and Bess were married, Truman moved into his mother-in-law's house where the couple continued to live throughout his career and until his death.When they first went to Washington, D.C. after his election as senator, they were forced to move five times trying to find a place they could afford. When he suddenly became president, they moved into the Blair house until Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Hopkin's and others could vacate the White House. When they did move into the White House, it was in such poor condition, it was not only embarrassing it was dangerous. The floor was actually unsafe giving way underneath weight of the president's bathroom and his daughter's piano. They were forced to move back to the Blair House where they lived throughout most of the renovation but moved back into "the tax payers house", Truman felt deeply about maintaining original integriy and faithful restoration after the interior demolition. Three years four months later President and Mrs.Truman were able to move back into the most famous American house and HST pronounced it "lovely."
April 12, 1950 he wrote a letter refusing to run for presidency in 1952 and filed it away, and brought out to deliver two years later.
HST recognized leadership skills of D.D.E during WW2 and even offered to support him as Democrat for president. When DDE finally ran as a Republican, he snubbed HST even to to point of ignoring him in person. HST felt this personally because had held Ike in such high regard. After Ike was elected, HST offered to have Ike into his office to help bring Ike up-to-date and to help with a smooth transition of power, Ike refused his help. Ike even refused a dinner at the WH, and on the morning of inauguration even refused to come in for coffee though they were riding together. Ike was completely caught off guard to see his son who was stationed in Korea waiting at the inauguration. One of Truman's last acts as president had been to assure that Ike's son be released temporarily from his duties in Korea and flown to DC to see his father take the oath of office. Truman did what he thought was right and honorable without making it known to either man.
HST left for MO without a pension money he had saved from his salary as P invested in government bonds, no offers for a real job. He had to get a small loan from a DC bank to tide them over until he could "make do". He refused to peddle his position as President to be used in any way for financial gain.
Truman was devastated by the assassination of John F. Kennedy for whom he taken a great liking despite the fact that he hated John's father. He and Bess had even had dinner at the White House with President and Mrs. Kennedy. It brought back the unsuccessful attack on his own life years ago.
One his greatest joys was to become grandfather to four boys and he delighted in introducing them to his little WH in the FL Keys.
HST worked tirelessly to raise funds for his presidential library in his hometown of Independence, Missouri. His presence there and interaction with the visitors bought joy to the final years of his life. Great story of the painting of the mural.
Sorry to have to use Goodreads as a record of some of the highlights I have learned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2013
I see that Steve has recently given a marvellous, in-depth review of this splendid biography on Harry S. Truman’s life that I purchased way back on 30 October 1992 (I always date my books for reference) and so I won't even attempt to write a review such as his but then I probably wouldn't have been capable of doing that anyway. This after all is American history.
I had forgotten that I had this book but I had been browsing through another goodreads' author’s books (I always do this if they "like" the same book that I do, and I just like to check on what sort of books they are reading), and saw the picture of Truman on the cover of one of them. Due to that I came across Steve’s review.
It's a large book of 996 pages, excluding the source notes, index and bibliography, and it took me a while to read but it was absolutely riveting. The only thing that I didn't like, and I never have, is the use of an atomic bomb at Hiroshima and the disastrous consequences. Such a waste of human life but then to put it tritely, that’s war I guess. I am an individual who detests any form of violence (I live in dread of another world war) and/or suffering to human beings and animals. I cannot even intentionally kill an ant, and if there is a downpour and all the worms are hurrying across the roads, I will pick them up, and put them quite a way from the edge of the road up so that cars will not run over them.
Part Three, To the Best of my Ability, from page 345 gives all the background to this horrific act. Can one blame Roosevelt for setting this idea in motion, in retaliation for what happened at Okinawa, prior to his death on April 12, 1945? Also why did Truman delay on the date? Did he subconsciously feel guilty? One will never know I guess.
“The battle of Okinawa still raged. In the end more than 12,000 Americans would be killed, 36,000 wounded. Japanese losses were ten times worse – 110,000 Japanese killed – and as later studies show, civilian deaths (innocent people!) on the island may have been as high as 150,000, or a third of the population."
Was this a game of tit for tat? Could a country decide to do that now in 2013? Would they in fact even dare with the consequences? Look at North Korea recently. That��s a disturbing fact.
“Big bomb dropped on Hiroshima August 5 at 7:15 pm Washington time. First reports indicate complete success which was even more conspicuous than earlier test.” The second sentence sounds so callous.
The dreadful deed had been done. Was the fear that the Russians getting in first the main worry that had brought this about?
Apart from that fact, time permitting, I will reread this brilliantly written book and I highly recommend it.
I had forgotten that I had this book but I had been browsing through another goodreads' author’s books (I always do this if they "like" the same book that I do, and I just like to check on what sort of books they are reading), and saw the picture of Truman on the cover of one of them. Due to that I came across Steve’s review.
It's a large book of 996 pages, excluding the source notes, index and bibliography, and it took me a while to read but it was absolutely riveting. The only thing that I didn't like, and I never have, is the use of an atomic bomb at Hiroshima and the disastrous consequences. Such a waste of human life but then to put it tritely, that’s war I guess. I am an individual who detests any form of violence (I live in dread of another world war) and/or suffering to human beings and animals. I cannot even intentionally kill an ant, and if there is a downpour and all the worms are hurrying across the roads, I will pick them up, and put them quite a way from the edge of the road up so that cars will not run over them.
Part Three, To the Best of my Ability, from page 345 gives all the background to this horrific act. Can one blame Roosevelt for setting this idea in motion, in retaliation for what happened at Okinawa, prior to his death on April 12, 1945? Also why did Truman delay on the date? Did he subconsciously feel guilty? One will never know I guess.
“The battle of Okinawa still raged. In the end more than 12,000 Americans would be killed, 36,000 wounded. Japanese losses were ten times worse – 110,000 Japanese killed – and as later studies show, civilian deaths (innocent people!) on the island may have been as high as 150,000, or a third of the population."
Was this a game of tit for tat? Could a country decide to do that now in 2013? Would they in fact even dare with the consequences? Look at North Korea recently. That��s a disturbing fact.
“Big bomb dropped on Hiroshima August 5 at 7:15 pm Washington time. First reports indicate complete success which was even more conspicuous than earlier test.” The second sentence sounds so callous.
The dreadful deed had been done. Was the fear that the Russians getting in first the main worry that had brought this about?
Apart from that fact, time permitting, I will reread this brilliantly written book and I highly recommend it.
February 2, 2008
Oh, yes, I am ambitious. This book must be 1000 pages. It's huge... and interesting so far. And it won a Pulitzer. I'm reading it because McCullough's bio of John Adams made me bawl like a baby when I got near the end. I mean-- how can one not cry upon reading about Adams and Jefferson BOTH living until and dying on July 4th, the same July 4th, out of sheer will? I wish more Americans and people in general knew these stories and of these people rather than just knowing a lot of fiction. And I do love fiction, too... but the stories of real lives matter most, I think. They are the ones that can truly inspire and make me feel that I am human-- or not alone in my foibles and weaknesses.
Anyway, I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read six bios per year. This will be my second. ;) I feel like I'm learning so much about whole time periods, not just about individual figures. And it's the little details about a person's life and times that are so interesting, I find. Right now, I'm in the beginning where McCullough discusses Truman's roots in Missouri.
As I've read on, I have learned so much about why the south and Missouri and other "border states" as they were called in the Civil War hold the viewpoints they do even to this day. It literally goes back 200+ years.
Anyway, I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read six bios per year. This will be my second. ;) I feel like I'm learning so much about whole time periods, not just about individual figures. And it's the little details about a person's life and times that are so interesting, I find. Right now, I'm in the beginning where McCullough discusses Truman's roots in Missouri.
As I've read on, I have learned so much about why the south and Missouri and other "border states" as they were called in the Civil War hold the viewpoints they do even to this day. It literally goes back 200+ years.
August 6, 2023
Meticulous research, clear, evocative writing, and brilliant story-telling. No wonder this won a Pulitzer. Truman’s personal story is more interesting than I expected for a politician reaching the summit of political aspirations. McCullough shows us Truman’s unlikely path to authority and his personal anomalies: never went to college, fascinated with history, always guided by a strong personal code for fair dealing, honesty, and honoring obligations. But the book is so much more. It's the story of corrupt Democratic machine politics that dominated many or most American cities in the first half of the twentieth century. It’s the story of FDR, who backed Truman for reasons we can only guess, though my theory is that FDR saw Truman’s incorruptibility and Truman’s work ethic and thought he would be the best next president. It’s also the story of the atomic bomb, the Truman Plan, the hydrogen bomb, and the Marshall plan that shaped the cold war and our present world. And also the story of President Truman, planning to quash a coal-miner’s strike by drafting the miners, then disrupting a steel-workers strike by seizing steel mills. Truman may not have been the president with the biggest influence on US progress, but no president did more to restore Europe in the face of Soviet aggression. All while keeping the peace.
October 16, 2016
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...
“Truman” is David McCullough’s 1992 biography of the 33rd president. It was the first comprehensive biography of Truman and earned the 1993 Pulitzer Prize in the Biography category. McCullough is a highly-acclaimed author and historian who is probably best known for his 2001 biography of John Adams. He is currently working on a book about the early settlers of the Northwest Territory tentatively titled “The Pioneers.”
True to its reputation, this biography is remarkably lively and engaging for a hefty 992-page tome. McCullough once again demonstrates himself to be an expert storyteller, crafting a fascinating and articulate narrative that generally reads more like fiction than actual history.
A decade in the making, this well-researched biography began to cement Truman’s reputation as something more than a simple man of inferior talent who survived politics only by riding coattails and affiliating himself with powerful political bosses. McCullough works assiduously, but not obtusely, to demonstrate Truman’s optimism, diligence, perseverance and unshakable moral compass…as well as his intrinsic talent for politics.
There are too many praiseworthy moments in this book to mention, but among the best are the discussion of Truman’s military service during WWI, chapters reviewing Truman’s time in the U.S. Senate, description of the covert maneuvering which resulted in Truman’s selection as FDR’s fourth-term VP and the review of Truman’s 1948 Whistle Stop tour. McCullough also adroitly compares and contrasts FDR’s personality with Truman’s (their differences far outweighing their similarities, of course).
Beginning with Truman’s ancestry and moving deliberately (though not speedily) to his death, this is more a “popular” biography than a rigorous academic or analytical examination of his politics and personality. And although McCullough is occasionally critical of Truman’s actions, this is very likely a biography that Truman would have appreciated and enthusiastically endorsed.
Ironically, my least favorite sections of the book were its beginning and its end. While Truman’s humble roots are hardly unimportant to McCullough’s thesis, I found the narrative involving his lineage and early years slow to ramp up. And the eighty or so pages describing his post-presidency seemed relatively uneven and unexciting…but this later period of his life lacks large moments and critical decisions, so it is unsurprising the final chapter suffers by comparison.
Overall, however, David McCullough’s “Truman” proves one of the best presidential biographies of the 164 I’ve read thus far. It is wonderfully animated, thoughtfully revealing, consistently engaging and surprisingly lively. If the hallmark of a great presidential biography is providing a comprehensive (and fascinating) understanding of its subject – and bringing to life the broader history of the era – then David McCullough’s biography of Harry Truman could hardly be more successful.
Overall rating: 4½ stars
“Truman” is David McCullough’s 1992 biography of the 33rd president. It was the first comprehensive biography of Truman and earned the 1993 Pulitzer Prize in the Biography category. McCullough is a highly-acclaimed author and historian who is probably best known for his 2001 biography of John Adams. He is currently working on a book about the early settlers of the Northwest Territory tentatively titled “The Pioneers.”
True to its reputation, this biography is remarkably lively and engaging for a hefty 992-page tome. McCullough once again demonstrates himself to be an expert storyteller, crafting a fascinating and articulate narrative that generally reads more like fiction than actual history.
A decade in the making, this well-researched biography began to cement Truman’s reputation as something more than a simple man of inferior talent who survived politics only by riding coattails and affiliating himself with powerful political bosses. McCullough works assiduously, but not obtusely, to demonstrate Truman’s optimism, diligence, perseverance and unshakable moral compass…as well as his intrinsic talent for politics.
There are too many praiseworthy moments in this book to mention, but among the best are the discussion of Truman’s military service during WWI, chapters reviewing Truman’s time in the U.S. Senate, description of the covert maneuvering which resulted in Truman’s selection as FDR’s fourth-term VP and the review of Truman’s 1948 Whistle Stop tour. McCullough also adroitly compares and contrasts FDR’s personality with Truman’s (their differences far outweighing their similarities, of course).
Beginning with Truman’s ancestry and moving deliberately (though not speedily) to his death, this is more a “popular” biography than a rigorous academic or analytical examination of his politics and personality. And although McCullough is occasionally critical of Truman’s actions, this is very likely a biography that Truman would have appreciated and enthusiastically endorsed.
Ironically, my least favorite sections of the book were its beginning and its end. While Truman’s humble roots are hardly unimportant to McCullough’s thesis, I found the narrative involving his lineage and early years slow to ramp up. And the eighty or so pages describing his post-presidency seemed relatively uneven and unexciting…but this later period of his life lacks large moments and critical decisions, so it is unsurprising the final chapter suffers by comparison.
Overall, however, David McCullough’s “Truman” proves one of the best presidential biographies of the 164 I’ve read thus far. It is wonderfully animated, thoughtfully revealing, consistently engaging and surprisingly lively. If the hallmark of a great presidential biography is providing a comprehensive (and fascinating) understanding of its subject – and bringing to life the broader history of the era – then David McCullough’s biography of Harry Truman could hardly be more successful.
Overall rating: 4½ stars
April 10, 2019
David McCullough's Truman takes an exhaustive, commendably objective look at America's 33rd President. Despite its length (over 1,000 pages!) it's consistently compelling thanks to McCullough's engaging writing style, chronicling Truman's rise from small-town Missouri to the Presidency with verve and excitement. What impressed me most was how willing McCullough to analyze Truman's faults and failures (a marked turn from John Adams, where he seemed eager to airbrush his subject). Truman's involvement with the Pendergast machine, his casual bigotry and slowness to evolve past it; his penchant for surrounding himself with friends and crooked cronies; his naivety towards Stalin (and rebirth as a zealous Cold Warrior), fueling the postwar Red Scare and mishandling Korea all receive fair and copious attention. Even so, these seem to enhance Truman's positive traits: his personal integrity, penchant for decisive (if sometimes misguided) action, and his surprising intelligence and clearheadedness in assessing world events. McCullough marks his assuming office after FDR's death, the adoption of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and the Berlin Airlift and the creation of Israel as Truman's great accomplishments, assessments which may vary depending on your own perspectives. Nonetheless, it's a rich, convincing and very human look at a man who, if not an all-time great president, nonetheless seems refreshingly honest, flexible and decisive compared to recent chief executives.
August 13, 2013
McCullough tackles a political biography sure to reveal much to the reader. For many, Harry Truman is “the president who dropped the bomb” and little else. Any reader who takes the time to digest all that is on offer (a great feat for those who first look at the length of the tome) will soon learn that Truman is much more complex than first presumed. McCullough chooses key moments in Truman’s life and expounds on them, one building off the other, leading to a better understanding of why Truman chose to do some of the more controversial things during his almost 8 years in the White House. While extremely detailed at times, McCullough treats the reader to much of the intricate details of the time and brings some of these ‘one-liners’ in the history books to life with exciting narration and key documents/quotes.
The early chapters of the book, understandably, discuss his life on a Missouri farm, his interactions with family a friends, and his plan to coax Elizabeth Wallace to marry him, that fine day he first saw her at Sunday School. When the US goes into The Great War, Truman, already enlisted, heads off to Europe and McCullough documents his perils and successes, as he rises, briefly, in the military before its end in 1918. Returning to America, Truman tries his hand at being a businessman before eventually making strong roots in the state Democratic Party and becoming a presiding judge.
McCullough gives much attention to Truman’s various roles on the national political scene. As Chair of a committee to examine American military spending during the war, he is catapulted from unknown junior senator to a Democratic up-and-comer. Still little known, even within his Party, in 1944, Truman becomes an unexpected potential contender for the vice-presidential role on the ’44 ticket, with McCullough detailing all the intricacies along the way. A mere 82 days as second in command, FDR’s eventual death thrust Truman into the spotlight, a place he was truly not expecting to be. McCullough pulls on much data and history to forge the Truman relationships with Churchill and Truman at Potsdam. While warming immediately to the British Prime Minister, Truman sees Stalin for the man he is, a power-hungry despot with a perverted communistic outlook. This sentiment is mirrored back in America, as the world watches the three superpowers kick the tires of a defeated Europe. McCullough peppers description of Potsdam with the need to decide on the A-bomb (remember, all this before Truman has had six months at the helm) in such a way that the intensity of both events take an immediate and intense toll on the man.
McCullough’s underlying argument, that there is more to the man than a simple smile, comes through in spades as the world moves forward, sitting on the precipice of a Third World War, the COLD WAR. This term, dismissed by Truman, pervades the rest of his time in office and Stalin remains persona non grata numero uno throughout. Still, there is much more to be done as both superpowers toss insults and military hurdles at one another. McCullough uses his strong storytelling abilities to lay out much of Truman’s domestic, as well as international, policy. Detailed struggles with labour in a post-war America pits Truman against large swaths of the left, alienating some key Democratic support and devastates the party at the 1946 mid-term elections. Facing two Houses in opposition, Truman must push a strong program with strong international flavour to ensure legislative passage. Both the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan come from this highly divisive political period, which paves the way for the 1948 Campaign.
McCullough saves the best research and description for this campaign. Truman has alienated the Party, creating the need for the Dixiecrats, and an apparent sure Republican victory with Thomas Dewey. Minute shifts during the campaign make for sensational reading as the reader absorbs all there is on offer. Interestingly enough, no one (press or public alike) gave Truman a chance in '48, leading to an explosive election-night turnaround.
McCullough posits fleshing out a name for Truman’s middle initial, ‘S’. At times a strong statesman, Truman carries a torch towards the creation of the State of Israel, highly controversial at the time, both domestically and on the international scene. Alternately, Truman is a simpleton, much less a politician and more a family man who finds himself in a position of great power. Through his numerous letters to family and friends McCullough shows that Truman never forgets those who helped shape him, finding great insights in these letters not well documented in the history books. Personal opinions of other world leaders, fellow members of Congress, and thoughts about the world around him, Truman’s inner self comes to the surface. He does not have that typical thirst for power of desire to cut throats to achieve victory.
McCullough goes so far as to present Truman as one who does not see anyone wanting to be president. Worried more about America than his own political success, Truman breaks free from the preconceived notions of president. He seems to ignore the larger political picture, choosing instead to promote Civil Rights, while his party turns on him for such radical ideas.
In the latter part of the book, McCullough devotes much time to the Cold War world in which Truman finds himself. At the helm during the creation of NATO and the UN, Truman uses these bodies to bolster his 'protection of Europe and capitalist values'. When the Korean War emerges out of this ideological tug-of-war, McCullough offers detailed accounts of the fighting and the toll it takes on Truman back in the US. His health takes a hit, as does his personal judgment. A need to 'clean house', both in Korea (with the firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur for speaking out against the Administration) and at home (with cabinet posts and the literal renovation of the White House) leave Truman spiraling downward towards the end of his term in office. That said, an attempted assassination cannot derail his plans to ensure that the Democrats retain the White House, fighting against the greatest hero of the day, Dwight Eisenhower.
The story does not end on January 20th, 1953. McCullough dedicates the last part of the book to the post-POTUS Truman and all that came with it. Truman did not enter the White House a wealthy man, nor was he upon his exit. Looking at life after the spotlight does offer a sobering view of the man and how he coped with being a regular US citizen again. Wonderfully juxtaposed with his lengthy rise to power in the centre portion of the book, McCullough returns to his tenet that Truman is the everyday man President.
Kudos, Mr. McCullough for such a thorough and entertaining political biography. I took so much away and was enthralled from beginning to end about the man ‘who dropped the Bomb’. I can only hope that some of your other work is just as intricate and that I can praise it as highly. Highly recommended for any passionate history buff who wants their eyes opened as much as Robert A. Caro does in his LBJ biography.
The early chapters of the book, understandably, discuss his life on a Missouri farm, his interactions with family a friends, and his plan to coax Elizabeth Wallace to marry him, that fine day he first saw her at Sunday School. When the US goes into The Great War, Truman, already enlisted, heads off to Europe and McCullough documents his perils and successes, as he rises, briefly, in the military before its end in 1918. Returning to America, Truman tries his hand at being a businessman before eventually making strong roots in the state Democratic Party and becoming a presiding judge.
McCullough gives much attention to Truman’s various roles on the national political scene. As Chair of a committee to examine American military spending during the war, he is catapulted from unknown junior senator to a Democratic up-and-comer. Still little known, even within his Party, in 1944, Truman becomes an unexpected potential contender for the vice-presidential role on the ’44 ticket, with McCullough detailing all the intricacies along the way. A mere 82 days as second in command, FDR’s eventual death thrust Truman into the spotlight, a place he was truly not expecting to be. McCullough pulls on much data and history to forge the Truman relationships with Churchill and Truman at Potsdam. While warming immediately to the British Prime Minister, Truman sees Stalin for the man he is, a power-hungry despot with a perverted communistic outlook. This sentiment is mirrored back in America, as the world watches the three superpowers kick the tires of a defeated Europe. McCullough peppers description of Potsdam with the need to decide on the A-bomb (remember, all this before Truman has had six months at the helm) in such a way that the intensity of both events take an immediate and intense toll on the man.
McCullough’s underlying argument, that there is more to the man than a simple smile, comes through in spades as the world moves forward, sitting on the precipice of a Third World War, the COLD WAR. This term, dismissed by Truman, pervades the rest of his time in office and Stalin remains persona non grata numero uno throughout. Still, there is much more to be done as both superpowers toss insults and military hurdles at one another. McCullough uses his strong storytelling abilities to lay out much of Truman’s domestic, as well as international, policy. Detailed struggles with labour in a post-war America pits Truman against large swaths of the left, alienating some key Democratic support and devastates the party at the 1946 mid-term elections. Facing two Houses in opposition, Truman must push a strong program with strong international flavour to ensure legislative passage. Both the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan come from this highly divisive political period, which paves the way for the 1948 Campaign.
McCullough saves the best research and description for this campaign. Truman has alienated the Party, creating the need for the Dixiecrats, and an apparent sure Republican victory with Thomas Dewey. Minute shifts during the campaign make for sensational reading as the reader absorbs all there is on offer. Interestingly enough, no one (press or public alike) gave Truman a chance in '48, leading to an explosive election-night turnaround.
McCullough posits fleshing out a name for Truman’s middle initial, ‘S’. At times a strong statesman, Truman carries a torch towards the creation of the State of Israel, highly controversial at the time, both domestically and on the international scene. Alternately, Truman is a simpleton, much less a politician and more a family man who finds himself in a position of great power. Through his numerous letters to family and friends McCullough shows that Truman never forgets those who helped shape him, finding great insights in these letters not well documented in the history books. Personal opinions of other world leaders, fellow members of Congress, and thoughts about the world around him, Truman’s inner self comes to the surface. He does not have that typical thirst for power of desire to cut throats to achieve victory.
McCullough goes so far as to present Truman as one who does not see anyone wanting to be president. Worried more about America than his own political success, Truman breaks free from the preconceived notions of president. He seems to ignore the larger political picture, choosing instead to promote Civil Rights, while his party turns on him for such radical ideas.
In the latter part of the book, McCullough devotes much time to the Cold War world in which Truman finds himself. At the helm during the creation of NATO and the UN, Truman uses these bodies to bolster his 'protection of Europe and capitalist values'. When the Korean War emerges out of this ideological tug-of-war, McCullough offers detailed accounts of the fighting and the toll it takes on Truman back in the US. His health takes a hit, as does his personal judgment. A need to 'clean house', both in Korea (with the firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur for speaking out against the Administration) and at home (with cabinet posts and the literal renovation of the White House) leave Truman spiraling downward towards the end of his term in office. That said, an attempted assassination cannot derail his plans to ensure that the Democrats retain the White House, fighting against the greatest hero of the day, Dwight Eisenhower.
The story does not end on January 20th, 1953. McCullough dedicates the last part of the book to the post-POTUS Truman and all that came with it. Truman did not enter the White House a wealthy man, nor was he upon his exit. Looking at life after the spotlight does offer a sobering view of the man and how he coped with being a regular US citizen again. Wonderfully juxtaposed with his lengthy rise to power in the centre portion of the book, McCullough returns to his tenet that Truman is the everyday man President.
Kudos, Mr. McCullough for such a thorough and entertaining political biography. I took so much away and was enthralled from beginning to end about the man ‘who dropped the Bomb’. I can only hope that some of your other work is just as intricate and that I can praise it as highly. Highly recommended for any passionate history buff who wants their eyes opened as much as Robert A. Caro does in his LBJ biography.
July 25, 2019
"Truman" is like a balm to the soul given the endless sewage spewing from Trump and his sycophants. Honesty, modesty, loyalty, diligence, and thoughtfulness are the first first words that come to mind to describe HST after reading "Truman." How I miss those qualities in a president.
After struggling through the first chapter on Harry's family background, I found "Truman" hard to put down. David McCullough is such a great writer and has the sources to back him up. I grew up hearing my father frequently exclaim Truman's most well-know sayings, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" and "The buck stops here." He recently told me Truman remains his favorite president (and the first that he can remember). Truman is now in my top five.
McCullough does not describe Truman as an "accidental president," but in many ways he was. Few thought he would be nominated as FDR's vice president in 1944. Reading "Truman" leads me to conclude that the two qualities that catapulted him were his competence running the Senate's "Truman Commission" (military procurement oversight) and inoffensiveness to the Democrats' key constituencies.
I thought McCullough went into just the right amount of detail about Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan (about 20 pages) and Truman's election in 1948 (a full chapter), which remains the biggest come-from-behind presidential election victory of all time.
McCullough did not go into enough detail about the lengths the Truman Administration went to try keep China from going Communist (other than that he dispatched Gen. George Marshall), given that "losing China" (as if it was America's to lose) would become a key element in McCarthy/Nixon's Commie witch hunt.
I also wish McCullough had gone into more detail about the origins of the Korean War, especially given that Truman himself points to it as the biggest decision he faced during his presidency. In particular, McCullough states, "Describing the perimeter of American interests in the Pacific in an extemporaneous speech at the National Press Club in January [six months before the outbreak of war], [Secretary of State] Acheson had not even included Korea. (The charge made later that the speech had thus inspired the Communist attack on South Korea would prove groundless)" (p. 777). I have a problem with McCullough's parenthetical statement as most Korean War specialists would insist Acheson was signaling that the U.S. would not intervene if the North attacked the South. Unfortunately, McCullough does not try to defend his statement or provide a footnote to substantiate it.
I had been lugging the "Truman" behemoth around for over 25 years. I bought it during grad school because of my study of Korea. One advantage of waiting so long to read it was that I could read Smith's brilliant "FDR" (2007) first. It is the perfect lead-in as it literally ends with Truman being sworn in. It also helps you appreciate just how different Truman was from FDR, or as one of Truman's more colorful aides put it, it was like the difference between "caviar" and "ham and eggs." You also develop a better understanding of some of the key individuals that served both presidents, like Stimson, Marshall, Ike and Gen. MacArthur. Most interestingly, Churchill comes across as a much heavier drinker in "FDR" than in "Truman."
My main reason for giving four rather than five stars is that at least 100 pages should be cut. I thought Edmond Morris's 800+ pages on TR before he became president was just right, but 340 pages is too much for Harry. I would also delete detailed dinner menus and the section on corruption scandals during Truman's second term as they were trivial in significance.
Having read "John Adams" first, I couldn't help but wonder why McCullough focused on these two presidents for his most fulsome biographies. They seemingly have even less in common than FDR and Truman. I suspect it is that both had such compelling relationships with their families and a key friend (Jefferson for Adams and Acheson for Truman). We can appreciate these relationships because McCullough could pour through and quote from the THOUSANDS of letters each one left. In contrast, Jefferson, Madison and many others remain enigmatic. For example, we still have no idea what Jefferson thought of his mother or his wife, not to mention his favorite slave mistress.
So what's next? First I want to tell you what I will not be reading. I found a copy of Hamby's "Man of the People" (1994) at one of my libraries for $1. Steve had noted that Hamby provides a great assessment of Truman, but after an hour I determined the book adds almost nothing. After taking a break to read "The Final Founding Father" (Monroe), as a result of Steve's reviews I plan to read "Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life" and "Eisenhower: The White House Years." I'll also read "Acheson" when I make my second presidential bio pass through. I had also put "American Cesar" on my list, but MacArthur comes across so poorly in "Truman" that I am having second thoughts...
After struggling through the first chapter on Harry's family background, I found "Truman" hard to put down. David McCullough is such a great writer and has the sources to back him up. I grew up hearing my father frequently exclaim Truman's most well-know sayings, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" and "The buck stops here." He recently told me Truman remains his favorite president (and the first that he can remember). Truman is now in my top five.
McCullough does not describe Truman as an "accidental president," but in many ways he was. Few thought he would be nominated as FDR's vice president in 1944. Reading "Truman" leads me to conclude that the two qualities that catapulted him were his competence running the Senate's "Truman Commission" (military procurement oversight) and inoffensiveness to the Democrats' key constituencies.
I thought McCullough went into just the right amount of detail about Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan (about 20 pages) and Truman's election in 1948 (a full chapter), which remains the biggest come-from-behind presidential election victory of all time.
McCullough did not go into enough detail about the lengths the Truman Administration went to try keep China from going Communist (other than that he dispatched Gen. George Marshall), given that "losing China" (as if it was America's to lose) would become a key element in McCarthy/Nixon's Commie witch hunt.
I also wish McCullough had gone into more detail about the origins of the Korean War, especially given that Truman himself points to it as the biggest decision he faced during his presidency. In particular, McCullough states, "Describing the perimeter of American interests in the Pacific in an extemporaneous speech at the National Press Club in January [six months before the outbreak of war], [Secretary of State] Acheson had not even included Korea. (The charge made later that the speech had thus inspired the Communist attack on South Korea would prove groundless)" (p. 777). I have a problem with McCullough's parenthetical statement as most Korean War specialists would insist Acheson was signaling that the U.S. would not intervene if the North attacked the South. Unfortunately, McCullough does not try to defend his statement or provide a footnote to substantiate it.
I had been lugging the "Truman" behemoth around for over 25 years. I bought it during grad school because of my study of Korea. One advantage of waiting so long to read it was that I could read Smith's brilliant "FDR" (2007) first. It is the perfect lead-in as it literally ends with Truman being sworn in. It also helps you appreciate just how different Truman was from FDR, or as one of Truman's more colorful aides put it, it was like the difference between "caviar" and "ham and eggs." You also develop a better understanding of some of the key individuals that served both presidents, like Stimson, Marshall, Ike and Gen. MacArthur. Most interestingly, Churchill comes across as a much heavier drinker in "FDR" than in "Truman."
My main reason for giving four rather than five stars is that at least 100 pages should be cut. I thought Edmond Morris's 800+ pages on TR before he became president was just right, but 340 pages is too much for Harry. I would also delete detailed dinner menus and the section on corruption scandals during Truman's second term as they were trivial in significance.
Having read "John Adams" first, I couldn't help but wonder why McCullough focused on these two presidents for his most fulsome biographies. They seemingly have even less in common than FDR and Truman. I suspect it is that both had such compelling relationships with their families and a key friend (Jefferson for Adams and Acheson for Truman). We can appreciate these relationships because McCullough could pour through and quote from the THOUSANDS of letters each one left. In contrast, Jefferson, Madison and many others remain enigmatic. For example, we still have no idea what Jefferson thought of his mother or his wife, not to mention his favorite slave mistress.
So what's next? First I want to tell you what I will not be reading. I found a copy of Hamby's "Man of the People" (1994) at one of my libraries for $1. Steve had noted that Hamby provides a great assessment of Truman, but after an hour I determined the book adds almost nothing. After taking a break to read "The Final Founding Father" (Monroe), as a result of Steve's reviews I plan to read "Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life" and "Eisenhower: The White House Years." I'll also read "Acheson" when I make my second presidential bio pass through. I had also put "American Cesar" on my list, but MacArthur comes across so poorly in "Truman" that I am having second thoughts...
July 13, 2018
'' 'Harry, don't you sometimes feel overwhelmed by your job?' he had been asked by Republican Senator Tobey of New Hampshire, and Truman had stepped to the globe and turning it slowly said, 'All the world is focusing on this office. The nearest thing to my heart is to do something to keep the world at peace. We must find a way to peace, or else civilization will be destroyed and the world will turn back to the year 900.' ''
Ambitious in scale, widely researched, McCullough's 992 pages long biography of Truman was a great read. The author relies a lot on the public and private correspondence of the president to unfold his life story from 19th century post civil war Missouri to the highs of Cold War era Washington D.C.
The book gave me the impression of a calculating yet principled man who was able to adapt to various contexts throughout his long public career. From a card playing, bourbon drinking, Kansas City Machine hand picked protégé to a self righteous New Deal Coalition president.
Ambitious in scale, widely researched, McCullough's 992 pages long biography of Truman was a great read. The author relies a lot on the public and private correspondence of the president to unfold his life story from 19th century post civil war Missouri to the highs of Cold War era Washington D.C.
The book gave me the impression of a calculating yet principled man who was able to adapt to various contexts throughout his long public career. From a card playing, bourbon drinking, Kansas City Machine hand picked protégé to a self righteous New Deal Coalition president.
June 28, 2012
Lifted from my review at Amazon.com
While it's Ok for a historian to like the subject of the biography, he should not love him. David McCullough likes Harry Truman a bit too much. As a result he seldom takes a critical view of Truman's Presidency, politics or personal life. This is disappointing given that Harry Truman was the President at probably the key juncture of twentieth century - the end of War World II and the beginning of the Cold War. More time is spent describing the whistle-stop campaign of 1948 then in explaining the development of the containment strategy of Soviet expansion. He also dismisses Secretary of State Dean Acheson's January 1950 omission of South Korea as being in the United States defense perimeter as being the inspiration of the subsequent attack that June by North Korean forces. While it may not have been the inspiration, that statement along with troop withdraws in 1948 and 1949 were hardly discouragements.
Yes, Harry was the common man who became President but McCullough glosses over the reasons for Henry Wallace being replaced by Truman as V.P. on the 1944 ticket. McCullough tells us that many Southern Democrats and city bosses were uncomfortable with Wallace, especially given Roosevelt's health. But the reader is left wondering why they were uncomfortable. Indeed many Democratic leaders were worried that Wallace and his advisors were too sympathetic to the Soviets and that "moderate" Harry Truman would take a tougher post-war stand against them than would Wallace.
Still, McCullough has a good literary style and his account often reads more like a novel than a biography. This is especially true early in the book when he describes Truman ancestors, background and upbringing in western Missouri. And when he weaves in little ancedotes about Truman's personal life both before and during his time in the White House, McCullough is at his best.
Harry S Truman was a genuine American, a patriot and a good President at a pivotal time in U.S. history. He deserves a more critical examination of his life and Presidency. After all "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Harry could stand the heat and give them hell back. David McCullough ought to know that.
While it's Ok for a historian to like the subject of the biography, he should not love him. David McCullough likes Harry Truman a bit too much. As a result he seldom takes a critical view of Truman's Presidency, politics or personal life. This is disappointing given that Harry Truman was the President at probably the key juncture of twentieth century - the end of War World II and the beginning of the Cold War. More time is spent describing the whistle-stop campaign of 1948 then in explaining the development of the containment strategy of Soviet expansion. He also dismisses Secretary of State Dean Acheson's January 1950 omission of South Korea as being in the United States defense perimeter as being the inspiration of the subsequent attack that June by North Korean forces. While it may not have been the inspiration, that statement along with troop withdraws in 1948 and 1949 were hardly discouragements.
Yes, Harry was the common man who became President but McCullough glosses over the reasons for Henry Wallace being replaced by Truman as V.P. on the 1944 ticket. McCullough tells us that many Southern Democrats and city bosses were uncomfortable with Wallace, especially given Roosevelt's health. But the reader is left wondering why they were uncomfortable. Indeed many Democratic leaders were worried that Wallace and his advisors were too sympathetic to the Soviets and that "moderate" Harry Truman would take a tougher post-war stand against them than would Wallace.
Still, McCullough has a good literary style and his account often reads more like a novel than a biography. This is especially true early in the book when he describes Truman ancestors, background and upbringing in western Missouri. And when he weaves in little ancedotes about Truman's personal life both before and during his time in the White House, McCullough is at his best.
Harry S Truman was a genuine American, a patriot and a good President at a pivotal time in U.S. history. He deserves a more critical examination of his life and Presidency. After all "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Harry could stand the heat and give them hell back. David McCullough ought to know that.
August 10, 2021
Wow! McCullough's "Truman" is a tour de force with brilliant vibrancy that helps bring Harry Truman's character to life.
February 23, 2008
This is a brilliant book about one of our finest
David McCullough's "Truman" has won many accolades and awards, chief among them the Pulitzer Prize. After reading this wonderful book from cover-to-cover in less than a week, I'm convinced that this book deserves all of the praise it has received, and more.
"Truman" is the ultimate, complete package in a presidential biography. Even a novice of 20th century history (this writer included) would have a list of important events that he or she would want to read about in a Truman bio. McCullough covers them all, and in detail: the decision to drop the atomic bomb, FDR's death and the transition to the Truman administration, the Potsdam conference, the creation of the United Nations, the Korean War, the firing of MacArthur, the 1948 election, his decision to not run in 1952, etc. McCullough touches all of the bases beautifully.
The highest compliment I can think to give McCullough for this book is the sense of balance in his writing and how he brings Truman to life. Mostly absent from this book, thankfully, is the rampant cheerleading and bootlicking that plague other presidential biographies. McCullough isn't a Truman admirer who puts a positive spin on every significant event during Truman's presidency. It's obvious that McCullough thinks highly of Truman, but he grapples with the controversies of Truman without softpeddling, unlike Stephen Ambrose's one-volume "Eisenhower: Soldier & President," where Ambrose neglects important events and spends entirely too much time raining down praise on Ike.
This thoroughly researched book presents Truman in a fair and balanced manner, and much of that research is based on Truman's diaries. "Truman" covers the president's bad decisions as well as his good ones, with the president's rationale behind those decisions.
I highly recommend this book and I believe it sits high atop the heap of the many available presidential biographies. McCullough is one of America's finest historians. Buy this book, read it, and in the end, be disappointed that it's over. (Orig. Review Dec. '04)
David McCullough's "Truman" has won many accolades and awards, chief among them the Pulitzer Prize. After reading this wonderful book from cover-to-cover in less than a week, I'm convinced that this book deserves all of the praise it has received, and more.
"Truman" is the ultimate, complete package in a presidential biography. Even a novice of 20th century history (this writer included) would have a list of important events that he or she would want to read about in a Truman bio. McCullough covers them all, and in detail: the decision to drop the atomic bomb, FDR's death and the transition to the Truman administration, the Potsdam conference, the creation of the United Nations, the Korean War, the firing of MacArthur, the 1948 election, his decision to not run in 1952, etc. McCullough touches all of the bases beautifully.
The highest compliment I can think to give McCullough for this book is the sense of balance in his writing and how he brings Truman to life. Mostly absent from this book, thankfully, is the rampant cheerleading and bootlicking that plague other presidential biographies. McCullough isn't a Truman admirer who puts a positive spin on every significant event during Truman's presidency. It's obvious that McCullough thinks highly of Truman, but he grapples with the controversies of Truman without softpeddling, unlike Stephen Ambrose's one-volume "Eisenhower: Soldier & President," where Ambrose neglects important events and spends entirely too much time raining down praise on Ike.
This thoroughly researched book presents Truman in a fair and balanced manner, and much of that research is based on Truman's diaries. "Truman" covers the president's bad decisions as well as his good ones, with the president's rationale behind those decisions.
I highly recommend this book and I believe it sits high atop the heap of the many available presidential biographies. McCullough is one of America's finest historians. Buy this book, read it, and in the end, be disappointed that it's over. (Orig. Review Dec. '04)
January 25, 2011
This was quite a book, written by quite an author about quite a man. I was totally over the top in my admiration for both Mr Truman as well as David McCullough. What a job he did bringing Harry S. Truman to life for generations to come. To read about Mr Truman made one feel proud and fortunate. Our country was so lucky to have had a man like Mr Truman in control of our government during this, a most unnerving time of our history.
Harry Truman's downhome goodness and ability to see matters in a clear headed fashion certainly made him a President of not only substance but also one that possessed ultimate courage and self denial. Mr. Truman immersed himself fully in the principle of what was good for the common man, not what was good for Mr. Truman. His thoughts were always on his country and of course his family took precedence in his life. He bore leadership as a true leader, not afraid to make decisions that might not always hold him in the public opinion's good graces. He was true to his friends and staff who idolized him and he in return was a friend to the end. He would always stand up for friends and principles no matter what public opinion said. He believed that his job was to be decisive and lead this country to the best of his ability. He was a man of the people and he relished any time he could be with his people. He was modest and never let the position he was in dictate the person he was. Faced with the weight of the world problems, he moved forward in a just and thoughtful way that could not be faulted. He believed in a job well done and surely his job was well done.
David McCullough has spectacularly captured this man in the book. He makes the reader admire, respect, and feel loyalty to this leader. You can tell through the writing that McCullough himself felt a high level of admiration for Mr Truman. I can't say enough about the man that Mr. McCullough made me aware of. I thank him for his writing of this true American patriot, loving father, husband, and ultimately a man of ideals so high that it would be hard for anyone to follow in his path. The buck did definitely stop there and I, for one, am totally thankful that it did.
Harry Truman's downhome goodness and ability to see matters in a clear headed fashion certainly made him a President of not only substance but also one that possessed ultimate courage and self denial. Mr. Truman immersed himself fully in the principle of what was good for the common man, not what was good for Mr. Truman. His thoughts were always on his country and of course his family took precedence in his life. He bore leadership as a true leader, not afraid to make decisions that might not always hold him in the public opinion's good graces. He was true to his friends and staff who idolized him and he in return was a friend to the end. He would always stand up for friends and principles no matter what public opinion said. He believed that his job was to be decisive and lead this country to the best of his ability. He was a man of the people and he relished any time he could be with his people. He was modest and never let the position he was in dictate the person he was. Faced with the weight of the world problems, he moved forward in a just and thoughtful way that could not be faulted. He believed in a job well done and surely his job was well done.
David McCullough has spectacularly captured this man in the book. He makes the reader admire, respect, and feel loyalty to this leader. You can tell through the writing that McCullough himself felt a high level of admiration for Mr Truman. I can't say enough about the man that Mr. McCullough made me aware of. I thank him for his writing of this true American patriot, loving father, husband, and ultimately a man of ideals so high that it would be hard for anyone to follow in his path. The buck did definitely stop there and I, for one, am totally thankful that it did.
July 13, 2015
I finished Truman!! It took me a month, but at 992 pages of text and over 120 pages of notes I think I did well.
This is another 5 star book from one of my favorite authors. It ranks up there with his book John Adams, and I can certainly understand why it received the Pulitzer Prize.
The book covers an astonishing array of subjects, Truman's heritage and childhood, his work as a farmer, his shaky rise as a senator and vice president, his astonishing first days as president, the atom bomb, dealings with Stalin and Churchill, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall plan, the establishment of Israel, the rise of the Cold War and communism, Korea, firing MacArthur, assassination attempt against his life, rebuilding the White House, and his absolute commitment to his wife and daughter.
The book has a positive look at the president, but McCullough does also bring up the scandals in the administration. If you didn't like Truman before reading the book, you will after you read it! His energy and hard work, his strength of character, his decisiveness, his love for his wife, mother, and daughter will impress you. You may disagree with his policies and decisions, but you will understand the man like never before. Recommended.
This is another 5 star book from one of my favorite authors. It ranks up there with his book John Adams, and I can certainly understand why it received the Pulitzer Prize.
The book covers an astonishing array of subjects, Truman's heritage and childhood, his work as a farmer, his shaky rise as a senator and vice president, his astonishing first days as president, the atom bomb, dealings with Stalin and Churchill, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall plan, the establishment of Israel, the rise of the Cold War and communism, Korea, firing MacArthur, assassination attempt against his life, rebuilding the White House, and his absolute commitment to his wife and daughter.
The book has a positive look at the president, but McCullough does also bring up the scandals in the administration. If you didn't like Truman before reading the book, you will after you read it! His energy and hard work, his strength of character, his decisiveness, his love for his wife, mother, and daughter will impress you. You may disagree with his policies and decisions, but you will understand the man like never before. Recommended.
February 25, 2020
McCullough is a good writer, though not a gifted wordsmith like Laura Hillenbrand, Ron Chernow, or Edmund Morris. Where he shines is in his impeccable research, his insightful analysis, and the clarity of his narrative structure and pacing. While his biography of Truman is perhaps a trifle overlong at a thousand pages, the narrative flow is always interesting and never feels forced. McCullough does a good job of capturing and displaying Truman's personality, while also offering perceptive thoughts on Truman's strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and failures. The last few pages, where McCullough summarizes Truman's character and accomplishments, are particularly thought provoking. While long, this book is worth the investment of time for anyone wanting to get to know Truman, the man and the president.
December 20, 2021
SECOND READING: The degree of difficulty to get five stars is considerable. I've read it before, so there's no novelty. This isn't Churchill or Kennedy with a writer's sense of exhortation to his times. The book is huge, and the hour is late, at least with any ambitions toward one's book count. Yet, by David McCullough's faithfulness, Truman's voice, Truman's very briskness comes through the whole thing. I will be visiting again.
VERY GENERAL RECOLLECTIONS OF FIRST READING: The fact that he read every book in his town's library speaks to his ability to grow where he was planted, college education or not. His ascension as a politicall late-bloomer who used his status to serve rather than pad his own ego is also inspirational -- and rare.
VERY GENERAL RECOLLECTIONS OF FIRST READING: The fact that he read every book in his town's library speaks to his ability to grow where he was planted, college education or not. His ascension as a politicall late-bloomer who used his status to serve rather than pad his own ego is also inspirational -- and rare.
November 15, 2012
I am 65 years old. I have spent my whole life thinking that politics was stupid and not worth knowing anything about; that even in a democracy, politics and therefore government offered no solution to the troubles of mankind. Now I have to eat at least some of my words and admit that as an American it is important for me to have a glimmering of how politics works. That is what reading this endless biography about Truman did for me.
I read it, in part, as research for my memoir. Harry S Truman was President the year I was born. I was inspired to read it because of a blog I discovered some months ago: At Times Dull.(http://attimesdull.blogspot.com) "In which Janet reads a biography of each American President in chronological order, learning things about America, its presidents, and the fact that the phrase 'at times dull' finds its way into every review of every presidential biography ever written."
Janet has apparently had to turn her attention to making a living (she is a staff writer for The Millions.) She got as far as Abraham Lincoln and has not posted on her blog for several months. But her proposed reading list includes McCullough's biography of Truman. It was at many times dull.
Ever since I was a hippie and took a firm position as anti-war, I figured I had to hate Harry S Truman because it was his decision which unleashed two atomic bombs upon the world. Now my eyes have been pried open as to what factors lay behind that decision. Two realizations followed:
1) Truman inherited WWII in much the same way that Obama inherited a decimated economy and the War on Terror. When things get that screwed up, the options shrink in terms of making decisions.
2) Truman, at least as presented by McCullough, was one of the more qualified presidents we have had due to a large amount of sheer nerve and having an unshakable moral compass.
So I'm glad I read it, glad I persisted all the way to the end. I know there is always more to learn but it makes me happy when I actually do learn new things.
I still hold most of the views I've held but without a deeper understanding of how the world actually works, those views are just pipe dreams. I would not ever want to work in politics or be the President of the United States, but I am now more interested in being involved in determining the presidents we get. (Yes, I voted!)
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