Truman

Rating:
Summary: Monumental Story of a Simple Man
Review: When I opened this book, I could scarcely believe what waited for me inside: the true, fantastic and engrossing story of the most All-American President we may ever have had. The story is one that seems impossible today: it follows a boy born to the hardest working and poorest of families on a Missouri farm, through his amazing, harrowing days as an infantryman in the U.S. Army during WWI, to his entry into county politics, his rise to the U.S. Senate and his remarkable ascendancy to the White House. Any student of American History -- indeed anyone proud to be an American -- will enjoy this book. I finished this book with a heart-felt appreciation for the gifts Mr. Truman has bestowed upon us and a fresh respect for him. Never having set foot in a college classroom, he learned all of his lessons from the school of hard knocks and stood toe-to-toe with the roughest and toughest of the world's leaders.

Rating:
Summary: Get it.
Review: Five stars out of five for the coverage of Truman's early political career and six out of five for his campaign against Dewey. These parts of the book are absolutely gripping.

I'd give the book as a whole 4 and a half stars. It can get a little dry at other parts, perhaps because of the superb attention to detail of the author, an acceptable vice, perhaps due to the nature of the subject, an unavoidable obstacle. All in all, a highly entertaining and superbly informative read.

Rating:
Summary: Great is the mildest word I can use!
Review: I read a lot, and lots of biographies, and this is the best I've ever seen. I was in Africa, on the way to China, when Truman became president, and now I've finally what we were doing and why.
Truman was a remarkable man who hid his capacity for greatness until it was needed. McCullough tells the reader why he did what he did. "Truman" even tops McC's bio of John Adams, which is a major accomplishment.
But get ready to hear a lot about HST. This is not a volume to be read in an evening or even a week. It's so well written that it would have been easy for me to race through it like a novel, but it deserves much more than that, including some re-reading.
I hope it's as much fun for you as it was for me -- and it's on my shelf waiting to give me another start-to-finish two weeks of enjoyment.

Rating:
Summary: Envious of Truman's character
Review: I ended up being downright jealous of Truman's excellent character and excellent personality and outlook. You have to admire him. And this biography is smooth, easy reading like butter melting on fresh cooked corn-on-the-cob. It has vibrance and I find myself routing for Truman during the 1948 campaign and struggling with him through the hard times, basically wanting to know what happens next--even though I already do! Really well done. A great book about a great human being.

Rating:
Summary: What a Man!
Review: David McCullough has mastered the art of writing and this book is a masterpiece. You will learn how Harry Truman a man of simple and honest means becomes one of our nation's greatest leaders.

You realise how he never forgets who he is and that knowledge gives him the strength to make the right decisions. Often his decisions could of cost him his political career but he would not let that factor in.

Great book and great history.

Rating:
Summary: A model biography of an almost model man
Review: David McCullough delivers! Truman is a model biography - in both McCullough's craft and his subject of the epic life of Harry S Truman. McCullough truly creates another universe - a reality that would have existed only in the past, but now fits in your hands in these 1000 some pages. The reader will find him/herself immersed in the history and lives of amazing figures of another age whose actions for which we - citizens of the world are greatly indebted. The reader will both know Harry S Truman and his historical significance - his heroic and at the time highly controversial Presidency.

Truman is both an epic of a man's life and homage to the triumph of American democracy. Truman is a man of humble origins who achieves incredible feats. I urge anyone who stumbled onto this page to "get to know" Truman by reading this book. This book is a joy to read - it flows like a novel. You will not be disappointed.

"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell."
-Harry S Truman

Rating:
Summary: Truman
Review: Truman by David McCullough is a biography of one of our most extraordinary Presidents, Ol' Give 'Em Hell Harry, the man who said, " the buck stops here." Harry S. Truman, who's humble start in rule Missouri, with hard work, determination, and circumstance landed in the Oval Office of the White House.

This is a tale of a man, told warmly with feeling. A story of a man who walked in the shadow of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a man who had to make a choice to use the Atomic Bomb, a man who proved himself, a man of uncommon vitality and strength of character. Reading this book, one gets to know Harry Truman, you feel emotion and see insight as the author sets the story and writes a telling tale.

Harry Truman a man who married later in life because he didn't have the money. His work on the farm gave him strength and dogged optimism in the face of defeat, but much more was to come for Harry. Facing responsibilities such as had weighed on no man ever before and setting American politics and diplomacy, Harry Truman was treading a new age.

The author has mastered Truman in this book, as no other has to date, and it shows throughout this book. This is the life of Harry Truman complete with all of the supporting characters as well... Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, his wife Bess Wallace Truman, General George Marshall, Joseph McCarthy and Dean Acheson. Harry Truman was responsible for the Truman Doctrine, NATO, the Berlin Airlift and the Marshall Plan, but fired General Douglas MacArthur. "Truman," shows Harry Truman to be complex, thoughtful, peppery when he needed to be and plainspoken.

I really enjoyed reading this biography... like a grandfather telling a story that happened in his lifetime... with understanding and thoughtfulness.

Rating:
Summary: A fine biography, well-written, well-researched,
Review: and well-balanced. McCullough does a fine job of detailing ALL of Harry Truman, the parts he approves of, the parts he doesn't, and the parts that he may approve of, but others may not, in a well-balanced, evenhanded manner that makes it possible for the reader to determine what they think of Harry Truman, without having to work overhard to filter out the opinion of the author. This is my measure of whether a biography has done its primary job, and this book passes with flying colors. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it also does its secondary job--that of being readable rather than soporific--extremely well.

I find it hard to imagine a better biography of Harry Truman.

Rating:
Summary: A man of character, integrity, and decisiveness.
Review: An interesting look at the 33rd president of the United States, an ordinary man of the people who shaped history, and this country, with his forthright attitude and convictions.

McCullough brings forth the true nature of the man who would be president when the atom bombs were dropped on Japan. He would stand over the creation of the United Nations, the Berlin Airlift, and an Israeli State. He was a man who held out for peace against a warmonger General, who would have invaded China, and could have very possibly been responsible for bringing the USA into a third world war.

Truman's decisions were not always popular, but in the long run they were proven to be solid. He was not a man who thrived on fame and recognition; he saw the presidency as a privilege and a job that he would give his all for. A private man with middle class working values he would continue to help the Democratic Party till his dying days.

I picked up this book after reading this author's much-acclaimed book titled JOHN ADAMS. I found Truman to be less introspective and personal. It was written more like a history book. There was little mention of the intimacy shared between Harry and Bess, a strong point that brought out the humanity found in the telling of John Adams and Abigail's part in history. I have also been lucky enough to pick up some of the great movies that this author has been a part of writing and producing. He has several works pertaining to the Civil War. Kelsana 7/03/02

Rating:
Summary: A Great Biography
Review: David McCullough does a masterful job with Truman. He selected a sometimes overlooked President who is definitely worth studying. Although I am familiar with this time period in American History I had forgotten how many major events and decisions that come through Harry Truman as President. McCullough does an excellent job of showing how Truman could have very easily not been FDR's VP nominee in 1944. Truman had so many earth shattering decisions to make that it is incredible that he prevented a World War III. When Truman became President after the death of FDR he was truly overwhelmed at the responsibilities that he was facing and McCullough does a good job showing that Truman did not think himself up to the task but was determined to do his best. I admire the decisiveness and determination of President Truman, especially with his decision not to give up Berlin to the Soviet Union. The accomplishment of the Berlin Airlift is spectacular and speaks highly of American resolve. David McCullough is fast becoming my favorite biographer.