Truman

Written by David McCullough

Narrated by David McCullough

The Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Harry S. Truman, whose presidency included momentous events from the atomic bombing of Japan to the outbreak of the Cold War and the Korean War, told by America’s beloved and distinguished historian.

The life of Harry S. Truman is one of the greatest of American stories, filled with vivid characters—Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Wallace Truman, George Marshall, Joe McCarthy, and Dean Acheson—and dramatic events. In this riveting biography, acclaimed historian David McCullough not only captures the man—a more complex, informed, and determined man than ever before imagined—but also the turbulent times in which he rose, boldly, to meet unprecedented challenges. The last president to serve as a living link between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, Truman’s story spans the raw world of the Missouri frontier, World War I, the powerful Pendergast machine of Kansas City, the legendary Whistle-Stop Campaign of 1948, and the decisions to drop the atomic bomb, confront Stalin at Potsdam, send troops to Korea, and fire General MacArthur. Drawing on newly discovered archival material and extensive interviews with Truman’s own family, friends, and Washington colleagues, McCullough tells the deeply moving story of the seemingly ordinary “man from Missouri” who was perhaps the most courageous president in our history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Dec 1, 1992
• ISBN: 9780743519700

David McCullough

David McCullough (1933–2022) twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

Reviews for Truman

[Stefo Lehmann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

David McCollough is one of the best authors and narrators. This was my first experience with an abridged book and I enjoyed it.

[donna828 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How does one write a meaningful review of a 992-page book that covers a broad swath of United States history? David McCullough doesn?t waste a word as he writes about Harry Truman the Man, who was devoted to his family and loyal to his friends, and Harry Truman the President, who loved his country and served it to the best of his ability. One would be mistaken to think that there were two different versions of Harry Truman. His equal allotments of humor, humility, and high-mindedness governed both the private and public sides of his life. His response to questions from reporters on his first day of becoming the 33rd President of the U. S. (and the 7th VP thrust into office after the sudden death of the President) was typical: ?Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now. I don?t know whether you fellows ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.?Truman faced many challenges that shaped history during his two terms in office. He is probably best known for the decision to use atomic force to expedite the end of WWII. He was also responsible for fostering the Civil Rights movement, establishing Israel as an independent nation, and instituting NATO, the Truman Doctrine, and the Marshall Plan. He even got involved in renovating the White House which was in danger of being condemned. One of the biggest thorns in his side was North Korea and the resulting ?police action? as he preferred to call the war against Communist invasion. He also didn?t like the prevailing term of ?Cold War? and called his relationship with Stalin ?the war of nerves.? Truman was sustained through all this turmoil by a quote from another Missourian, Mark Twain: ?Always do right! This will gratify some and astonish the rest.?After spending many hours reading this fine Pulitzer winning work by McCullough, I am proud to call myself a Missourian. Truman worked hard to be a decent man doing the decent thing. I personally enjoyed the references to Harry Truman as a reader. Since I am addressing fellow book lovers, I?ll conclude with Harry?s idea of heaven according to his daughter Margaret: ??to have a good comfortable chair, a good reading lamp, and lots of books around that he wanted to read.? A fine ending to a fine life. Harry Truman died on December 26, 1972 at age 88 in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his wife Bess, who died ten years later, are buried in the courtyard of the Truman Library located in their beloved Independence, Missouri.

[hurstw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding book. Every candidate for President of the United States should read.

[Vicki Binder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this “Cliff Notes” version of the much longer tome and that it’s read by the author. The audio snippets of important speeches adds to the authenticity of the historical record. It just suited my interest level. Recommended!

[bkohl_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bizarrely 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!).

[Alan Weatherly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the most moving books I have ever read. Certainly, this country needs a HarryTruman!

[kathiland · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[formerenglishteacher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful, abbreviated version of the David McCullough biography of President Harry S. Truman. No one narrates quite like McCullough (unless it’s Peter Cayote), and he is at his best with the narration of this book. If I came away with one thing having listened to this book it’s that Harry Truman should be recognized as one of the greatest president in our nation’s history. Unlikely as his rise to the White House was, he met the challenge with somewhat feigned confidence and total devotion to the job. And meet the challenges of the office he did. I have a new respect for Truman after listening to the McCullough biography. I’m glad I listened to it.

[bexaplex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bizarrely 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!).

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A detailed, but mostly not too detailed, history of the life and Presidency of Harry Truman. From his pioneer roots to the atomic age, he lived in an era of massive change. Through it he was kind, generous and honest. I thought this was an excellent story about his life and presidency and it greatly enhanced my understanding of him and the times. Well written and interesting.

[rockhead515-580421 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Long but a very good read. I didn't know much about Truman before reading this and now I feel like I know him like a friendly neighbor.

[fionaanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-written and -researched and an interesting, illuminating read. I would have given this five stars if it wasn't so damned long.

[mattries37315 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Born in Missouri a generation after it was the western frontier of the young nation, he led an emerging superpower into the atomic age at the end of the largest war in human history. Truman is all-encompassing biography of the 33rd President of the United States by one of the best biographers and historians of the past half century, David McCullough.McCullough begins by quickly covering the lives of Truman’s grandparents and parents who relocated and lived on the frontier of Missouri beginning 40 years before his birth. McCullough then guides the reader through Truman’s childhood as his father attempt to succeed in various businesses with mild to no success while young Harry went through school and attempt to strike out on his own in nearby Kansas City until finally joining his family when they went working his maternal grandmother’s large farm that he would continue to work until he joined the Army in 1917 where he would see combat as a Captain of the artillery during the Hundred Days Offensive that led to the armistice. After the war, Truman opened a business that started well but failed during the recession of 1921 after which he turned to attention to politics and becoming a part of the Pendergast political machine. Successful in his first campaign to be a county administrative judge, he failed in reelection only to succeed in the next election to becoming the presiding judge which was a position he used to transform Jackson County with numerous public works that eventually gets him noticed by the new Roosevelt administration that eventually got him a position in the New Deal programs in Missouri. After Pendergast rejected Truman for a run for governor or Congress, he selected him a run for Senate in 1934 and Truman’s victory in the primary he was considered the Pendergast Senator not a Missourian. Through hard work during his term, Truman became a respected member of the Senate but when he went to be reelected, the Pendergast machine was in disarray due to various federal criminal trials and the Roosevelt administration didn’t support him, he was in a uphill battle. In a forerunner to his 1948 upset, Truman outworked his opponents and received support from the St. Louis political machine, which had opposed Pendergast’s Kansas City machine for decades, to a slim victory. During his second term, Truman became a national figure with his Select Committee to Investigate Defense Spending that investigated wasteful spending that saved roughly $15 billion that eventually would get him to be selected as Roosevelt’s 1944 Vice Presidential running mate that was essentially a nomination to be Roosevelt’s successor because everyone knew he would not live out his term. Truman’s nearly 8 years in office cover nearly 60% of the book that started off with his decisions and actions for the five months that dealt with challenges that no other President save Lincoln had to deal with. The challenges of a post-war America especially in the economic sphere led to a Republican takeover of Congress that many blamed Truman for, who used the loss to his advantage to stake differences between both parties that would eventually lead to his strategy for the 1948 Presidential campaign that led to him becoming President in his own right. Truman’s second term was dominated by his decision to military intervene in Korea that would lead to a confrontation with General Douglas McArthur that put civilian control of the military at stake, but also would continually lead to charges of Communist subversion of government jobs that reached a fever pitch with Joseph McCarthy. Once out of office, Truman transitioned to a regular citizen and began figuring out how to financially support his family, which eventually lead to Presidential pension laws for Truman and future holders of the office and creating the Presidential Library system that we know today. But after leaving office very unpopular, Truman’s popularity grew over the two decades of his post-Presidency so upon his death he was genuinely mourned by the public.McCullough’s writing reads like a novel with his subject his main character and every other individual in a supporting character to reflect upon the protagonist. As I noted in my synopsis, most of the book covers Truman’s time in office that McCullough documents with detail and when doing a Presidential biography of the man who essentially had to deal with the end of the largest war in human history and the beginning of the Cold War is to be expected. With documentation of Truman’s early life not a prevalent, McCullough’s decision to turn a spotlight to his grandparents and parents at the beginning of the book and throughout Truman’s life added depth to the man and the also the area where he grew up and shaped him.Truman brings the humble man from Missouri to life for those that have only seen him in black and white photographs and film, David McCullough’s writing hooks the reader from the beginning and makes you want to see how Harry S. Truman’s life played out in all facets.

[janerawoof · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too long and detailed. I didn't finish because I have to take it back to the library. I did read until HST became a senator, then I just looked up things of my interest in the index. Interesting about "The buck stops here" which he kept as a sign on his desk. I'm sure I'd rate it higher if I could plough through the whole book.

[whiskey3pa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[carolee888 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[buffalogr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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) .

[michaelhodges · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

TRUMAN 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.

[heidip_38 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I finished Truman!! It took me a month, but at 992 pages of text and over 120 pages of notes I think I did well.This is another 5 star book from one of my favorite authors. It ranks up there with his book John Adams, and I can certainly understand why it received the Pulitzer Prize.The book covers an astonishing array of subjects, Truman's heritage and childhood, his work as a farmer, his shaky rise as a senator and vice president, his astonishing first days as president, the atom bomb, dealings with Stalin and Churchill, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall plan, the establishment of Israel, the rise of the Cold War and communism, Korea, firing MacArthur, assassination attempt against his life, rebuilding the White House, and his absolute commitment to his wife and daughter.The book has a positive look at the president, but McCullough does also bring up the scandals in the administration. If you didn't like Truman before reading the book, you will after you read it! His energy and hard work, his strength of character, his decisiveness, his love for his wife, mother, and daughter will impress you. You may disagree with his policies and decisions, but you will understand the man like never before. Recommended.

[limelite_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although 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.

[olegalca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'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.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Generally 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.

[joshrskinner-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is ALOT in this book. Some of what stood out to me, in no particular order, include:
*Meek beginnings
*Dewey Beats Truman
*Attempted Assasination
*WWII
*The Bomb
*Cold War
*McCarthy
*Hoover
*Korea
*Relations Ships w/ FDR, Stalin, Churchill, Eisenhower
*His poverty and life after the presidency and a lot more.

Pretty great book. Get and read, but realize you are going to invest a bit of time!!

[burnit99 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There aren't many American presidents of whom I would read a thousand-page biography. Thomas Jefferson, probably. Lincoln, certainly. And Harry Truman. This book reinforced my belief that Harry Truman was a decent, ordinary man who improbably rose to the presidency at a time when the nation faced an unprecedented string of crises and decisions. His political beginnings with the Pendergast Kansas City machine were inauspicious, but once he became a U.S. Senator he distinguished himself by his hard work and integrity while chairing a committee investigating wartime expenditures and excesses. His work put him in line to be selected for the vice-presidency when FDR ran for his 4th term in 1944. In a short time, FDR's sudden death put Truman in the White House, where he was forced to learn and grow in the job during a time of crisis as no president had before, except perhaps Lincoln. McCullough ably and exhaustively portrays Truman as the man, the politician and the president. Truman had his faults and bad decisions. He grew up with somewhat racist attitudes, but ordered the desegregation of the U.S. military and fought for other civil rights. He held Joe McCarthy in fine contempt, but instituted a Loyalty program to head off Republican charges of being soft on communism. And I think he erred in not detonating a demonstration A-bomb on a deserted atoll rather than dropping the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. But his cool head kept us from a nuclear war with the Soviet Union and China over Korea, and he bravely fired the very popular Douglas McArthur for undermining American policy when his own popularity was tanking. Truman now is seen as one of our greatest presidents, an assessment I agree with. I also think he was a fine fellow whom I would have liked to know.

[ktleyed · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am now an expert on this man. As usual, McCullough brings his subject to life - every single nook and cranny. Fascinating, behind the scenes life and observations of this plain speaking man from Missouri. Truman was much smarter than anyone realized, underappreciated when he was president and an astute politician. Very, very interesting biography and glimpse into this time period of the last part of WWII and through the Korean War. On audio this took me over a month to read!

[jamesdbest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Harry 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.

[bjmitch_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This 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

[chrissie3-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook format of this book, that means more than 54 hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Little content could have been removed. The narration by Nelson Runger was wonderful. I have complained about his slurping before, but the producers have removed the slurps. His steady clear pace perfectly matches the informative text. His intonation for Truman, was perfect, both the strength of his speeches in the presidency and his reflections, to-the-point remarks and sarcastic jokes of the elderly man. Our voice does change with age, and Runger has mastered this. (Some voices were, however, in my opinion, too low and ponderous.) At the end, and this is a book that covers all aspects of Truman’s life, from birth to death, i.e. 1884-1972, there were tears in my eyes. This is a book about a man dedicated to fighting for his beliefs, but he was a politician at heart. Keep in mind that I tend to instinctively distrust politicians. It is rather remarkable that I so loved this book. I will try to never again shy away from a book about politicians……well, at least such books written by John McCullough.Why did I love this book? You learn about American life and values as they were when America was still a land of pioneers to what it had become by the middle of the 20th Century. What the political parties stood for has changed dramatically with time. On completion of this book you have a thorough understanding of the American party system. You travel from an agrarian Midwest value mindset through WW1, the Depression, the New Deal, WW2, the emergence of atomic weapons, the birth of the UN and NATO, the Berlin blockade and successful airlift, the Cold War and McCarthyism, the focus on civil rights, the Korean War all the way up to Kennedy’s presidency. You follow this time-period through the life of a man living through its events, and a man who as president shaped many of these events. McCullough gives you a thorough understanding of all these events and a thorough understanding of the man Truman. It is an honest book that never shies away from the mistakes made. I wasn’t thrilled with Truman’s friendship and dependence upon Pendergast. I felt that Truman’s relationship with his wife was at first not adequately clarified. By the end I understood Truman, all of him. I believe I comprehend both his familial relationships and the value he put on friendships, which explain his relationship with Pendergast . You see both the good and the bad. I very much admire the strength and forthrightness of Truman who was at heart a marvelous politician. Yes, definitely a politician who fought for his party and made mistakes, but dam he tried his best. Always. He never shirked his responsibilities. He never ran away from a problem, but faced them head on. He was not infallible. I still don’t understand why they never had more children……I was born in 1951. I understand now what my parents lived through and why they were who they were. I understand now what lead up to the world I was born into. I totally loved this book.Completed April 20, 2013

[ohernaes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Product 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.

[kaulsu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If 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.