Truman (1992)

Well written, well organised. The author does a notably fine job of showing Truman as human and therefore flawed. These flaws were not crippling and he was a good man. His political origins were out of the Pendergrast machine and it is notable that he seems to have grown past that potentially crippling connection. The contrast with Roosevelt is stark - FDR was the quintessential example of speaking to the room while Truman seemed to genuinely value the truth. A really fine book. ( )

Truman is the best audio book by David McCullough that I have listened to so far. The narrator was the author. I picked this one because I really did not know very much about Truman except for his morning constitutionals and seeing the picture of him holding up the newspaper that said that Dewey had won.

Coming from the Midwest, I was impressed that he was so humble and actually self-deprecating. This may be a regional trait. I tended to be the same way until I had to learn not to be for job interviews. His world opened up for him when he first got his glasses, he share that experience with Teddy Roosevelt. Another Midwestern trait was to be a reader, he and his friend read a whole public library. That warms my heart as I did too although, I did skip all the math and business books. He had good grades and good manners and worked as a bank teller until he was called home by his father to work the family farm. I also got the message that his actions were more statesman than politician which makes me extremely happy.

What I liked best about this audio book was that actual recordings of his famous speeches were included. That made the story seem more real. Also it ended with a recording of Truman playing the Black Hawk Waltz on the piano.

I cannot form my total opinion of him yet except that he was a fine Midwesterner. I think the story stayed away from negative criticism so I plan to read more about it. So this portrayal was mostly positive. ( )

I listened to the condensed version of this very long McCullough tome. It was about right, so those who complain about the 998 page version should be warned. The condensed version provides just enough facts for the average reader. If you are doing a PhD thesis on the Truman decision process however, don't read the short version. I learned that he was a successful farmer and a not so successful haberdasher, for which he is known. His military service was exemplary during WWI. And, he was apparently an active VP for the 80+ days that he held the job, additionally, well respected in Congress. Stalin underestimated him and probably misjudged as he urged Korea and China to enter/initiate the Korean conflict. Well written, the condensed version probably skipped some elements that I'll never know, but I liked it. (less) . ( )

TRUMAN by David McCullough, A Biography published in 1992. Reviewed in July 2016 by Mike Hodges
At 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. ( )

One of the best biographies I have ever read. What a wonderful man. ( )