Truman in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Jun 29, 2009 Stacy rated it liked it

Did you know that the White House underwent a complete transformation while Truman was in office? This is one of the most startling and interesting facts that I found in this lengthy, caring biography. Truman lived in a White House that was old and had survived spot renovations and upgrades. Concerned of how the American people would respond to it being torn down (yes, it was considered) and built back from the ground up, he approved a remodeling processes that gutted the building from the insid ...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Christian Dibblee rated it really liked it

Shelves: american-history, presidents, biography

This book, written by David McCullough, was a huge project. At 996 pages, reading Truman required almost a month straight to finish.

And it was worth it. For a man of my young age, the various Cold War decisions that confronted Truman, almost in quick succession, seem so distant. And yet, Truman met each of them with an amazing calm and resolve. From the sounds of it, Truman had amazing sources of energy and yet could channel his resolve to greet certain issues. NATO, the Truman Doctrine, the DoD This book, written by David McCullough, was a huge project. At 996 pages, reading Truman required almost a month straight to finish.

And it was worth it. For a man of my young age, the various Cold War decisions that confronted Truman, almost in quick succession, seem so distant. And yet, Truman met each of them with an amazing calm and resolve. From the sounds of it, Truman had amazing sources of energy and yet could channel his resolve to greet certain issues. NATO, the Truman Doctrine, the DoD, Korea, the atomic bomb, the Berlin airlift...all parts of Truman's foreign policy program. So many Cold War policies started with Truman and continued for at least the next 20 years. I was impressed with his ability to understand that history would judge him and his presidency. In addition, he knew that each decision would carry precedent for future presidents, and used that to judge many of his domestic decisions.

Continually giving Truman's witticisms, McCullough does a good job showing how Truman suspected wealth and the silver spoon after his time being a poor farmer. His various activities as a young man shaped his experiences and policies as he grew older. I was very interested in Truman's relationships with Marshall, Acheson, Eisenhower, and MacArthur. In those relationships, McCullough portrays a man devoted to his friendships but willing to make decisions based on merit and morality, not as a "political machine" product. As a young man, he valued perseverance and hard work, and refused to hear differently through his entire life.

As a political figure, I am intrigued by Truman, who believed in the infallibility of the common people while blending pragmatism into his foreign policy. His early support for civil rights and Medicare proved remarkably ahead of their time. His push to provide more to the people helps explain his relatability and 1948 triumph. Looking back, his policies domestically had very little impact, but his attitudes about the role of the U.S. in the postwar world shaped American policy for years. His personal temperament helped him to address the pressing concerns of his presidency.

I think I would have liked Truman, but McCullough in my opinion spends a little too much time discussing Truman's sentiments and thoughts. While the Truman Papers must be a treasure trove of information, McCullough could do more to explain deeper motivations of an admittedly complex man. Relying on hard work ethic makes sense, but not necessarily in every case. A popularly written biography certainly makes the reader like Truman and enjoy him. I also thought McCullough did well to give a balanced view of Truman.

Good book worth reading for any interested party. Truman deserves to be known as one of the best presidents in our history. ...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Shay rated it really liked it

The everyday wonderful person Truman could be was captured very well by McCullough. One of the real strengths of this book is that McCullough presented Truman, warts and all. In doing so, Truman emerges as a man to be admired even more. There was a point where the book got bogged down and was so boring I almost quit- the time he spent campaigning early in his career. But, don't give up because the section on the Korean Conflict is some of the most gripping non-fiction I've ever read. More so bec ...more

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