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Truman Fires MacArthur (ebook excerpt of Truman)
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An intemperate general. An unpopular war. A military and diplomatic team in disarray.
Those are the challenges President Obama has faced as he attempts to make a success of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. They are also the challenges President Truman surmounted in the winter of 1950 as he began managing a war in Korea that risked becoming bigger and more costly. It was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War: U.S. troops under the command of General Douglas MacArthur came to the aid of the South Koreans after North Korea invaded. When Communist China entered the conflict on the side of the North Koreans, the crisis seemed on the verge of flaring into a world war. Truman was determined not to let that happen. MacArthur kept urging a widening of the war into China itself and ignoring his commander in chief. On April 11, 1951, after MacArthur had “shot his mouth off,” as one diplomat put it, one too many times, Truman fired him.
The story of their showdown—one of the most dramatic in U.S. history between a commander in chief and his top soldier in the field—is captured in all its detail by David McCullough in his Pulitzer Prize–winning biography Truman, and presented here in a ebook called Truman Fires MacArthur (ebook excerpt of Truman), which was the headline carried in many newspapers around the country the next day.
Those are the challenges President Obama has faced as he attempts to make a success of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. They are also the challenges President Truman surmounted in the winter of 1950 as he began managing a war in Korea that risked becoming bigger and more costly. It was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War: U.S. troops under the command of General Douglas MacArthur came to the aid of the South Koreans after North Korea invaded. When Communist China entered the conflict on the side of the North Koreans, the crisis seemed on the verge of flaring into a world war. Truman was determined not to let that happen. MacArthur kept urging a widening of the war into China itself and ignoring his commander in chief. On April 11, 1951, after MacArthur had “shot his mouth off,” as one diplomat put it, one too many times, Truman fired him.
The story of their showdown—one of the most dramatic in U.S. history between a commander in chief and his top soldier in the field—is captured in all its detail by David McCullough in his Pulitzer Prize–winning biography Truman, and presented here in a ebook called Truman Fires MacArthur (ebook excerpt of Truman), which was the headline carried in many newspapers around the country the next day.
Book Actions
Start ReadingBook Information
Truman Fires MacArthur (ebook excerpt of Truman)
Description
An intemperate general. An unpopular war. A military and diplomatic team in disarray.
Those are the challenges President Obama has faced as he attempts to make a success of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. They are also the challenges President Truman surmounted in the winter of 1950 as he began managing a war in Korea that risked becoming bigger and more costly. It was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War: U.S. troops under the command of General Douglas MacArthur came to the aid of the South Koreans after North Korea invaded. When Communist China entered the conflict on the side of the North Koreans, the crisis seemed on the verge of flaring into a world war. Truman was determined not to let that happen. MacArthur kept urging a widening of the war into China itself and ignoring his commander in chief. On April 11, 1951, after MacArthur had “shot his mouth off,” as one diplomat put it, one too many times, Truman fired him.
The story of their showdown—one of the most dramatic in U.S. history between a commander in chief and his top soldier in the field—is captured in all its detail by David McCullough in his Pulitzer Prize–winning biography Truman, and presented here in a ebook called Truman Fires MacArthur (ebook excerpt of Truman), which was the headline carried in many newspapers around the country the next day.
Those are the challenges President Obama has faced as he attempts to make a success of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. They are also the challenges President Truman surmounted in the winter of 1950 as he began managing a war in Korea that risked becoming bigger and more costly. It was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War: U.S. troops under the command of General Douglas MacArthur came to the aid of the South Koreans after North Korea invaded. When Communist China entered the conflict on the side of the North Koreans, the crisis seemed on the verge of flaring into a world war. Truman was determined not to let that happen. MacArthur kept urging a widening of the war into China itself and ignoring his commander in chief. On April 11, 1951, after MacArthur had “shot his mouth off,” as one diplomat put it, one too many times, Truman fired him.
The story of their showdown—one of the most dramatic in U.S. history between a commander in chief and his top soldier in the field—is captured in all its detail by David McCullough in his Pulitzer Prize–winning biography Truman, and presented here in a ebook called Truman Fires MacArthur (ebook excerpt of Truman), which was the headline carried in many newspapers around the country the next day.
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Reviews
This is a fabulous biography. While the length may be intimidating to some, it's a fast and enlightening read. Mr. McCullough is a master at bringing people from history alive, and he doesn't fail here.
Of course, there is plenty of Mr. Truman in this book, but Truman's time was so eventful, one gets to experience some of the most significant events of the 20th Century. The Civil War, WW1, WW2 and Korea are all touched here.
As a man, Truman carried himself with integrity and respect for the office. He came from simple origins, worked hard, and with some luck achieved greatness. He should be a model for how future Presidents treat the office. It's unfortunate, but I don't think a person like him could reach the Presidency in today's political climate.
I didn't agree with all of his policies, but for his time he was a true progressive and continued Mr. Roosevelt legacy, even pushing for Universal Health Care. He fought for the common man and labor. He had a natural skepticism of Big Money and Wallstreet. These are all qualities I admire in any President.
Regardless of one's personal political ideology, one cannot go wrong with this book. Mr. Truman's story is truly a American story, one that anyone would greatly appreciate. This is definitely one of my top 10 favorite Biographies. Recommended.
Rating: 5Of course, there is plenty of Mr. Truman in this book, but Truman's time was so eventful, one gets to experience some of the most significant events of the 20th Century. The Civil War, WW1, WW2 and Korea are all touched here.
As a man, Truman carried himself with integrity and respect for the office. He came from simple origins, worked hard, and with some luck achieved greatness. He should be a model for how future Presidents treat the office. It's unfortunate, but I don't think a person like him could reach the Presidency in today's political climate.
I didn't agree with all of his policies, but for his time he was a true progressive and continued Mr. Roosevelt legacy, even pushing for Universal Health Care. He fought for the common man and labor. He had a natural skepticism of Big Money and Wallstreet. These are all qualities I admire in any President.
Regardless of one's personal political ideology, one cannot go wrong with this book. Mr. Truman's story is truly a American story, one that anyone would greatly appreciate. This is definitely one of my top 10 favorite Biographies. Recommended.
I don’t often read nonfiction of a political nature and it is amazing that I tackled this one at over 1000 pages. (And therein lies my main criticism and my 4 vs 5 stars; after reading half of this tome, I felt the need for a break.)
I knew little about President Truman and came to admire him very much. A quiet farmer from Missouri rose through the political ranks and was thrown into the White House, in the midst of WWII, with the death of the popular FDR - big shoes to fill. The weight of the world fell on his shoulders as he worked with Churchill, George Marshall, Eleanor Roosevelt and Dean Acheson and dueled with Stalin.
Strong, decisive and moral, he is the president responsible for the Truman Doctrine*, NATO, the Marshall Plan (for European recovery), the Berlin airlift and the beginnings of desegregation. He had the backbone to fire the well-liked General MacArthur after he made public announcements, against Truman’s directive, that contradicted the administration’s policy. But this pales in comparison to the immense weight of the decision to use the atom bomb to end the WWII.
The unassuming man from Missouri must have surprised all who knew him when he became the remarkable “Give ‘em hell Harry”. Sadly he had financial difficulties after leaving the White House as at that time there was no retirement package for Presidents or senators.
The book was meticulously researched historian-writer by David McCullough.
* The Truman Doctrine was the policy that lent support to countries such as Greece and Turkey after the Soviets expanded their reign early in the Cold War. (On a personal note, although the Truman Doctrine was drafted before I was born, it was directly responsible for the beginning of my father’s diplomatic career and the reason I grew up overseas.)
Superb writing! Real facts on the firing of MacArthur in Korea. A must read for all military scholars.
Rating: 5Another tour de force by David McCollough, who is making a living by illuminating what were previously considered to be second tier Presidents (Truman and Adams).
Rating: 5Although Truman was an honorable man who did great work to relieve human suffering in post-WWII Europe with the Marshall Plan and made the first significant strides in civil rights for African Americans in this country by desegregating the military, through no fault of his own, he remains a dull personality even in this highly researched biography.He was a mid-westerner with mid-western values who was an autodidact. In spite of being the last president without a college education, he was forward thinking, a term he preferred over liberal or even progressive. His driving force as a politician from the beginning of his career was to make people's lives better, and it must be said that he did at every level of his public service.Still, I found this biography uninteresting because Truman's personality and character were fixed early in life, he never experienced what would be termed an epiphany. He arrived to young adulthood with his attitudes and values fixed and he never significantly varied from them. Yet, they served him well all his life, except as a businessman. Honest, full of common sense, able to get people to work for him toward his goals, and blessedly without an ego that would interfere with a job getting done, he was a man who served as president at the greatest turning point in mankind's history -- the arrival of the atomic age, and he steered this country away from continued armed conflict with the Soviet Union at the end of WWII and dawn of the Cold War.His life is a testament to the truism that great events make great men. Truman definitely was a great, and quiet, and private man. But even McCullough can not make him the least bit fascinating.
Rating: 4I 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.
Rating: 5One of the best biographies I have ever read. What a wonderful man.
Rating: 5Long biography of an overlooked president. Truman was distinctly American and midwestern. Mc Collough brings that out well. The "life on the farm" parts get a little dull, however.
Rating: 3Bizarrely readable for its thousand pages, even when McCullough is harping on how healthy Truman is. Focus never departs from the subject, even though it must have been tempting to digress into analysis of the atomic bomb, the Korean war, life after the Presidency, etc. When there is conflicting information, McCullough often quotes both sources, and indicates which seems more accurate, which makes him seem trustworthy as a biographer. Although I should admit I never once looked at the endnotes or bibliography (992 pages is quite enough!).
Rating: 4Good ole David McCullough! He's always reliable and turns a potentially pedestrian subject into something gripping and fast-moving. I really enjoyed opening up this book each evening before I got into bed. There was something new and interesting every night. It's a big book and it took me quite awhile to get through at my "dip-in" reading rate but it is a great story well told. I like Mr Truman too.
Rating: 5Very good book. Interesting reading with just enough detail.
Rating: 4Another well done piece of literary history by author McCullough, once again documenting the life and times of an American President during a most interesting time in history (read John Adams). Truman was truly a remarkable man in a time where world events had been as tumultuous as at any time in American history. A must read for history buffs.
Rating: 5This is a well-written, detailed, and interesting. I have not read many biographies on Truman so I do not have a great deal to compare this book with but from what I read, I really liked the book and the author has a great reputation. The book is fairly long, about 1,000 pages, but worth the read if you are interested in history and Truman's history.
Rating: 4David McCullough's writing voice is like reading a personal letter. Mr. Truman had such trying times-in office and at home.
Rating: 5I 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.Completed April 20, 2013
Rating: 5TRUMAN by David McCullough, A Biography published in 1992. Reviewed in July 2016 by Mike HodgesAt 992 pages of straight text, this book is a mite long and a pound or two too heavy to hold in one hand. Truman however had a long life of 88 years and died in late 1972. My coming of age at 15 started in 1957 and Truman had become US president in 1945 on the death of FDR and as a consequence Truman heralded the post ww2 era immediately before my generation’s political coming of age.McCullough covers the period leading up to Truman’s birth in 1886 and extending with an almost daily account through 1972, and especially the day by day account of Truman’s life and events of Truman’s presidency as the 33rd president of the US.McCullough’s book starts with the history of the original Missouri and Kansas settlers originating from their earlier Kentucky log cabins and migrating westward on the Missouri river before disembarking onto the western Missouri and Kansas areas to farm in a more fertile valley such as the newly formed township of Independence.However the events of greatest interest, I believe, to today’s history buffs, start on page 345 and are namely, the Potsdam Conference and the daily meetings with Stalin at the close of WW2 in mid- 1945 Europe, the first atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945, the Iron-Curtain across Europe, the 1948 Berlin Airlift, the USSR atomic and Hydrogen bombs and the ensuing Cold War with the accompanying massive US military expenditures, the 17 billion dollar Marshall Plan initiated in 1947 to save Europe from both famine and communism,, the birth of the Jewish State in 1948, the Korean War starting in 1950 and MacArthur’s quest to nuke China. And not least the ensuing civilian control of the Atomic Energy Commission, the McCarthy era, the US communist witch hunts and the US State department witch hunts, the post war industrial unrest. Thru out all these events Truman maintained a regimen of unflappability and conscientious long working days with an occasional breakaway to the southern White House in Key West. Truman’s farming days and his WW1 US Army career, pp 102- sets the stage for his future career in local, then in national politics and also his early career Judgeship gained with the help of the Prendergast Political organization see pp151-351. His post WW1 occupation as a failed haberdasher at a time of post WW1 depression and the failure of many businesses are reviewed.. Then the house and senate political life as a DC resident occupies center stage. Truman advances to chair an investigative committee on National Defense Expenditures that establishes his political acumen. Clearly his investigations uncovered the secrets of the Manhattan project putting lie to the fact that in 1945 he entered the White House without prior knowledge of the A-bomb. Secrets or no secrets. Clearly once in the White House or at least the temporary White House, as the original White House was undergoing a massive repair, the pace is faster than the Hoover Dam out flows. The vast reach of history is hereby covered in the remaining 650pp. The book is complete with an additional 60pp of source notes, a 25 page bibliography, a 32 page index and 92 photos. Fortunately the language is clear and therefore the text is easy to follow, even with no end in sight. This biography is a must read for all history buffs interested in the post WW2 era. I enjoyed the entire sweep and so will you.
Rating: 4One of the very best biographies I have ever read. McCullough makes a 900+ page book a breeze to read--not a boring page in the lot.
Rating: 5Near the end of Truman's presidency, Winston Churchill came to visit and remarked, "THe last time you and I sat across the conference table was at Potsdam, Mr. President. I must confess sir, I held you in very low regard then. I loathed your taking the place of Franklin Roosevelt." He paused. "I misjudged you badly. Since that time, you more than any other man, have saved Western civilization." Churchill wasn't alone in his doubts about Harry Truman. A common man from Independence, Missouri, Truman became President at a key historical moment in the midst of World War II. In the first few months as President, he made the decision to drop atomic bombs in Japan and negotiated an end to the war with Churchill and Stalin at Potsdam. Truman also dealt with labor unrest at home, the rise of the Cold War, the Korean War, and more. McCullough covers these events in just the right amount of detail, and each detail is chosen carefully. While the length of the book may seem daunting, the story never drags. This is a beautiful portrait of an intriguing period of history, and it made me want to read more about many of the supporting players (Churchill, Stalin, Bess Truman, McCarthy, Eisenhower, MacArthur, etc.). Besides describing a fascinating slice of history, McCullough also provides us with insight into Truman the man. As a Missourian by birth, I recognized Truman's honesty and plainspokenness. People knew where they stood with Truman. But at the same time, Truman was anything but a simple man. As McCullough concludes, "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." But McCullough doesn't avoid Truman's faults - his connections with the Pendergast bosses, his unquestioned loyalty to those from back home, and his occasional temper. What we get in this biography is a complete picture of the man and the times in which he led.
Rating: 5If I were to add something to this book, if would be a second, later, set of pictures. If I were to change something about the book, I would make shorter sections. There is no escaping it is a very, very long book, but there is nothing that should have been omitted.
Rating: 5Product of the party and the system - which here produced "an excellent choice". Truman was not ambitiuous, but came onto new challenges or was given responsibilities - and rose to the task each time. Principled and down-to-earth.
Rating: 4Generally sympathetic and for me irresistibly told, very detailed life of TRuman beginning with his ancestors moving to Missouri in the early 1800s. A wonderful sense of the pioneer virtues of his people, and his own very plain life, until he as unexpectedly taken up by Tom Prendergast and made a county judge (commissioner) and senator, from which he emerged later as vice president and president. Perhaps a bit too inclined to be kindly to the Prendergast machine --I have seen another franker version --but includes enough of the negatives to make his positive portrait fairly credible. Definitely the feel-good version --how we would like Truman to have been.
Rating: 4I'm very much into biographies of American presidents at the moment - gee wonder why? This was an excellent (if long) account of the life of Harry Truman. I would've liked to see more written on his decision to use the atom bomb but other than that, it was great. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4Loved the first half...got bogged down after World War 2. But overall a fascinating look at one of our country's exceptional leaders
Rating: 4Excellent history of Truman. Well written.
Rating: 5When it comes to making history not only readable, but intriguing, nobody writes better than David McCullough. Many of his books chronicle people, places or events that don’t really seem to stick out as being fascinating. But once you start reading any one of McCullough’s books, you are drawn into the subject matter, compelled to read and learn about subjects that you might not otherwise ever read about. You don’t simply read a McCullough book. You experience it. My introduction to McCullough’s work was in his biography of John Adams, our country’s second president and a key figure in the founding of the nation. After finishing this, I quickly devoured 1776, The Great Bridge, and The Johnstown Flood. I would highly recommend each of these books.Like Adams, Harry S. Truman had the misfortune of succeeding a legendary figure. While Adams presided under the shadow of George Washington, Truman had to undergo the scrutiny of an American public who had been led through many great trials by the great Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman proved that, while he was no FDR, he was certainly his own man and very well capable of holding his own during the many conflicts of his own presidency.In Truman, we are brought into his story well before his birth as McCullough fills us in on the details of his family heritage. We follow Truman through his childhood, his stint as a gallant officer during World War I, his romancing of and subsequent marriage to Bess Wallace, and his rise up and into the political world. McCullough does an excellent job of covering several controversial topics such as the Marshall Plan, the Korean Conflict, the Manhattan Project, McCarthyism, and the firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur without getting bogged down in presenting his own opinions on these matters, instead letting the historical accounts speak for themselves. We are treated to the often exciting, edge-of-your-seat workings of political campaigning, including Truman’s first presidential nomination as well as his momentous and astounding defeat of Thomas Dewey.At well over 1,000 pages, Truman is a hefty read. But being already familiar with McCullough’s style, I knew it would be a great read and I was not disappointed. Not being a historian nor familiar with this period of U.S. history, I can’t speak to the factual accuracy of the book’s events. But once again, McCullough does a masterful job of bringing the person off the written page to the point where you feel like you know the person himself. By the end of the book and upon the account of Truman’s death, I felt like I had lost a friend. Truman is an excellent biography, an inspirational story and one that will have you keeping late hours just to read one more page.
Rating: 5I read this quite some time ago in high school for summer reading, and I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed it. This may lead to the conclusion that I was an unusual 16 year old, which is likely true, however, I think better case could be made for David McCullough's Truman being an extraordinarily well written biography. It is a doorstopper, but well worth the read.
Rating: 5Great book; chock full of every detail, it seemed, of Truman's background and politics. Just thinking about what a huge undertaking in research and good writing it was, almost made my head explode.The only reason I didn't finish: I reached a point of plodding, and when I reach that point, I take a breather.I may very well give this one another shot one day when I have world enough and time.
Rating: 5Outstanding book. Every candidate for President of the United States should read.
Rating: 5This review has been some time coming. The trade paperback edition I read is 992 pages plus acknowledgements, footnotes, bibliography, and index. Practically got a hernia carrying it around. I also had commitments to review other books so I had to put it aside occasionally to read and review shorter books, usually fiction. Despite a weekend of football watching, though, I finally finished it Sunday afternoon. Now I'm almost sorry it's done.Anyone who loves history and biography as much as I do knows David McCullough writes like a storyteller. His prose is never dry, boring, or academic, yet he unfailingly tells the reader what is important to know about a person or an event. I thought I knew a lot about Harry Truman, a fellow Midwesterner, but I didn't. I simply understood "where he was coming from" as the kids say. His childhood as a farm boy who wore glasses and was also a dedicated student was delightful to read about. In Sunday school he fell hard for a little girl with golden curls and beautiful eyes, Bess Wallace. She was his only love but they didn't marry until they were in their 30s. Mama Wallace never did consider Harry good enough for her daughter, even when she was dying in the White House near the end of his time as President of the United States. Regardless, he never said a bad word about her, ever.Now that I know the truth about his spell as Tom Pendergast's candidate for county office and the enduring reputation as a product of that political machine, I understand a bit more about why my grandfather had such a low opinion of Truman. Of course, he would have felt that way anyway since Truman was a Democrat which made him, in Gramps' eyes, a spawn of the Devil. Hard to believe this liberal Democrat (me) came from such a staunch Republican family, but I did because when I was old enough to think things out for myself, that was the way I believed. That was a matter I never discussed with Gramps. He would have been horrified.We were city people, but farmers and small town folks loved Truman. When he went on his whistle stop tour running for president on his own, he stopped in the small towns and he talked their language. They loved his honesty, his humbleness, the way he introduced Bess as "the boss," and his knowledge of their cares and worries. (Although one time she told him if he introduced her thus one more time, she was going to get off the train and go home.) They also appreciated his service in World War I, as a captain of artillery. The men he commanded were to remain his good friends for the rest of his life and participate as honor guards at his inaugural parade.His Achilles heel was daughter Margaret. No one could criticize her singing or anything else about her without feeling the full strength of Truman's wrath. He had begun to think he would never realize his desire to be a grandfather when she stayed single so long, but eventually she married and Truman would hold the first of four grandsons in his arms just a few days after he was born. Doting grandpa was his proud title from then on.It was fascinating to read about his taking office after Roosevelt's death. FDR had not liked him very much, and didn't include him in briefings and conferences, so suddenly Truman had a huge learning curve immediately ahead of him. He pulled himself up by his own bootstraps as people used to say and did very well. He was fortunate enough to find some of the best men in the country to man the cabinet and be his advisors. Dean Acheson, in fact, was a close friend until his death. His performance in Potsdam was surprising to Stalin and Churchill. One of my favorite quotes in the book is from Churchill. He wrote in 1952, "I misjudged you badly. Since that time you more than any other man, have saved Western civilization." (p. 875)Whether to use the atomic bomb is another period I'm glad to know more about, and Korea. To know what went on in the background and the agony those decisions cost him was a revelation to me. Once a decision was made, he stuck with it no matter how many critics condemned him.I won't go on but, in short, this is one of the best biographies I've ever read. Thank you David McCullough for giving us this wonderful story, the life of a controversial man who was so vital in our history.Highly recommendedSource: purchased several years ago
Rating: 5Harry Truman is an interesting character, and David McCullough presents an engaging portrait of our 33rd president. McCullough is thorough and readable as he presents a chronological narrative of Truman’s life. Although a credentialed historian, McCullough avoids academic gobbledygook and knows when to end a sentence. He writes in a clean, straightforward fashion that invites the reader to turn the page.When McCullough writes a biography, he investigates every nook and cranny of the subject’s life until he knows everything knowable about the individual. Attention to detail reveals the real person behind the public facade, but this fixation on the subject produces two flaws in McCullough books: they’re too long and the supporting cast are often cardboard cutouts.At 1,120 pages, Truman is a long book. A very long book. After gathering all this information, McCullough doesn’t know what to leave out. The 1948 presidential race was historic, but after dozens of pages, I came to believe we would witness every whistle-stop. This is just one example of overwhelming detail. Truman would have remained a tome if cut by 200 pages, but the book would have been a more powerful biography.McCullough’s focus on the subject of his biographies gives slight notice to other prominent people. The collection of great or notorious leaders during the World War II period probably rivaled the Revolution. At these rare times in history, collective greatness molds and/or reinforces the accomplishments of each individual player. (Doris Kearns Goodwin is a master at capturing the dynamics and undercurrents of formidable characters at formidable moments.) We learn everything about the character and actions of Truman, but Franklin D. Roosevelt, George C. Marshall, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, and the members of his cabinet and staff rotate around Truman with all the animation of carousel ponies. We have faint idea what Roosevelt thought about Truman or why he picked him to be vice president and then chose to ignore him after the election. FDR knew his health was failing, and handpicked a relatively obscure junior senator as his successor. Why? McCullough does not give us much insight because we see events only from Truman’s perspective. Truman was an enjoyable read and a highly professional biography of one of our best presidents. Despite my grumblings, I read every word of this fine book and returned to reading it at every opportunity. I would highly recommend it … supplemented with other history books about this pivotal period in our history.
Rating: 4