What do You think about Truman (1993)?
Today Harry Truman, unpopular while he served, carries a reputation as one of our strongest presidents. I believe this biography must have contributed to the positive perception we have of him today. As biography I think it very good. Truman is always seen in the context of the times he lived in, so that McCullough writes him as a turn-of-the-century farmer, or a First World War soldier, or a Missouri politician. Biographies, such as this one, written to present the subject as a product and player in the history around him, will always be strong biographies. It seems merely good before Truman became president. Afterwards, because it becomes necessary to explain the dynamic of events, the book becomes impressive in the comprehensive narrations of the great events of the day and Truman's role in them. Here is the decision to use the atomic bomb, the initial confrontations with Stalin, the decision to send American ground units into Korea, and the relief of Douglas MacArthur as commander there. Throughout the book Truman is seen as a courageous and just leader of the free world, friend to almost everyone, the beacon of democracy in the world beginning to be threatened by an expansionist communism, loving husband and father, and a champion of every right for all Americans. This is a very approving biography of Harry Truman. But I wondered if the book wasn't too loaded with the positive. I know that his administration was frustrated in its truce negotiations with the communists in Korea and therefore its efforts to end the war. That phase of his presidency is criticized by many and considered a failure. Yet it doesn't even receive a mention by McCullough, and I wondered if other negatives, those I'm not familiar with, were also passed over. But if you're interested in Truman, this is probably the book you need.
—James Murphy
Oh, yes, I am ambitious. This book must be 1000 pages. It's huge... and interesting so far. And it won a Pulitzer. I'm reading it because McCullough's bio of John Adams made me bawl like a baby when I got near the end. I mean-- how can one not cry upon reading about Adams and Jefferson BOTH living until and dying on July 4th, the same July 4th, out of sheer will? I wish more Americans and people in general knew these stories and of these people rather than just knowing a lot of fiction. And I do love fiction, too... but the stories of real lives matter most, I think. They are the ones that can truly inspire and make me feel that I am human-- or not alone in my foibles and weaknesses.Anyway, I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read six bios per year. This will be my second. ;) I feel like I'm learning so much about whole time periods, not just about individual figures. And it's the little details about a person's life and times that are so interesting, I find. Right now, I'm in the beginning where McCullough discusses Truman's roots in Missouri. As I've read on, I have learned so much about why the south and Missouri and other "border states" as they were called in the Civil War hold the viewpoints they do even to this day. It literally goes back 200+ years.
—Lisa Greer
I was shocked that a presidential biography could be so good. Many readers had praised the Truman book, but I thought they were exaggerating. I was happy to be proven wrong.I think there are several reasons why "Truman" was so compelling. First and most importantly was the man himself. So epic was his odyssey that Truman seemed like a character in a novel. Harry S. Truman was born in a small town in Missouri and he grew up on a farm. He was bookish, played the piano and wore glasses, which prevented him from playing sports. He enlisted in the National Guard and fought during World War I. Then he returned home to run a clothing store, and was asked to run for county judge. Later, he became a U.S. Senator, and then he was picked to be Franklin Roosevelt's vice president in 1944. He became president when FDR died in April 1945.Epic and astounding, yes? Truman comes across as a decent, hardworking, loyal, honest and down-to-earth guy. It's hard not to root for him -- he was so genuine. Another reason the book was so good was the brilliance of the writing. McCullough is a skilled historian and he wove a beautiful narrative. Truman was a prolific writer of letters, and many details and quotes in the book came from those epistles. I loved the stories of Truman's courtship of his wife, Bess, of his dream to be a concert pianist, of his battle experiences during the Great War, of his senator campaign, of his unlikely path to become vice president, of his whistle stop tour. Marvelous, just marvelous stories. Finally, there is the knowledge that Truman was such a key figure in American and world history. He had to take command at the close of World War II, he chose to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he decided to send American troops to Korea, and he ushered in a new kind of foreign policy for the United States. Each of those events was incredibly significant and had lasting consequences.One aspect that I found especially interesting was how Truman handled the atomic bombs. After he became president, he was briefed on the Manhattan Project -- which had started way back in 1939 -- and was told the nuclear weapon would be ready within a few months. I had assumed there would have been some serious debate over whether to use such a bomb, but it sounded like the project was so far advanced that Truman didn't consider turning back. The goal of dropping it was to shock the Japanese into surrendering and quickly ending the war, but it was still jarring and disturbing to hear about the casualties inflicted. (Having read John Hersey's book "Hiroshima," I was picturing the devastation on the ground, and I had to pause in silence for several minutes.)Speaking of controversial decisions, apparently some historians have criticized McCullough for not being tough enough on Truman. It was clear that the author held the former president in high esteem, but as a reader, McCullough's narrative made it a more enjoyable book. If I wanted to read a harsh polemic on Truman's wartime and foreign policies, I wouldn't have chosen an 1,100-page biography. That's what newspaper columnists are for. I listened to "Truman" on audio that was narrated by McCullough, and he had a fantastic reading voice. The recording included various sound bites from Truman's speeches, which were wonderful to hear. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history.
—Diane Librarian
