I see that Steve has recently given a marvellous, in-depth review of this splendid biography on Harry S. Truman’s life that I purchased way back on 30 October 1992 (I always date my books for reference) and so I won't even attempt to write a review such as his but then I probably wouldn't have been capable of doing that anyway. This after all is American history.

I had forgotten that I had this book but I had been browsing through another goodreads' author’s books (I always do this if they "like" the same book that I do, and I just like to check on what sort of books they are reading), and saw the picture of Truman on the cover of one of them. Due to that I came across Steve’s review.

It's a large book of 996 pages, excluding the source notes, index and bibliography, and it took me a while to read but it was absolutely riveting. The only thing that I didn't like, and I never have, is the use of an atomic bomb at Hiroshima and the disastrous consequences. Such a waste of human life but then to put it tritely, that’s war I guess. I am an individual who detests any form of violence (I live in dread of another world war) and/or suffering to human beings and animals. I cannot even intentionally kill an ant, and if there is a downpour and all the worms are hurrying across the roads, I will pick them up, and put them quite a way from the edge of the road up so that cars will not run over them.

Part Three, To the Best of my Ability, from page 345 gives all the background to this horrific act. Can one blame Roosevelt for setting this idea in motion, in retaliation for what happened at Okinawa, prior to his death on April 12, 1945? Also why did Truman delay on the date? Did he subconsciously feel guilty? One will never know I guess.

“The battle of Okinawa still raged. In the end more than 12,000 Americans would be killed, 36,000 wounded. Japanese losses were ten times worse – 110,000 Japanese killed – and as later studies show, civilian deaths (innocent people!) on the island may have been as high as 150,000, or a third of the population."

Was this a game of tit for tat? Could a country decide to do that now in 2013? Would they in fact even dare with the consequences? Look at North Korea recently. That’s a disturbing fact.

“Big bomb dropped on Hiroshima August 5 at 7:15 pm Washington time. First reports indicate complete success which was even more conspicuous than earlier test.” The second sentence sounds so callous.

The dreadful deed had been done. Was the fear that the Russians getting in first the main worry that had brought this about?

Apart from that fact, time permitting, I will reread this brilliantly written book and I highly recommend it.

As far as I am concerned, this book is the gold standard for one-volume historical biography. McCullough covers Harry Truman's life in detail without the narrative ever flagging. While fair in his judgments he obviously admires the 33rd president. Every president must hope for his own David McCullough to write his story.

David McCullough is a master, plain and simple. Who else could make a 992 page paperback biography compulsively readable? I knew essentially nothing about Harry Truman before reading this biography, and now I think he might be my favorite president. Truly a man of the people, who never let the highest office in the country go to his head, Truman made difficult decisions that would have crippled other men within the first four months of his presidency. While not all of his policies were popular during his time, most have been shown to be the right course of action in hindsight. His decision to use the atomic bomb to end World War II lay heavily on conscience, and because of that he was reluctant to ever use it again. Because of this, even with public outcry growing, he refused to use the atomic bomb or the newly developed H-bomb in Korea. Truman was a man of his principles, who put the good of the nation and the people who lived in it before the good of his own public image. I think all of our modern leaders could learn some valuable lessons about public service by following the example of Harrison S. Truman.

After finishing this book, McCullough is still one of the all-time great authors in my opinion. Outside of background on Independence, Missouri during the frontier years, there isn’t any detail or anecdote that comes to mind that feels unnecessary and irrelevant.

A presidential biography that goes into the perfect level of detail nearly.

“[Harry Truman] had had to assume command of the most powerful industrial nation on earth at the very moment when that power, in combination with stunning advances in science and technology, had become an unparalleled force in the world. The responsibilities he bore were like those of no other president before him, and he more than met the test…Ambitious by nature, he was never torn by ambition, never tried to appear as something he was not. He spoke the common tongue. As much as any president since Lincoln, he brought to the highest office the language and values of the common American people. He held to the old guidelines: work hard, do your best, speak the truth, assume no airs, trust in God, have no fear. Yet he was not and had never been a simple, ordinary man. The homely attributes, the Missouri wit, the warmth of his friendship, the genuineness of Harry Truman, however appealing, were outweighed by the larger qualities that made him a figure of world stature, both a great and good man, and a great American president…”
-tDavid McCullough, Truman

Most biographers of American presidents are doing more than simply telling a life story; they’re making a case for their subject’s accomplishments. Chroniclers of presidents as different as John Quincy Adams, Ulysses Grant, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover have all produced prodigious volumes arguing that their particular chief executive is better than their popular reputation suggests. While the feat of revisionism is often attempted, it is rarely as successful as that achieved by David McCullough’s Truman.

When Harry S. Truman left the White House, his approval ratings were dismal. Having taken over the presidency following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death, he had served seven years and nine months in the nation’s highest office, during some of his country’s most tumultuous days. Despite the near-impossibility of some of his challenges, ordinary Americans were not cutting him any slack. Truman was blamed for things beyond his responsibility, such as the “fall” of China to Mao’s communists, and the occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, he received criticism for decisions – such as intervention in Korea – that could only be judged in the fullness of time. Even his unalloyed successes tended to be attributed to others, with the Marshal Plan being a prime example.

Since 1953, however, Truman’s standing has risen considerably. He now regularly cracks the top-ten in those ubiquitous lists of best presidents. Every time Kim Jong-un rattles his nuclear missiles, for instance, Truman’s choice to wage the Korean War looks even more farsighted, a decision that kept millions of people from the clutches of the Kim family’s tyrannical dynasty.

McCullough cannot be given all the credit, of course. Indeed, as McCullough himself notes, perceptions about Truman started improving almost immediately upon exiting Pennsylvania Avenue.

Still, you can’t discount the Truman effect on Truman’s legacy. It’s a one-thousand page, gorgeously written, Pulitzer Prize-winning epic that spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Though written in 1992, it remains fresh, and many of its conclusions only bolstered by new material gleaned from Soviet archives. It is, by any objective measure, one of the best presidential biographies ever written, and on a short list of the best single-volume biographies I have ever read.

***

Truman is an old-fashioned book for an old-fashioned man. My paperback version is roughly the size of a baby pug; it is told in strictly chronological fashion, following the man from birth to death; and it demonstrates an unapologetic belief that character is destiny, and that a person’s destiny can change the world.

***

It is a testament to McCullough’s storytelling acumen and writerly skills that Truman starts strong and simply gets better throughout. Generally, the slowest parts of any biography cover the subject’s early years. That’s why so many modern bios begin with a teaser prologue, to make sure you don’t quit reading before you start.

But McCullough is so good at his craft, and has such a strong grasp of what he’s trying to do, that even the descriptions of Truman’s family tree are interesting, and add valuable background to Truman’s personality.

This tale is helped by the sheer implausibility of Truman’s journey. The last president who did not attend college, Truman’s path from farm boy to global leader is the exact opposite of inevitable, and included stops as a failed haberdasher, a county commissioner, an artillery officer in the First World War, and a U.S. Senator given a boost by the machine politics of Kansas City’s boss Tom Pendergast.

***

There is always a risk in a book like this that it becomes too dense, the facts crammed together so tightly that dramatic incidents fall flat, and there is no time for reflection. McCullough manages this by shaping his narrative so that it coalesces around big set pieces.

There are many examples of this, both large and small, from Truman’s work building roads for his county, to his unlikely nomination as FDR’s vice president. In a volume full of highlights, though, nothing tops the chapter on the 1948 election pitting Truman against New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. It’s a show-stopper.

***

McCullough admittedly believes that Harry Truman belongs in the top-tier of U.S. Presidents. That said, McCullough does not ignore Truman’s many imperfections, and his occasional ugliness.

One unpleasant attribute that McCullough touches on several times is Truman’s use of abhorrent racial and anti-Semitic language. This is somewhat mitigated by his strong stance on civil rights, but it is nevertheless disappointing. There was also an unfortunate incident in which President Truman – who otherwise tried to dignify his high position – sent a churlish letter to a music critic who had given an unfavorable review to his daughter Margaret, an aspiring singer.

In the political realm, Truman is faulted for – among other things – threatening to draft striking workers into the army, unconstitutionally seizing steel mills during the Korean War, and his Grant-like penchant for loyalty to “friends” who were better described as “cronies.”

***

There is simply too much to Truman’s life to give all of it the depth it deserves. Thus, some extremely important events get shorted.

The big one for me is Truman’s work for civil rights. McCullough says that Truman did a great deal, but fails to prove it to my satisfaction. Specifically, he devotes only a single sentence to Executive Orders 9980 and 9981, ending racial discrimination in federal agencies and the U.S. military.

In my opinion, this is one of the low-key major moments in civil rights history, the first steps that would culminate in Brown v. The Board of Education, and later, the historic marches of Martin Luther King. Following the Second World War, people around the globe rightly wondered at America’s self-righteous exporting of its so-called values, while large parts of the country had legally-mandated segregation. The answer lies within the federal system, where states have considerable leeway to do what they want, irrespective of the president’s wishes.

By signing those two orders, Truman did what many other presidents – including Franklin Roosevelt – could have done with their authority, but failed to do, for lack of guts, virtue, or both. I wish McCullough had explored this.

In the end, McCullough grasps for a level of comprehensiveness impossible for a single book. Still, Truman is mostly made better for his ambitions.

***

I’m a charter member of the Big Books Club, but I also recognized Truman as a potential book-challenge killer. It is enormous. When I started it, I thought I’d take it a chapter at a time, while also reading some shorter books on the side. It wasn’t long before I gave up on that strategy.

This is just so good, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

***

As I’ve said elsewhere, when I finish a biography, I ask myself: What would it be like to share a room with this man or woman? Here, I feel like I know. I feel like I’ve been in that room.

McCullough casts a spell that lets you share Truman’s life, both the highs and the lows, and all the in-betweens. You get to know the people in his orbit, from his humbly devoted wife Bess, to duty-bound George Marshal. You get to know his quirks, including the brisk morning walks followed by an ounce of Wild Turkey. You see his commonsense, his shrewdness. You see the broadness of his vision, his sharp formulation of presidential power, and the strategies he implemented in an atomic world where all the rules had changed. A world where he had to invent concepts like “containment” and “limited war” on the fly.

When I reached the last page, I actually felt like I’d lost someone, even though Truman had been gone for half a century. Even though I’d never met him at all. It’s a rare masterpiece that can give you such a profound illusion.

This isn't Robert Caro, but it's still pretty good.

Truman is probably the most relatable president I've read about. And as we enter into the twilight of Pax Americana, it's poignant to read about the person who laid the cornerstones of it.

While it's been over 20 years since I read this, I do remember that it was the book that made me a David McCullough fan. This is such a good biography between the research and the writing that when I can remember it 20 plus years later, it has to be outstanding.

When I downloaded the audio book, the 54 hour run time seemed insane to me. But it flew by, feeling like I was listening to a fast-paced action story. What an incredible life, from his WWI heroism, dramatic come from behind election wins, and of course all the tumultuous world events he was at the center of.

I never really appreciated all the important changes that happened during his presidency, and Truman’s hand in guiding that course. The endearing story of his courtship with Bess was also a highlight of the book.

I am tempted to list all the great stories I learned in the book, but I will just talk about one: the story of Truman’s pick as VP in 1944. It came down to 3 very different men: Jimmy Byrnes, the conservative southern segregationist, Henry Wallace, the nerdy left-wing progressive, and Truman. The decision happened at the Democratic National Convention over the course of a few days and was ultimately decided by the actions of a small number of power brokers and some lucky bounces that landed Truman’s way. Everyone knew that the VP choice would likely be President, as FDR was in poor health, but the decisions were based more on electoral considerations than anything else. There was a lot of crazy drama and things could have easily ended up in a different direction. Who knows how history would have unfolded if it was Byrnes or Wallace that got the nod instead.

I cannot resist mentioning one other thing that was wild to me. In 1948, as Truman’s popularity was in decline, many Democrats wanted Eisenhower to take Truman’s place as the Democratic nominee. Truman himself even entertained this. Never mind that they did not know what Eisenhower’s political beliefs were, as in fact he was a Republican. Or that he did not even want the job. The widespread clamor for him to be the Democratic nominee was just weird.

While the political drama was very entertaining, at its heart, the book is a study of character. Truman’s character was tested in some of the most extreme ways imaginable: war, politics, personal attacks, opportunities for personal gain in morally questionable ways. And he sometimes failed, as he is flawed like all of us. But overall, he has a record to be proud of. From Truman’s personal letters, which fortunately have been preserved, we can get a lot of insight into his thoughts as he faced these challenges. What was striking to me is how deeply and how often, starting from an early age, he thought about history, philosophy, and what kind of person he wanted to be. It felt to me that this prepared him for the moral challenges he would later face.

This book was a beast. 54 hours of Audio but ultimately a great worthy Biography for a great president. Extremely well written and researched. With all Biographies I hold a skeptical eye for Fanboy Authors but David McCullough I think did a really good job trying to keep it all on the the level.

Fun fact, he is the last president to be elected who never received a college degree.

Ultimately though I think this book does a great job showcasing how serious Truman took the responsibility of the presidency. He was a simple honest man who was not supposed to be president but accepted the mantel at a time when the whole world was at cross roads. His moral compass was incredible and the amount of times he made himself unpopular by choosing the "Right thing to do" path over the other is really a testament to his integrity.

I think Truman makes my top 5 presidents now after reading. He may even break the top 3.

Wow. This book skyrockets into my list of all time favorites. I knew so little about Truman, and now I realize what a critical role he played in our country's transition into world power (with its accompanying responsibilities). It's the story of a man who easily could have been a little fish in a big pond, but due to circumstances both in and out of his control, became one of our outstanding presidents. An awesome read! I've got to get to Independence, MO to visit his library.

'' 'Harry, don't you sometimes feel overwhelmed by your job?' he had been asked by Republican Senator Tobey of New Hampshire, and Truman had stepped to the globe and turning it slowly said, 'All the world is focusing on this office. The nearest thing to my heart is to do something to keep the world at peace. We must find a way to peace, or else civilization will be destroyed and the world will turn back to the year 900.' ''

Ambitious in scale, widely researched, McCullough's 992 pages long biography of Truman was a great read. The author relies a lot on the public and private correspondence of the president to unfold his life story from 19th century post civil war Missouri to the highs of Cold War era Washington D.C.

The book gave me the impression of a calculating yet principled man who was able to adapt to various contexts throughout his long public career. From a card playing, bourbon drinking, Kansas City Machine hand picked protégé to a self righteous New Deal Coalition president.

"There is no indispensable man in a democracy...When a republic comes to a point where a man is indispensable, then we have a Caesar." Harry S. Truman

This was an interesting, if relatively shallow, examination of Harry Truman's entire life. If you want the highlights of Truman's life and presidency, this is for you: The atomic bomb, FDR's death, The Korean War, General MacArthur, "Dewey Defeats Truman", it's all there.

However, if you're looking to understand Truman (his motivations, his passions, his demons) look elsewhere. I've clearly been spoiled by reading Robert Caro but I was hoping for more detail both internal and external. This felt more like McCullough was just checking off the boxes that the reader knew had to be there.

McCullough is clearly a huge fan of Truman and seemed afraid to show any weaknesses, faults or cracks in the armor and the book suffers for it.

All that nitpicking being said...this is a great book. It plays like a biographical greatest hits album and goes down very smooth. I especially recommend this to anyone who knows nothing about Truman. My favorite section was on his relationship with General MacArthur. I think this was due to me knowing little about this topic. MacArthur definitely comes across as (and this is a medical term) batshit cuckoo bananas.

It was interesting to read that Truman didn't seem to think too long or hard about dropping two atomic bombs on Japan. Because he didn't understand the science, I think it literally never occurred to him that any country besides America would ever have this technology. I kept thinking the insanity that would follow if we did this today to two civilian villages. I guess hindsight is 20/20. It makes a good counterpoint to "Dewey Defeats Truman." Truman enjoyed the idea that he was underestimated but then went on to underestimate the rest of the planet in a huge, huge way concerning nuclear weapons. A dangerous side effect of his particular brand of "American Exceptionalism."