Appearance
Truman
This book makes me believe that I would be a 1950's Democrat. Truman had leadership you don't see today-he stood by his decision and made decisions that were against popular opinion.
Truman
What is not to like if written by McCullough? Anything he writes is first class. It is very educational and informative.
Truman
David McCullough's work has given me a totally new and very positive impression of Harry Truman and his accomplishments. McCuillough paints him as a man of great honesty who recognizes his duty, then does it with dedication and persistence. Anyone who is interested in how American policy played in the post-WWII world will benefit greatly from this book.
Truman
I have always regarded Mr Truman as one of the truly great presidents of the Twentieth Century and Mr McCullough's opus has brought him to life. From the early days in Missouri to the tumult of World War II Mr McCullough's narrative shows that rarest of creatures - an honest politican. Truman did not shy away from the tough decisions from dropping the A bomb, recognising the State of Israel or sacking General MacArthur all made without regard to the personal consequences always for the national interest.Love him or hate him Give 'em Hell Harry comes vividly to life through the pages of this book. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to study mid-Twentieth Century history.
Truman
This is an excellent book! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the length of the book, I have actually read it twice. It is a well-organized biography of an excellent man. McCullough's writing style is impressive without any signs of pretentiousness.
Truman
Having just finished McCullough's biography of John Adams, I thought I would next read the other book for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, "Truman." I have had a certain admiration for Truman since reading Merle Miller's "Plain Speaking" and remembering newspaper stories of him out walking reporters in Independence in the 1960s. I recommend this book for any fan of American history who wants to learn about one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century. As president, his proposals or decisions continued to affect life in the US long afterward - the Atomic Age, Containment, civil rights, the CIA, universal health care, intervention in Southeast Asia...As he did in "John Adams," McCullough clearly shows admiration for his subject as a man and president. The book is extensively researched and documented. McCullough spent several years reviewing documents, interviewing relatives, friends, former staff and contemporaries. He was even able to review the infamous Merle Miller interview tapes. The book is filled with many "inside" conversations and details giving color to the major and minor decisions and turning points in Truman's life and career.I found, however, that the overall story was less compelling than John Adams. As interested as I was in learning about Truman, his early life and how he made his major decisions as president, there were points where the reading dragged. It may have been details that were not really important to the story or unanswered questions. For example, after JFK's funeral, Truman and Eisenhower talked for an hour in Blair House. There is no mention of what they talked about. Was it because there was no record made by anyone? Was it the final stage of the reconciliation between the two that McCullough mentioned late in the book? I think that it is important, but McCullough does not elaborate.After reading "Truman," I find Truman more of a paradox. He held himself to the highest standards, but tolerated less than scrupulous behavior from his appointments, many times at a high cost to his public image. He was from an inherently conservative small town, but he embraced a liberal political philosophy beyond the "New Deal." He like to say that he was a country boy and that he never wanted to be president, but relished in the attention that the presidency brought him.