Harry Truman: A biography of an American President

By Anthony Moss

HARRY TRUMAN
 

This book covers the topic of Harry Truman, one of the most influential US Presidents in history. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States, during the middle of World War II. This meant that every decision the new President made would be watched closely by all; and hav

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ingram Publishing
• Release date: Dec 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781761031649

Book preview

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to read this book on Harry Truman!

This book covers the topic of Harry Truman, one of the most influential US Presidents in history. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States, during the middle of World War II. This meant that every decision the new President made would be watched closely by all; and have an immense impact on the future of not only the United States, but also Europe, Asia, and the Soviet Union.

As you will soon discover, Harry S. Truman was not your typical President. He was rough around the edges and was bold in his decisions and actions. Ultimately, he was faced with making some very tough decisions during a very trying time in history. His actions, while met with a lot of controversy, were instrumental in ending World War II, preventing a war with the Soviet Union, and establishing the United Nations.

This book documents President Truman’s life from start to finish. You will learn of his childhood, early career, and how he became the President of the United States. Further, you will learn about his political beliefs, and the impact he had on shaping the world as we know it today.

At the completion of this book you will have a good understanding of Harry Truman and his eventful life.

Once again, thanks for choosing this book! I hope you find it to be both informative, and enjoyable!

Chapter 1 - Who was Harry S. Truman?

Upon the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the nation’s grief was overwhelming. He had been president for 12 years and had successfully guided the country through the Great Depression and World War II. Taking over Roosevelt’s position would not be easy, as Truman realized during the funeral service. He had already been sworn in as the President at the time, but the majority of people neglected to rise and pay respect for his presence.

Historians often describe Truman’s life as a constant struggle to overcome stereotypes. He simply paled in comparison with FDR who was aggressive both in his policies and in personality.

Truman stood 5 feet 10 inches tall, which was short compared to FDR who was among the tallest US Presidents standing 6 feet 2 inches tall. Truman wore glasses because of extreme nearsightedness, had a droopy nose, and a round, full face. He was also ridiculed because of his speaking style and notable gesture of chopping the air during his speeches. But he was known as one of the best-dressed politicians of that time because of his tailor-made suits.

Because of his physical traits, he was deemed unpresidential early in his term. Many hated him to begin. But he proved that he was a strong leader and in fact, many historians have revisited his governance, and many have placed the common man from Missouri as one of the greatest characters who occupied the Oval Office. 

The Character of a Truman

Truman was described as an honest and loyal member of the Democratic Party. He was also noted as the politician who had the heart to shake hands with the common people, kiss babies, and smile. He was different in comparison with his peers, who would only reach out to their constituencies come election time.

He made a lot of friends, which paved the way for him becoming the vice president of the United States.  The Democrats were unhappy with Henry A. Wallace, the then-vice president, so they convinced FDR to choose another running mate. FDR took a survey among the Democrats and Truman ended up on the shortlist. That was not surprising at all because he was well favored among the different factions within the party.

Even though Truman became the second most powerful man in the United States, many still disdained him because he was a small-bore politician. He had no knowledge of what was really going on in the inner circle. He had no knowledge of the deals that FDR made with Josef Stalin