Truman
by David McCullough
Overview
From Bookcloseouts.com
Here at last is the first full-scale biography of Harry S. Truman, his life and times, by David McCullough, distinguished historian and prize-winning author. Huge, ambitious, ten years in the writing, and perfectly realized, "Truman" is an American masterpiece about that most American of presidents, "the man from Missouri," the seemingly simple, ordinary man who in fact was always much more than met the eye and who would achieve greatness of his own after coming to office in FDR's giant shadow. No one but David McCullough, with his sure grasp of the American past and his feeling for people, could have written this extraordinary, deeply moving biography, at once spare in style yet rich in emotion and insight. Much of the story is drawn from newly discovered archival material and from extensive interviews with Truman friends, family, and figures once prominent in Truman's Washington. And much will come as a surprise to many readers.
My thoughts
I'm writing this review as I'm only half way through the book because it's a sensational book and I just can't wait to share the love! I've previouslyread David McCullough's John Adams which I loved, but this book runs circles around it if you can believe that!
The first part of the book was especially interesting to me because I like Kansas City and so much history of the city was shared. I had no idea KC was such a mob city -- and not all that many years ago, either! I also had quite a laugh early on because I'd been reading 3 previous books in which guerilla fighters popped up in each of them, even in the book about finding seeds in the Himalayas! I mean, come on! I had quite enough of guerillas. And then I start reading about the Kansas guerillas back in the early days of Truman history! I about fell off my chair laughing!
This book is SO fascinating, so full of intense history. I sort of live under a rock (uh, scratch that 'sort of' bit) and I wasn't aware of the way in which Truman's presidency started. Who'd have guessed in 3 short months, he'd go from a Vice President figurehead to meetings with Stalin (Uncle Joe!) and Churchill to giving the go-ahead to drop the bomb on Japan. I'm speechless as I think about it. I'm reading with my mouth hanging open. I can't imagine what that must have been like for Truman, for the legislature or for the people in America. It's mind boggling.
Nobody writes history like David McCullough. Even if you can't stand reading history books, I have to believe you'd enjoy this book. McCullough has an incredible gift, does wonderful research and presents the facts without spin. I can't emphasize enough how much respect I have for this author.
Favorite Passage
When he asked Stalin to stay, Stalin protested, saying it would be impossible. "You could if you wanted to," Truman said. And Stalin stayed -- for creamed spinach soup, liver and bacon, baked jam, Julienne potatoes, string beans, pumpernickel bread, jam, sliced fruit, mints, candy, cigars, which Stalin declined, and a California wine that he went out of his way to praise.
Truman thought the whole occasion went well, exactly because it was so spur of the moment and informal. He liked Stalin, he decided, "and I felt hopeful that we could reach an agreement satisfactory to the world and to ourselves."
But Stalin nearly always made a good impression on foreigners. Churchill, who once called Russia "a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma," and who warned both Roosevelt and Truman repeatedly of the Russian menace to Europe, confessed still to liking Stalin the man. Roosevelt had been convinced almost to the end that he could get along with "Uncle Joe."
