Truman. An entertaining one hour speech peppered with anecdotes covering the failures & successes of Truman. There may never have been a person to succeed to the president as unprepared & in such a time of national crises. We were about to invade Japan with perhaps two miilion men & 600,000 casualties. One thing he did know. He could not be Franklin Roosevelt. Nobody could be. He had to be Harry Turman. He knew himself, grew into the job & ranks as one of our near great presidents. Apparently the most important experience of his life was World WarI which he could have avoided in several ways. He found he was brave, he could lead men in adversity & he liked it. He had known disappointments, hated farming, failed as a businessman & was largely ignored as "The Senator from Pendergast." He was honest, stubborn to a fault, loyal, humble but most of all confident in his abilities. You get a flavor of all this in a much too short tape. Read McCullough's "Truman."

This cassette should be compulsory listening for ALL leaders. I have heard it dozens of times and it never fails to keep me on track. McCullough's great voice speaking about the character of a great man has produced the finest short audio tape on leadership that I have ever heard. I bought several hundred copies and gave them to managers. Put the character traits of Truman into today's business world and what an improved world it will be. BUY THIS TAPE!! Listen to it many times. It will have a HUGE effect on your life.

First of all, the potential buyer of this book should know that it will throw you back to the years when Harry, the lower-middle-class farmer's boy from outer Jackson County, was courting Bess Wallace, a moderately rich girl and young woman (albeit from a very dysfunctional family) from prosperous Independence. In the 1910s this was done, as it is done in every generation, but only with great difficulty and some soul-searching on both sides.

So buy and read this book if you want to read about young Harry's epic quest. Bess' letters to Harry are lost, but Harry Truman's letters are so vivid that their contents can be partly reconstucted. The two were real soul mates in the end - in the true sense of this most over-used phrase. They could actually converse by letter. How many of us are so lucky?

Buy and read this book if you want to see these two attractive people in the vanished world of 1910s Missouri. If you're looking for President Harry Truman, you won't find much of him here. By 1945 this pair had been married and living together for 25 years and were no longer writing daily letters to each other. But if you are one of those people who think that Truman was one of our greatest Presidents because he never forgot who he was and where he came from, you may want to know where he came from. He came from here, in this book.

The courtship of Harry Truman and Bess Wallace, is *the* over-looked love story of the century. Dear Bess is the most romantic book I have ever read. Harry's simplicity and honesty is a joy to read, and Bess would have been a fool to turn him down a second time.

From a historical standpoint, this book is a glimpse into the everyday, pre-presidential life of HST. The respect and dignity this Missouri farmer had for the Office of the President is refreshing. I come away from the book feeling like I know Harry. Coupling Dear Bess with David McCullough's Truman gives a picture of the man and his times in a very compelling fashion.

Dear Bess is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what love and responsibility are.

I read this book in no time. In the good old days of great letter writing, these two protagonists enjoyed a rich and historic friendship. Although sometimes on the opposite sides of issues, the friendship betwen former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and President Harry Truman was a rich and ultimately fascinating exercise in camaraderie and mutual aid.
From reading these fascinating letters, it is obvious that these two old friends actually enjoyed talking and exchanging ideas and opinions.

This book, as edited, weaves a moving and extremely interesting story, reading very much like a good biography.
I highly recommend this book, a good example of history making exciting reading.

Steve Neal has compiled some 250 letters between Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman when he took office after the death of Franklin Roosevelt. In this small but thoughtful book, Neal combines commentary pertinent to the times or to the letter itself. While they disagreed on many things, he repeatedly asked her to write to him with her thoughts on events of the day, which she did and with great candor. President Truman was the first to call Mrs. Roosevelt "First Lady of the World." I heartily recomment this book to those who wish to know these two great people a bit better.

I remember how avidly (at age 15)I followed by radio the excitement which was the 1944 Democratic Convention. This little book does an excellent job of trying to tell what happened behind the scenes, and reads like a novel--where one must continually remind oneself that it IS going to come out all right, that Truman will be nominated, that he will go on to be an outstanding President, and that some things do work out for the best. An entralling and fascinating book, it brought back to me all the excitement which permeated Chicago and the people who were following what went on there in those momentous July days in 1944.

While David McCullough's more recent biography of Harry Truman has received widespread recent attention, Robert J. Donovan's earlier biography published in 1977 has much to recommend it. Whereas McCullough's extensive volume covers Truman's entire life, Donovan zeroes in on the pivotal period of a pivotal presidency. Donovan begins as Truman takes over the awesome responsibility of the presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt's death. Donovan covers in perceptive detail Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan as a means of ending World War Two. Donovan follows the war to its conclusion, and also focuses carefully on the exciting 1948 presidential campaign, when Truman scored one of the greatest upsets in American political history by defeating heavily favored Republican nominee Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York.

Donovan turns an astute eye as well on Truman's great foreign policy accomplishments of the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, and the creation of NATO. As a Middle East historian, I was benefitted by his thorough presentation of the controversy leading up to the granting of recognition to the new nation of Israel, and how Truman's decision was crafted.

I would urge that any dedicated Truman scholar should read both the McCullough and Donovan volumes. McCullough covers a wider perspective, while Donovan, on the other hand, gives broader coverage to the pivotal foreign policy events from 1945 to 1948, as well as Truman's sensational upset victory over Dewey.

With a keen eye for historical significance, Kevin Hogan surveys the formation of the national security establishment in the Truman and Eisenhower years. A balanced account, this treatment emphasizes the human factor in the arduous negotiations and political conflicts which took place during the late 40's and 50's. A fresh look is taken at Truman, Eisenhower, and the lesser players at the time: Herbert Hoover, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, and Sen. John F. Kennedy. Those not thoroughly familiar with the events of the period will be moved at the story of the nation's top admirals in brazen defiance of Pres. Truman, or the nervous collapse of Truman's beleaguered war secretary. Requires a moderate attention span, but political buffs should enjoy it a great deal.

This book is concise, yet extremely informative. Richard H. Rovere and Arthur Schlesinger Jr. prove to be a great match in writing the "General and the President." The book opens on a brief note on General Douglas Macarthur's early military history, followed by the outbreak of the Korean war, and the origins and climax of the feud between General Macarthur and President Harry Truman. It comes complete with maps of Korea, political cartoons from the era, and a well documented appendix consisting of speeches, conversations, and testimonies from key government officials of the time. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Korean War and the famous feud.

Too often the political process is something that takes place far outside our own lives, which is why voters tend to be either emotional partisans of their celebrity heroes or apathetic or cynical. Frank Kelly's understanding of one very human and accessible man, Harry Truman, made me rethink what the American Presidency is about. By interweaving his own lifestory with the Truman presidency, Kelly creates an absorbing drama into which we are all swept. He sees politics not as a game, but as the means to realizing a nation's highest potential. Yes, he is an idealist, but we have too few of those. Kelly's vision of one president and his world-changing decisions is transferable to every presidency. As we prepare to elect a new man to that office, there's no more appropriate reading for us than Kelly's book.

Here is a most readable and interesting first-hand account and association with one of America's great presidents. Frank Kelly's book reveals the integrity and strong character of this man. As one of his speech writers, he had personal contacts with Truman and tells much about his life which could only be told from the intimate contacts he had with the President. He participated in the day to day presidential campaign which led to one of the most surprising and stunning victories any president ever had.

Kelly served as an assistant to the majority leader of the senate in 1949 and the early fifties and brings an accurate and authentic character study of Truman from inside the political realm. If you want to know close-up about this remarkable and able president from someone who was there, this book tells it all.

Some of us know that Frank Kelly is a national treasure. He was a speech writer for President Truman and he continues his gift to us in his latest book, where he rekindles the hope and excitement of the Truman era.

Kelly brings to life the remarkable story of how an ordinary man, Harry Truman, became a memorable leader by rising to meet the terrifying challenges that he faced and conquered from 1945 to 1952. Kelly reminds us how much each generation has benefited from the Truman legacy with its enabling vision of the global human family. And how each of us can help all of us to..."achieve a decent, satisfying life that is the right of all people..." as Truman said in his 1949 inaugural address.

It was my great pleasure to read and re-live the Truman era through Frank Kelly's delightful and insightful prose. All of our politicians can learn much about how to be leaders and public servants from this excellent book.

McCullough's intensively researched, thorough, and moving biography of Harry S. Truman is an accessible account of a president who is almost effaced by the times in which he lived. Remembered mostly (if at all) as a little gray man who fell somewhere between Roosevelt and Kennedy, Truman's accomplishments, failures and personality often fade into the background, against the likes of FDR, Churchill, Stalin, or even Joe McCarthy.

McCullough's biography captures the man who inserted a civil rights plank to the Democratic Party platform, risking his presidency, and splitting the party; who fought in WWI, married his childhood sweetheart, failed at business, then succeeded beyond his wildest imaginings at politics; and who, yes, dropped the only two atomic weapons ever used in warfare. McCullough presents Truman in all his contradictions, and his affable, easygoing style. I went and read _Truman_ because I had profound ambivalence towards him, and his actions as president. While this bio did little to clear up my ambivalence, it was expertly and cogently crafted, and I found myself personally liking the subject, even though still troubled by him. In this world with few saints, this is the best one could ask for in a comprehensive biography.

McCullough writes from his subject's corner--one can discern a genuine affection for the man in his pages. However, the author does an excellent job of presenting the evidence; of showing the reader that McCullough is a man of his craft; of demonstrating that, while "objective" history may be a myth (yes, certain things did happen, and others did not. What that MEANS, however, is up for constant debate), responsible history is not. Readers who detect bias in the biography are undoubtedly correct. The reason this is troublesome, though, is more that the author's bias does not agree with the reader's, rather than the sheer existence of bias itself. Not that this is necessarily a problem; it simply is the way of things.

The last few years have seen an upswing in the reputations of Republican presidents--the renaming of Washington National Airport, and Oliver Stone's laudatory biopic of Nixon being two examples that come immediately to mind--, while Democratic Presidents, such has Clinton and Kennedy have, sometimes deservedly, sometimes not, come under fire. _Truman_ comes as a breath of fresh air to one who is increasingly disturbed by the tenor of our national historical dialogue.

I recommend _Truman_ to anyone with an interest in the period or the man.

This is the best biography, and one of the best books, that I have ever read! Even at nearly 1,000 pages, this book is a page-turner. Mr. McCullough makes President Truman come alive. Even though you may know the outcome of important decisions-like the firing of General MacArthur or the decision to enter the Korean War-Mr. McCullough's descriptions have such a dramatic sweep and uncanny vividness that the book reads like a great epic novel. The book pulls you into events so vividly that each scene has a movie-like realism. For example, when Truman meets Churchill and Stalin at Potsdam you can see the entire scene, clearly, in your mind's eye and feel the weight of history on Truman's shoulders. This book also illustrates the great character that Truman possessed. While certainly aware of the political consequences of his decisions, Truman always seemed to deliberate over what was right for the country-not what was expedient for him. For this reason, his popularity, prior to his miracle 1948 re-election, was at an all-time low. Yet even if you disagree with him, you respect him for following his principles. The book also shows that only in America could someone like Truman-a failure at business and farming-rise to the highest office in the land during one of the most dangerous times in U.S. history. Another enlightening aspect of this book is how the author contrasts many of Truman's public statements and seemingly bold attitude with his feelings of inadequacy or indecision as revealed in his letters to his wife and family. This book makes the case that Truman was perhaps our greatest 20th century president. If you saw the HBO special, starring Gary Sinese as Truman, don't miss this book!

David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize winning biography "Truman" is undoubtedly the best Presidential biography I've read in recent years. Written in a graceful and powerfully eloquent style, it is meticulously researched, and accurately captures the essence of the man who was the 33rd President of the United States.

McCullough challenges a commonly held view of history that Harry S Truman was nothing more than a common man of mediocre abilities who became President almost by accident, and owed his political success to his loyalty to the Democratic party and the Kansas City political bosses. By tracing the life of this self-made man - a farmer, artillery captain during World War I, haberdasher, local politician, U.S. Senator, Vice President, and ultimately President of the United States - the author acquaints the reader with a highly intelligent, competent and complex man. Here is seen the highly principled politician whose ability to judge the character of others enabled him to select outstanding men like Dean Acheson and George Marshall to serve in his administration; a Chief Executive capable of making some of the most momentous decisions of the twentieth century, such as ordering the use of the atomic bomb against Japan in 1945, integrating the Armed Forces in 1948, and firing General Douglas MacArthur in 1951. But, here also is seen a man who remained loyal to personal friends and Democratic party bosses and tolerant of their often disreputable activities; and who, in a fit of petty anger, authored a threatening letter to a music critic who wrote unfavorably about his daughter.

"Truman" is above all a fair and balanced portrait of one of the most unique and greatest of American Presidents. In my view, this extraordinarily well written book is destined to be the biography of Harry S Truman against which all others will be measured. Highly recommended!

As a child and young adult, I was taught to have great respect for Mr. Truman. Among the things he was praised for was his plain-speaking manner and the fact that he told it as it was, with no sugar coating. I never really understood what that meant until I read this book. The Harry Truman that comes across here is a person you could easily image as your next-door neighbor. He always gives it to you in a no-nonsense, down-to-earth way that anybody can understand the first time.

That having been said I just want to voice two criticisms. First, I think Mr. Truman's understanding of history might be a little too "black and white". For example, he states that after WWI, the allied powers didn't really go to hard on Germany in terms of making the Germans pay reparations. I think just the opposite is true. The allied powers at Versailles imposed very hard terms on the Germans. Mr. Truman was correct in stating that the allies never entered German soil, however, the severity of the peace terms combined with the fact that the Germans never saw an enemy soldier sowed the seeds for Hitler's preaching that the Germans were stabbed in the back. I'm just saying that perhaps Mr. Truman's historical understanding was not as sophisticated as me might think.

Second, it seems that Mr. Truman's dislike of Mr. Eisenhower finds it's way onto virtually every page of the book. No matter who or what he's talking about, he seems to find a way to turn the subject into a criticism of Ike. I guess he really didn't like him too much.

All that having been said, I think this is great book.

This book does something very rare--it actually reveals the plain-spoken nature of Harry S. Truman while still demonstrating the depth and breadth of Truman's knowledge of history, politics, economics, and foreign affairs. It was really amazing to me that an essentially "self-taught" man was so brilliant with such a deep understanding of a vast array of issues. Unlike our current president, Harry S. Truman understood the complexities of international relations and implications of taking unilateral approaches in our foreign policy.

Truman also recognized that military action was something to be used as a LAST resort, especially when the rest of the world is against such an action. Although Truman had an appreciation for some military experience in public servants, he also recognized the danger of career military men in those positions. Unlike politicians of today, Truman was bold enough to make the unpopular decision to fire General McArthur because our foreign policy should not be predicated on our ability to anhilate every other country on the face of the earth.

This book is absolutely essential for the student of Harry S. Truman in particular, as well as for the student of History in general. Truman goes through all the important historical phases of our country and makes the information really breathe. In this age of political sophistry, it's very refreshing to hear a politician just being himself. It's interesting that Truman was vilified in his day. Perhaps he told it too much like it was for ears of that time. Nonetheless, this is a book that can be read again and again. This and Merle Miller's book should be in every Truman admirer's library.