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This warm biography of Harry Truman is both an historical evaluation of his presidency and a paean to the man's rock-solid American values. Truman was a compromise candidate for vice president, almost an accidental president after Roosevelt's death 12 weeks into his fourth term. Truman's stunning come-from-behind victory in the 1948 election showed how his personal qualities of integrity and straightforwardness were appreciated by ordinary Americans, perhaps, as McCullough notes, because he was one himself. His presidency was dominated by enormously controversial issues: he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, established anti-Communism as the bedrock of American foreign policy, and sent U.S. troops into the Korean War. In this winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize, McCullough argues that history has validated most of Truman's war-time and Cold War decisions.
Book Description
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.
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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.
Customer Reviews:
Give 'em hell Harry.......2007-10-03
In the middle of WW2, when Harry Truman became
president, people wondered how such an ordinary
man could ever become president: "If Harry Truman can be president,
so could my next door neighbor. ".
But as David McCulloughs wonderful Truman biography
explains - there is absolutely nothing wrong about
a "common man" becoming president. Quoting
Senator Adlai Stevenson: "The 'lesson' of Trumans life,
was a lesson about ourselves. An object lesson in
the vitality of popular government; an example of
the society to yield up, from the unremarkable origins,
the most remarkable man".
From sunday school and own reading of the Bible
Harry Truman knew many passages by heart:
"Ye are the salt of the Earth.. Let your light so shine
before men, that they may seee your good works."
and prayers like:
"Oh! Almighty and Everlasting God, creator of heaven,
Earth and Universe:
Help me to be, to think, to act what is right, because it is right,
make me truthful, honest and honerable in all things;
make me intellectually honest for the sake of right and
honor and without thought of reward to me. Give me
the ability to be charitable, forgiving and patient with
my fellowmen - help me to understand their motives and
their shortcomings - even as Thou understandest
mine! Amen."
What is more - for what we can gather from McCulloughs
biography - Harry Truman actually believed and lived by these words.
Combined with his midwestern belief in the values
of the farmer - Following Thomas Jefferson belief
in a nation of farmers - In Harry Trumans words: "
.. as long as a country
is one of that kind, people are independent
and make better citizens. When it is made up of
factories and large cities, it soon becomes depressed
and makes classes among people. ".
- he was placed in a world that was anything
but simple. But a world that was in absolute need
of his values and judgement.
Trouble never far away. His wife Bess' father kills
himself age 43, by putting a gun to his head, leaving behind
4 children. No reason given, except a drinking problem.
Harry Trumans father not that good with money -
more or less resulting in no college for bright Harry,
but 10 years of hard work on the farm instead.
Only escape - even with very poor eyesight - to
WW1 France and war horrors. Home again he marries
sweetheart Bess. And opens a business that fails
in 1922. Leaving him broke and strapped for money for 20 years,
Eventually he enters politics - settles as a local Missouri judge,
when fortune offers him to run as a US senator - a race which he surprisingly wins 2 times. And in 1944 Chicago Convention democratic bosses selects Truman as Vp candidate. Ambassadorships and postermaster
jobs etc. promised around to make the deal go through.
However corrupt some of this might seem - somehow
it doesn't cling to the man who is then elected VP -
but escapes intact.
So much so as when asked about his feelings about the
current president Roosevelt - Harry Truman answers
(obviously not in public) that he has only
one objection - that he lies.
When Roosevelt dies an old man age 63. Truman
takes over - a young man of 60. With the remark
to reporters : "Boys if you pray, pray for me now.".
With WW2 still on he offers the 48 presidency to Eisenhower.
But still he is the one to make the decisions.
And he does nuke Japan - making historians
remember that he did use the "n-word" and was
not respectful towards chinese back home in Missouri.
Still, in Trumans mind that was the only way to stop
the war in east without another million dead american soldiers.
And he was happy about the decision.
With the Berlin crisis, Korean war there was no lack of problems.
And yet reporters remark that everyday "is a mothers
day in White House under Truman" with a president who never
fails to call back to see how things are back home on the farm.
Against all odds he is re-elected president in 48.
With the backing of fellow democrats Lauren Bacall,
Humphrey Bogart and Ronald Reagan (later to become a republican).
standing for a government for the people and
against special interest.
When MacArthur threathens to go for all out war with the chinese
in Korea he is fired by Truman, telling the world
that civilian leadership is above military leadership.
He is always well composed - when assassins from Puerto Rico
tries to kill him and all leading newspapers
are certain that he will loose. Except when a music
critic says his singing daughter is no good. Then he explodes.
Making the picture perfect of Harry the man, who became
president.
A real person.
Personally I was amazed when I visited his home in
Independence, Missouri in 2002 - that it was actually the home
of Harry Truman the president. It somehow seemed to humble.
After reading the McCullough book I see it was not.
How amazing. And how amazing the thing called democracy is.
"Give 'em hell, Harry" a spectator said in the 48 campaign for presidency,
and you see why!
-Simon
Outstanding.......2007-09-23
A great read about the man and times. Truman made some of the toughest calls to date about WW II, Korea, MacArthur, etc. This is a good jump off point to learn more about the times and other great figures of the day like Churchill and Marshall.
Fantastic.......2007-09-21
Harry Truman the man, the myth - this book has it all. This is a wonderfully written biography that gets at every aspect of Truman. From his boyhood in Missouri to his rise through the political ranks David McCullough does not dissapoint with his book on the former president.
A must read as a companion to any serious study on World War I, II and Korea - Truman's life touches all these conflicts as a soldier and leader. This is a great biography and I highly recommend it. JVD
Triumph of tireless sleuthing and attention.......2007-09-12
After spending pretty much the course of the summer reading David McCullough's immense biography of Harry S. Truman, I must say that was time well spent. For the first time, I have a largely intact understanding of not only Truman's life and times, but of the forces and events that shaped him and the United States as well. Though Truman's term as president ended the year I was born, the decisions and actions taken by our 33rd president and his staff have reverberated throughout my own life.
One need not pile on with any more plaudits or adjectives for the author or his biography for at this point I think everything has been stated. But what is most striking to me is just how much the world has changed since Truman's presidency and how our current crop of politicians are even more vile and odious than the worst of the lot in Truman's day. Reading about a man who strove to achieve the greater good rather than let his decisions be tempered by political motivations proved both startling and refreshing.
McCullough may have burnished Truman's character with a bit more shine and polish than fitting the man himself, but he does not neglect Truman's flaws or humanity, which, in turn, makes this book more compelling. The vivid, memorable characters who play key roles in the story of Truman infuse this historical account with energy and realism and also elevate Truman's character and person. The details contained in this book, both their quantity and quality, require close attention and rereading, a testament to Mr. McCullough's tireless sleuthing and attention.
Let's hope for everyone's sake that a similarly powerful, elegant biography of an American president will someday appear to take its place on the shelf beside this one.
Exceptionally Poor Quality For Papareback Binding .......2007-08-23
The book was great, and the author was most worthy of the Pulitzer Prize award for his work. However, the binding was exceptionally poor. Given the 1,100+ pages of the book, this paperback needs to be bound in a different fashion. The book completely fell apart during my reading of it, as large sections of pages fell out of it. I did not subject the book to any harsh treatment or unusual wear, and it simply fell apart under normal reading conditions.
Book Description
Shortly after he left office, President Harry S. Truman began to write down his typically blunt, honest commentaries about FDR and his other colleagues, the job of the presidency, the workings of the government and the Constitution -- and his picks for the nation's best and worst presidents. Since he minced no words, Truman asked that these writings -- sometimes funny, sometimes very serious, always to the point -- be released to the public only after he and Mrs. Truman were gone.Now, this totally frank book by the thirty-third president, lovingly edited by his daughter, Margaret, has been published at last. In it, Truman speaks clearly in his own inimitable voice, and with the down-home, across-the-back-fence feeling of a born storyteller from Missouri, he tells you exactly what's on his mind about these and other subjects:
Customer Reviews:
Take it with a heavy dash of salt........2007-07-14
This book is worth reading only if you've already learned quite a lot of history. In many instances Truman embellishes or distorts historical facts, and on certain points he is embarrassingly wrong. It's a wonder that the editor of the book, his daughter Margaret (who majored in history in college) didn't catch some of his errors. Particularly egregious is Truman's discussion of the American Revolution, in which he asserts that George III was "an absolute monarch." Nothing could be further from the truth. By the late 18th century, the King of England had considerably less political power than the President of the United States would have in later years.
Moreover, Truman's attacks on Eisenhower smack of vindictiveness, and while they may contain some truth they are not to be trusted on the whole. Truman was a suspicious man, and once he took a dislike to someone, he tended to put the most negative possible spin on anything that man said or did.
The book is written in a lively style, but beware: Truman was a politician, a man full of grudges and prejudices. These come out in this book--sometimes strongly enough to make you wince.
Great fun.......2006-03-21
I feel lucky when I find a book I really enjoy and this one I really enjoyed. He called Daniel Webster a "gasbag". He said Teddy Roosevelt did a lot of talking but very little in the way of acting to solve problems. Truman loved Andrew Jackson and after reading his description of Jackson I also feel that he was one of the best presidents and one of the most interesting characters. This was a really enjoyable way of learning the history of this country and seeing these guys the way they really were and not the mythic characters I used to think from taking American History in high school. I think high school students should be made to read this book, so that American History would come to life for them. I never thought anything of James Polk before reading what Harry wrote about him. And Calvin Coolidge sleeping (I mean zzzzzzz) his way through the Presidency! I liked the way Harry didn't blame Hoover for the depression. Harry was the little kid describing the Emperor's new clothes!
Harry Gives 'em Hell Again.......2002-11-21
As a child and young adult, I was taught to have great respect for Mr. Truman. Among the things he was praised for was his plain-speaking manner and the fact that he told it as it was, with no sugar coating. I never really understood what that meant until I read this book. The Harry Truman that comes across here is a person you could easily image as your next-door neighbor. He always gives it to you in a no-nonsense, down-to-earth way that anybody can understand the first time.
That having been said I just want to voice two criticisms. First, I think Mr. Truman's understanding of history might be a little too "black and white". For example, he states that after WWI, the allied powers didn't really go to hard on Germany in terms of making the Germans pay reparations. I think just the opposite is true. The allied powers at Versailles imposed very hard terms on the Germans. Mr. Truman was correct in stating that the allies never entered German soil, however, the severity of the peace terms combined with the fact that the Germans never saw an enemy soldier sowed the seeds for Hitler's preaching that the Germans were stabbed in the back. I'm just saying that perhaps Mr. Truman's historical understanding was not as sophisticated as me might think.
Second, it seems that Mr. Truman's dislike of Mr. Eisenhower finds it's way onto virtually every page of the book. No matter who or what he's talking about, he seems to find a way to turn the subject into a criticism of Ike. I guess he really didn't like him too much.
All that having been said, I think this is great book.
One great read!.......2002-10-30
This book does something very rare--it actually reveals the plain-spoken nature of Harry S. Truman while still demonstrating the depth and breadth of Truman's knowledge of history, politics, economics, and foreign affairs. It was really amazing to me that an essentially "self-taught" man was so brilliant with such a deep understanding of a vast array of issues. Unlike our current president, Harry S. Truman understood the complexities of international relations and implications of taking unilateral approaches in our foreign policy.
Truman also recognized that military action was something to be used as a LAST resort, especially when the rest of the world is against such an action. Although Truman had an appreciation for some military experience in public servants, he also recognized the danger of career military men in those positions. Unlike politicians of today, Truman was bold enough to make the unpopular decision to fire General McArthur because our foreign policy should not be predicated on our ability to anhilate every other country on the face of the earth.
Harry Truman Tells It Like It Is.......2000-07-20
This book is absolutely essential for the student of Harry S. Truman in particular, as well as for the student of History in general. Truman goes through all the important historical phases of our country and makes the information really breathe. In this age of political sophistry, it's very refreshing to hear a politician just being himself. It's interesting that Truman was vilified in his day. Perhaps he told it too much like it was for ears of that time. Nonetheless, this is a book that can be read again and again. This and Merle Miller's wonderful book, Plain Speaking -- An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman, should be in every Truman admirer's library.
Book Description
In this invaluable account, President Truman provides extraordinary insight into events and decisions that have shaped the world we live in. The momentous year, 1945, witnessed the accession of a new president in wartime, the first use of atomic weaponry, the end of the war with Japan and the founding of United Nations. Engaging and informal, Truman's Memoirs display the sterling character of a man who, thrust into a job he neither sought nor wanted, proved to be one of the ablest men ever to hold the office of the presidency.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2007-05-10
This memoir, written by Truman because he was badly in need of money, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Truman starts with the days leading up to FDR's death, and makes a special note of how the president looked very ill.
Truman spend two volumes going over his critical eight years in office, a time which included Korea, Communism, the fall of China, the beginnings of Joseph McCarthy, as well as Truman's amazing 1948 victory over New York governor Thomas Dewey.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the presidency. It is well written, and informative.
Book Description
Harry S. Truman is remembered today as an icon--the plain-speaking president, "Give 'em Hell Harry," the chief executive who put "The Buck Stops Here" on his desk. But Alonzo L. Hamby shows that there was more to Truman than the pugnacious fighter so prominent in popular memory. Insecure, ambitious, a man of honor, a partisan loyalist, an agrarian Jeffersonian Democrat who became a champion of big government, Truman was a complex figure who fought long and hard to triumph over his own weaknesses. In Man of the People, Hamby offers a gripping account of this distinctively American life, tracing Truman's remarkable rise from marginal farmer in rural Missouri to shaper of the postwar world. Truman comes alive in these pages as he has nowhere else, making his way from the farmhouse, to the front lines in France during World War I, to the difficult small-business world of Kansas City--all the time struggling with his deep feelings of inadequacy and immense ambition. Hamby provides an honest, incisive look at the rising politician's relationship with Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast, who sponsored his career from the county court to the U.S. Senate. We see how Truman, a ferocious and skilled fighter in factional party battles, tried to balance his sense of honor with his political loyalties. Free of corruption himself, he nevertheless refused to repudiate Pendergast even when the boss was sinking under the weight of his ties to organized crime. Hamby also offers the best account yet of Truman's critical years in the Senate, covering not only his World War II probe of the defense program but also his neglected and revealing populist investigations of the railroads during the 1930s. He demonstrates that Truman was one of the most popular and respected members of the upper house. Hamby is particularly acute in his portrait of Truman's volatile presidency. He criticizes some aspects of the decision to drop the atomic bombs against Japan but concludes that, considered in context, the act was understandable and justified. Providing new insight into the Cold War, he identifies the Turkish and Iranian crisis of 1946 as crucial turning points in Truman's attitudes toward the Soviet Union. Thoroughly covering Truman's struggle for "liberalism in a conservative age," Hamby also sheds great light on the president's Fair Deal domestic program. Harry Truman, Hamby writes, was a flawed man--insecure, often petty and vindictive--yet one of the great presidents of the twentieth century. But Americans cherish him less for what he did than for who he was: an ordinary person who worked his way up the political ladder to the summit of power. In Man of the People, Alonzo L. Hamby provides a richly perceptive biography, giving us the best look yet at who Truman was, how he changed, and why he triumphed.
Customer Reviews:
Whatever you do, READ MCCULLOUGH BEFORE THIS!!!.......2007-10-11
I was unfortunately persuaded by a review of this book that it was a better one to start with than McCullough's Pulitzer-prize-winning book "Truman." So I gave it a try, but had to quit about 100 pages in because it was SO bad.
I suspect that Hamby (who wrote a book on Truman in 1972) had this book in the works when McCullough came out with his tour-de-force a few years before. Not wanting to lose out on his efforts to date, he packs his text with the most meaningless minutiae (eg, endless quotes of dollar figures regarding Harry's business ventures) just to show the reader, I think, how many hours he spent slogging through county records and such -- but at the cost of any flow to his narrative.
Now this is actually a very favorable spin on his writing, but I suspect the truth is that -- even without this junkyard of data -- he is not a writer capable of holding the reader's interest. SO many times while I was reading this book I kept a running argument with the author over why he was not providing more backstory to the events in Harry's life. When I finally dove into McCullough's book it was a man starved for oxygen finally breathing it in.
Perhaps the most telling part of Hamby's book is his dig on McCullough's book (p722). He describes it as "a nicely told story but (despite its length) episodic and lacking much in the way of historical perspective." From this I can assure Hamby that he has succeeded beyond his wildest expectations in producing a book that is A POORLY TOLD STORY. Congratulations.
As for his own implication that he, and not McCullough, has provided historical perspective for Truman's story, well, I guess he's right if "historical perspective" is defined as "a mind-numbing recitation of meaningless but accurate little facts."
Using the "forest-for-the-trees" analogy, McCullough is a pilot carrying you effortlessly over the forest with a flawless narration. Hamby is a blind stuttering lumberjack who gets off on the texture of tree bark while you quitely go insane with boredom. (My apologies to any blind stutterering lumberjacks who may take offense.)
Truman the man as president.......2002-03-15
This is one of the better biographies of a US President I have ever read. Hamby avoids the hero worship which plagues other authors and, instead, takes a frank look at the man and how he discharged his duties, public and private, throughout his life. I found this book invaluable resource for understanding the cold war and American politics in the middle of the 20th century.
Difficult reading........2000-11-22
I had a hard time getting through this book. The first half was pretty dull, and throughout the book the writing is workman-like, but not inspiring. As for the author's integrity, I would say the book is written fair-mindedly and with adequate research having been done.
An Excellent Biography of a Great President!.......2000-02-23
David Mccullough's book on Truman is great. It is well written, full of great information, and though many people think too pro-Truman it does show why he was a Great Man. Unfortuantely many professors and especially those with Revisionist Tendancies don't feel Mccullough's book is scholary. They see it as Pop History. I think this is academic snobbery, and also stubborness upon the part of the revionists to admit Truman was a great President. However, a good way to silence the revisonists and to read another great book on Truman is to read Hamby's Man of the People. Though a little more critical than Mccollough, Hamby again paints a great portrait of a great man. For whatever reasons, Hamby is considered more scholary and his book more scholary. Whatever makes our Professors happy. But regardless, this is a great book. Though long like Mccollough, it tells a great story. Hamby is a fine historian who was also on c-spans look at Truman for its President's series. So in short, a more "academic" but just as great book on Truman.
Superb bio without the mythology that has obscured Truman.......1999-01-22
Hamby uses the tools of a professional historian -- excellent documentation and sources, superb prose, and healthy skepticism -- to brilliantly move beyond the standard adoring view of Truman as a plain-talking, quick-deciding everyman. While he is shown to have been those things, he is also revealed to have shared much of the pettiness, anger, and impulsiveness that have marked many of his predecessors and successors. He is (surprize, surprize) a human being rather than an icon. Especially good is Hamby's narrative of the downhill trajectory of Truman's second term and the post-Potsdam evolution of his anti-communism. Historical biography at its absolute best. And by rendering Truman human, he ultimately produces a more admiring portrait than other books that set out to be adoring.
Book Description
"An Unplanned Life" is the scintillating memoir of George Elsey, a small-town kid from western Pennsylvania who, at age twenty-four, was assigned to Franklin Roosevelt's top-secret intelligence and communications center in the White House. As an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Elsey helped brief the president and his senior associates on war events. He and his map room colleagues acted as the secretariat for Roosevelt's cabled exchanges with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek; filed records of "summit conferences"; and stored in safes plans for future operations. Elsey's duties continued with Harry Truman's succession to the presidency. In 1947, he shed his Naval Reserve uniform and joined the White House's civilian staff as assistant to the special counsel to the president. In 1949, he became administrative assistant to the president, and, in 1952, he became a member of the Mutual Security Agency staff.
Customer Reviews:
George Elsey is the "Right Stuff".......2007-08-30
George Elsey was a Harvard graduate student in history who wound up as a 23 year old Naval Aide to FDR in the midst of World War II. Thus began an unplanned career as a key witness, participant, and recorder of one of the most important chapters in our nation's history.
Working in the Map Room, he coded, decoded, read, and transmitted the most top secrets of the war, including:
-Handing Churchill the news that the Allies had sunk three German U-Boats, which Churchill knew meant that we'd broken the top secret German Enigma code. Churchill jumped up and down and shouted "We got them! We got them! We got them!" This was in May, 1943, regarded by many as the turning point of the war.
-Handing FDR the news that Mussolini's government had collapsed in July, 1943.
-Handing Truman the news of the atomic bomb.
But he didn't just pass along news, he made news. He was a key architect of Truman's foreign policy, and also nudged him to proceed with civil rights speeches. And then during the "greatest political upset of the century," George Elsey wrote Truman's speeches during his famous Whistle Stop Campaign, sometimes as many as 15 speeches a day.
He had many more accomplishments in government life as well.
He worked at the Red Cross for over 20 years, 13 as President, and was personally responsible for many of the core tenets that live on to this day.
George Elsey is the kind of man we all want to be, and his story, written with great candor, modesty, and precision, reminds us that giants used to roam the halls of the White House.
An Excellent Life Story.......2006-03-26
This book is a joy to read. George Elsey has told the story of his experiences with clarity and continuity that makes history reading fun. The word serendipity came to mind numerous times while George relates the fortuitous events in his life. He does not belabor the reader with oft-told events that are common knowledge. His narrative style paints a vivid picture of how important and significant world affairs melded together through the 40s, 50s and 60s. Persons who also grew up in this time-frame will immediately relate to the events. George Mckee Elsey still exhibited his sharpness of mind during a recent radio program on NPR called, The Book Guys.
Great .......2006-03-18
George Elsey was one of the architects of Truman's upset of 1948. Truman even predicted the outcome some weeks before the election to Elsey and Elsey put the prediction in a safe place. Truman was a little optimistic, but he really defied the odds and the bookmakers in Nevada by beating Tom Dewey.
This is a must for any fan of Harry S Truman. Bet they sell lots of this book at the Truman Library in Independence, MO. There were no two people like Bess and Harry Truman.
A Great Insider View .......2006-01-23
While the title of this book could fit most of our lives, most of us do not get to go to Princeton, and then assigned to work in the White House through World War II and beyond.
Mr. Elsey did this and more. He was assigned to the White House early in the war. He was to remain, first with Roosevelt and then with Truman for many years. Later, during the Viet Nam war he worked with Clark Clifford looking for ways to get out of the war. Finally he spent a long career with the Red Cross.
This career placed him near the center of power for many of the critical years of the 20th century. Now at 88 years old, it is clear that his memory is still sharp. And as his attitude towards life comes through it is easy to see how he would have fit into many different assignments.
The photograph section of the book is fascinating as it shows him off to the side or behind the president, but often with people very powerful in their own right.
A Fascinating and Engaging Book.......2005-11-24
From National Review Online:
An Unplanned Life, by George M. Elsey. The newly published reminiscences of the author's days as a Naval aide to FDR and speechwriter and advisor to President Truman. Now 87, Mr. Elsey spent many hours with Roosevelt in the White House Map Room, served as the president's personal witness to the invasion of Normandy, and decoded and delivered to Truman the first report of the mission over Hiroshima. The stories are fascinating and engagingly told - the product of careful note-taking, an undimmed memory, and a modest, gentlemanly character. --Matthew Scully
Average customer rating:
- Splendid Reading
- Leuchtenburg is a top-notch historian
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The White House Looks South: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson (Walter Lynwood Fleming Lectures in Southern History)
William E. Leuchtenburg
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
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ASIN: 0807130796 |
Book Description
Perhaps not southerners in the usual sense, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Lyndon B. Johnson each demonstrated a political style and philosophy that helped them influence the South and unite the country in ways that few other presidents have. Combining vivid biography and political insight, William E. Leuchtenburg offers an engaging account of relations between these three presidents and the South while also tracing how the region came to embrace a national perspective without losing its distinctive sense of place.
According to Leuchtenburg, each man "had one foot below the Mason-Dixon Line, one foot above." Roosevelt, a New Yorker, spent much of the last twenty-five years of his life in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he built a "Little White House." Truman, a Missourian, grew up in a pro-Confederate town but one that also looked West because of its history as the entrepôt for the Oregon Trail. Johnson, who hailed from the former Confederate state of Texas, was a westerner as much as a southerner.
Their intimate associations with the South gave these three presidents an empathy toward and acceptance in the region. In urging southerners to jettison outworn folkways, Roosevelt could speak as a neighbor and adopted son, Truman as a borderstater who had been taught to revere the Lost Cause, and Johnson as a native who had been scorned by Yankees. Leuchtenburg explores in fascinating detail how their unique attachment to "place" helped them to adopt shifting identities, which proved useful in healing rifts between North and South, in altering behavior in regard to race, and in fostering southern economic growth.
The White House Looks South is the monumental work of a master historian. At a time when race, class, and gender dominate historical writing, Leuchtenburg argues that place is no less significant. In a period when America is said to be homogenized, he shows that sectional distinctions persist. And in an era when political history is devalued, he demonstrates that government can profoundly affect people's lives and that presidents can be change-makers.
Customer Reviews:
Splendid Reading.......2006-03-07
William E. Leuchtenburg is the preeminent historian of America in the twentieth century. Based on research in 400 manuscript collections, together with 200 oral histories, his The White House Looks South is both highly original and beautifully written. It ranks with the very best of Leuchtenburg's previous works, yet is different from any of them.
Through incisive biographies, the book establishes the relationship of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson to the South of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. Leuchtenburg argues that politics, together with the influence of individual politicians, remains central to an understanding of the broader sweep of American history, and that place and section are central to an understanding of politics. Certain presidents take the helm of change, altering through governmental action the individual lives of millions. Judging from the remarkable popularity of presidential biography, most Americans seem to comprehend at least some of these points, but they have been unfashionable among professional historians for a long generation. The White House Looks South is, in effect, a timely invitation to the historical profession to return to once-established precepts. As if to nail down the point, the book takes as its central theme the three presidents' transformation of civil rights from the 1930s through the 1960s.
Like all of Leuchtenburg's books, The White House Looks South makes splendid reading. Its pages sparkle with anecdotes as well as pithy (and often astonishingly revealing) quotes. Both a master political analyst and a master storyteller, never has Leuchtenburg produced a work so richly combining both.
Leuchtenburg is a top-notch historian.......2006-02-24
Essentially, this book is a history of the political relationship between three presidents and the South (FDR, Truman, and LBJ). The book also focuses a great deal of attention on the attitude of each president on civil rights and the plight of black people in the South. Leuchtenburg does a good job of pointing out the ambivalence of each of these presidents towards civil rights juxtaposed against bold actions they took (mostly for political reasons) that ended up helping black people in Southern states and advancing the cause of civil rights. The book is full of fascinating aspects of each president's regional identity, including FDR's second "home" in Warm Springs and the struggle of both Truman and LBJ to truly identify with a particular section of the country (whether it be West, Midwest, or South). The book also serves as a fascinating history of the shift of strength within the Democratic Party away from the Solid South and towards liberals in the North. In all, this is fantastic historical research and writing that I would highly recommend.
Book Description
"Truman the 'man' may be found in these writings and that in itself makes the collection worth reading."-Choice
The Autobiography of Harry S. Truman is a compilation of autobiographical writings composed by Truman between 1934 and 1972. Taken directly from his own manuscript material, the volume presents the thoughts and feelings of the man himself. The book touches on details in Truman's life from his days as a boy until graduation from Independence High School in 1901 to the vice presidency of the United States and beyond. There is also a memorandum written by Truman about the Pendergast machine in Kansas City telling how it was possible to work with the machine and not be soiled by it. The Autobiography concludes with some of the retired president's thoughts about politics and the purposes of public life.
Customer Reviews:
Autobiography of HST.......2007-08-24
Very infomative. Too short, but about the right amount of depth. Showed some of his political shaping.
Give 'em hell, Harry.......2007-07-09
I never did give anybody hell. I just gave them the truth and they thought it was hell. That's my favorite quote of Harry S Truman and has nothing to do with this book, except one thing. As you read through this left-handed autobiography, the quote pretty much sums up this great man's efforts during his long tenure of a political career. There is an involvement throughout the book that says that he tried his best for the people, his people... and who can ask more from a representative of the people? This book is a compilation of letters, writings, scribblings and other noteworthy sources rather than a sit-down writing from the man to the public, which is well put together and gives the reader a strangely consistent look into the mind-set of a great man.
the autobiography of Harry Truman.......2005-09-10
This book is an excellent example of why Harry Truman is the all-time greatest underdog. He came from simple roots and through sheer will and determination, he made some of the most significant changes to the United Staes and the world. Well-written and entertaining.
Disappointing.......1999-01-13
I ordered this book because I am interested in the person of president Truman, and the years of his presidency. I expected to get more insight about the decision of dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his dealings with Churchill and Stalin, and the korean war and his relationship with Douglas MacArthur. This book has tells nothing about those subjects, and is overall very sketchy.
Customer Reviews:
Examines the Lasting Impact of FDR 55 Years Later.......2004-04-15
Leuchtenburg, and esteemed historian of the Roosevelt era, examines the profound, lasting impact of Roosevelt's policies on America for many decades following his presidency and how future presidents have operated in Roosevelt's shadow. (The book will need to be revised again due to the Bush plan to privatize Social Security - although FDR's original plan was more modest than the current system, significantly expanded in years after FDR).
Roosevelt influence is still great - the greatest of any modern president.
Average customer rating:
- Shaping the Post World War II World
- Battle, Truce Worldwide and Personal in Neal's "Harry & Ike"
- Flawed premise, but brilliant history
- Finally, a satisfactory explaination
- Another buddies in history book. We have Napoleon &
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Harry and Ike: The Partnership That Remade the Postwar World (Lisa Drew Books)
Steve Neal
Manufacturer: Scribner
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Binding: Hardcover
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Book Description
Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower worked more closely between 1945 and 1952 than any other two American presidents of the twentieth century. They were partners in changing America's role in the world and in responding to the challenge of a Soviet Europe, yet they are remembered more for the acrimony that ended their friendship. Both were men of character, intelligence, and principle, and as the nation learned in the 1950s, they could also hold a grudge.
Drawing on letters, diaries, and interviews with close associates, this is the first examination of the warm friendship, bitter rupture, and eventual reconciliation between two remarkable Americans. From the author of The Eisenhowers: Reluctant Dynasty and Dark Horse comes a unique volume focusing exclusively on the relationship between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman.
Harry and "Ike" grew up 150 miles apart in the heart of America. They met during World War II, when Truman became commander-in-chief after FDR's death. Together they would oversee not only the great Allied victory but also the restructuring of the U.S. military and the reconstruction of Europe. Together they would forge history's most successful alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Their initial relationship was so respectful and warm that Truman offered to step aside in the 1948 presidential election if Ike would agree to run on the Democratic ticket. Preferring to remain out of politics, Eisenhower declined and instead became president of Columbia Uni-versity. Truman helped make Ike a wealthy man by granting him a special tax break for his memoirs. Eisenhower later prepared to remove himself from contention for the presidency in 1952 if Robert A. Taft supported Truman on NATO. But Ike's friendship with Truman would not survive the 1952 presidential campaign, and for nearly a decade the former allies were engaged in an epic feud. It was not until the funeral of John F. Kennedy that the two men put aside their differences and reestablished a semblance of their previous bond.
In exploring the complexity of character, intelligence, and principle, Neal provides a fresh perspective on two giants of the twentieth century, and on the American presidency.
Customer Reviews:
Shaping the Post World War II World.......2004-12-22
Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower is the partnership that shaped the post World War II world. Their impact is astounding. Steve Neal does a commendable job of charting the friendship that turned sour imcoperating the background material necessary to tell the complete story.
Truman and Eisenhower both started as military man, but it became a career for Eisenhower. Truman returned home after World War I to work in the government through a political machine eventually landing in the senate. From the senate he filled a void of urgency, FDR's vice president in his final term. It was somewhat expected that FDR would not finish the term so it would important for FDR to have a capable repalcement waiting. Truman would serve little more than two months as VP before leading the country through the completion and rebuilding of World War II.
Eisenhower would never reach the battle lines of World War I, but he commanded the allied forces of Europe. Eisenhower won great public approval for his victory over the Nazis at home and abroad. Even in 1948, there was popular sentiment that he should run for president. Eisenhower had no desire to run for political office, instead he supervised the rebuilding of Europe. He felt his work was of far to great importance to abandon at that time.
Eisenhower work so closely with Truman during this time, most people assumed he was a Democrat. However, Eisenhower never declared a party. It strained the friendship when Eisenhower ran on the Republican ticket in 1952. It strained their friendship even more when Eisenhower shared a political platform with Senator Joe McCarthy, head of the communist witch hunt. In addition to McCarthy's open criticism of Truman, Eisenhower's political maneuver caused Truman and Eisenhower not to speak for most of the Eisenhower's presidency. Partisan bickering continued throughout most of Eisenhower's term.
It was only through the tragic events on November 22, 1963 that their friendship was renewed. As both men survived through the end of the decade, their correspondence would continue. While the book starts slow and burried in fact, the middle and end of the book finish strong. Toward the end, I could not put the book down.
Battle, Truce Worldwide and Personal in Neal's "Harry & Ike".......2004-11-27
The title of Steve Neal's book is a bit misleading. The working relationship between America's 33rd and 34th presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, wasn't quite a first-name buddy relationship or one between close comrades (although they collaborated on the Marshall Plan and key initiatives of the first Cold War years.) But assembling formal documents, letters, speeches, telegrams, and even early TV appearances, Neal accurately if dryly (few personal interviews) charts 15 years' key dialogue between two of America's revered post-war figures.
Neal successfully shows how key events of 1945-60 (culminating in JFK's election) serve to unite, than divide the men. Truman admires Eisenhower's early work helping rebuild Germany's economy, while Eisenhower supports formation of NATO and SHAPE, (buttress against post-war Communist aggression.) Both agree on early attempts to mitigate Soviet and Chinese threats, leading to histories of 1950-53's Korean war and Douglas MacArthur's controversial dismissal (with both men agreeing on their dim view of the revered military figure).
Neal also makes the case for Senators Joe McCarthy and William Jenner's divisive Senate tenures changing Truman and Eisenhower's relationship, in Neal's words, "from one of bitter words into one of mutual contempt." Eisenhower enters 1952's campaign election after years' reluctance as a stand against US isolationism, only finding himself supporting unpopular senators along party lines and not fully supporting Truman cabinet members (such as Gen. George Marshall) against McCarthy's attacks. But Neal also shows Truman's political expediency as he first dismisses the younger John Kennedy in 1960 before endorsing his candidacy more enthusiastically than Eisenhower did his vice president, Richard Nixon.
You sense the awe in which Neal holds both men, honoring their respective contributions to society. He spends Chapter 29's first paragraphs explaining how each administration's agendas (for national security, infrastructure, and economic growth) blended into each other, thus turning making their eventual quarrel more personal. (It was notable enough then to receive media coverage and even a quip from David Brinkley.) This chill slowly thaws after 1960 to warm greetings between both men and their wives in the aftershock of John Kennedy's 1963 funeral.
The book could have used more personal reflections; admittedly few may have been actively available for discussion, but only Eisenhower's son John is extensively quoted apart from written correspondence. Nonetheless, "Harry and Ike" is worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the key post-war years, allowing us another look at the seismic events of the early Cold War through the eyes of two of America's most beloved presidents. Recommended.
Flawed premise, but brilliant history.......2004-01-07
Steve Neal's historical biography "Harry and Ike" nearly fails right from the start by building on a premise that is non-existent: the `close' relationship between Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. It's well known that Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower were never close working partners, even prior to the epic, decade-long feud that began during the 1952 election. It's a stretch to building a book on the premise of such a partnership and Neal does very little support his theory. Harry and Ike were two men who initially had great respect for each other and occasionally worked together on issues of common interest, but otherwise had little to do with one another. The failure to make a case otherwise should have torpedoed this book. What saves it, however, is that, even with the flawed premise, it is a fascinating historical record.
While Neal is unable support his premise, he does an excellent job and revealing the histories and backgrounds of these titans among men. He tracks their lives and developments independently until their disparate paths crossed during the last, mad days of World War II. From there, Neal uses the framework of this supposed friendship to provide informative and interesting accounts of history as it happened during that era. He covers moments like Truman offering to step aside and run as Eisenhower's Vice President in 1948 if Ike were to run as a Democrat (possibly the foundation of Neal's assertion of a `close' relationship). He covers the major events like the hostile 1952 Presidential election, the beginning of the Korean War, and firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Neal uses these events to show the impact it had on each man and the reactions it prompted.
"Harry and Ike" serves as a good primer for studying the historical events of that time. It has the effect of making the reader want to probe deeper into those events. Reading this book led me to seek out and read the incredible Douglas MacArthur biography "American Caesar". Given that strong historical narrative of "Harry and Ike", Steve Neal should not be penalized too much for his flimsy premise. There's no doubting that it still serves as an effective historical record.
Finally, a satisfactory explaination.......2003-01-12
Harry was wild about Ike, until Ike gave him hell, sending Harry on a crusade in Illinois. I have read a dozen or so books by and about Harry and Ike, none of which adequately explained the root causes of their falling out or their eventual reconciliation. This book fills that gap. Ike was politically naive, as Harry feared. I agree with the author that Ike would have been a better President if he had followed the advice of more of his friends, including HST, and less advice from his political handlers. This is an excellent book.
Another buddies in history book. We have Napoleon &.......2002-04-03
Hitler, Hitler & Stalin, FDR & Stalin, FDR & Truman among others.
Some with no connection. Obviously Naploeon didn't know Hitler. I'm kinder that most reviewers. But this was cooperation, not a partnership. The author strains for similarities. They were both poor boys growing up at the same time in mid-America 200 miles apart.
Childish & paranoid come to mind in decribing their relationship after Ike decides to run in 1952. Truman's problem was he idolized generals such as Pershing, Marshall, MacArthur & Eisenhower. He would have stepped aside for MacArthur or Ike if either had wanted to run as a Democrat in 1948. Then he became paranoid that Ike might take him up on it. Ike said he wouldn't run & Truman thought that meant forever. When Ike did run as a Republican to deny Robert Taft the nomination Truman felt betrayed, even though Ike was doing him a favor. He attacked Ike & his character viciously. Of course Ike responded in kind. There were other issues mostly personal. Their foreign policy was seamless from one administration to the next. They basically ignored each other until Kennedy's funeral when they had to sit next to each other. Good history of two great Americans leaders 1945-52 & slightly tarnishing their image after that.
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-12
Oh man, if you are wild about Harry - or you would just like to get to know him a little better - this is your book. When we think in terms of "politically correct" old "give 'em hell Harry" didn't know the meaning of the term.
I first bought this book in paperback and read it. Then I got it in hard cover and read it again. I really liked this book. There is no doubt that Harry is a one of a kind but don't take my word for it. Get this book and see what you think for yourself.
I really can not believe the things that Harry Truman said. He called Billy Graham a phony; Eisenhower a coward;he threatened to throw Joe Kennedy out a window. He said Joe Kennedy bought the presidentcy for his little boy. He said Rockefeller was a trator.
When I read this book I just laugh and shake my head. It is hard to believe that a man in his position could say the things that he said. It is just unbelievable.
Take advantage of Miller's access and style- read this book!.......2007-05-10
If you can find this book, pick it up. You will be drawn in for several reasons.
First, Miller is able to gain incredible access to one of the 20th century's most important presidents. While reading through another Truman biography, the reader may have yearned for explanation or justification from Harry for some particular action or incident. The oral biography provides the reader with insight into Truman's thoughts that is simply unavailable with any other medium.
Second, Miller's style fits the bill perfectly. He allows Truman to speak for himself, without trying to inject too much editorial commentary into the work. Truman's natural friendliness flows freely and envelops the reader.
Lastly, quite unexpectedly, I found myself taken in by Miller's self-effacing personality, which makes itself evident throughout the work. Miller treats Truman with a great amount of respect which borders on outright fear of the man. And Truman is not above reprimanding Miller when the latter's questioning becomes too invasive. This book almost begins to tell a story within a story, as Miller recounts his own personal dealings with Truman at the time of interviewing, in addition to the narrative of H.S.T.'s life. The foibles and idiosyncrasies which come out over the course of these interviews make Harry even more lovable. Just sitting back and listening as Miller and Truman talk and interact is worth the price of admission.
One should probably pick up a copy of a full-length Truman biography before reading this book (try David McCullough's definitive work); not that Miller doesn't do an excellent job of putting his interviews with Truman into context. However, knowing a bit more of Truman's life and character adds infinitely to the enjoyment of Miller's book. The reader will appreciate Miller's questioning of Truman after knowing more about Harry's life.
Highly recommended. H.S.T. fans will rejoice.
GREAT READ!.......2007-03-18
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I had to read it as a summer reading book for my AP US History class and I didn't think I would like it because I don't usually like books assigned for summer reading. I read the whole book in 2 days it was so good. I recommend this book to anyone who is a Harry S. Truman fan, or who just wants to read about his life. It's quite interesting.
Highly Recommended.......2006-12-12
This book beautifully succeeds in accomplishing its primary goal: It gives us a meaningful look into the mind and character of President Harry S. Truman, the man who was given the thankless task of transitioning America from the Second World War to the Cold War. I'm not so sure if Truman is the great straight-from-the-solider sage that he has been cracked up to be, and so I wouldn't take the opinions therein expressed as being gospel (the biggest mistake of his administration was appointing Tom Clark to the Supreme Court? Come on!). Nevertheless, it really lets us in on the real Harry Truman, and that alone makes this book a worthwhile read.
An excellent biography and a great read.......2005-12-03
I can't believe no one else has reviewed this book! I was exposed to it as a boy, read it first as a teenager, and have found myself re-reading it every few years since. It's not perfect -- what book is? -- but I think it's excellent.
Harry Truman was the sort of man that was rare in his own day, and perhaps rarer these days -- a man of integrity and discipline, a man uninterested in lying about anything for any reason, a man determined to do what was right even if not a single person on Earth agreed with him. For various reasons, though, many of the biographies of him fall short.
Merle Miller, by his own account, was no particular fan of Truman when he first met him. But he conducted many hours of taped interviews, in the interests of producing a never-aired television show about the Truman years, and seems to have gradually learned to appreciate the man.
The result is a book of interviews, mostly with Truman but also with friends, relatives, and associates (Dean Acheson among them), painting a bright and warm picture of a much-misunderstood President.
Miller acknowledges Truman's gaffes and faux pas when they arise, and does his best to put them in context. (He acknowledges Truman's casual racism by today's standards, typical of the day, for example -- but he also points out that it was Truman who took the bold step of integrating the U.S. armed forces. Truman even had the guts to do it in an election year!)
In addition to all else, I found this book an easy read, suitable for cuddling up with a blanket and a fire in the fireplace. Highly recommended.
Books:
- Truman
- Truman
- Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)
- Virtual Teams: People Working Across Boundaries with Technology
- W. E. Gladstone III: Autobiographical Memoranda, 1845-1866 (Prime Ministers' Papers)
- Waiting for God (Perennial Classics)
- Walk in My Soul
- What We Lost: Based on a True Story
- When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today
- Where the Red Fern Grows
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