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Summary: A detailed juvenile biography of Harry S Truman
Review: Morrie Greenberg begins "The Buck Stops Here," his juvenile biography of Harry Truman, with the day when the vice president was called to the White House and told by Eleanor Roosevelt that the president had died. That was the moment when Harry Truman entered American history textbooks, as an accidental president with the daunting task of replacing Franklin D. Roosevelt as the leader of the United Nations engaged in World War II (How many people can even name one of FDR's other vice presidents?). "The Buck Stops Here" is a People in Focus Book and more than most Truman juvenile biographies Greenberg is able to provide details about the life of his subject. You first notice this when he relates Truman's experiences as a captain of artillery for Battery D during the First World War, which is related with great detail. In fact, Greenberg is so keen on details that he even explains the etymology of the phrase "passed the buck" (a piece of ivory made from the antlers of a buck placed in front of a card player when it was his turn to deal). This is also one of the few of these Truman books for young readers that gives some insight into why FDR would have picked Truman as his running mate in 1944 in terms the work of the Truman Committee that investigate waste and "dumb-headedness in the National Defense Program as well as his popularity with southern votes and labor leaders. Young readers will clearly get a sense of how Truman faced some of the greatest challenges of the 20th century, from the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan to the Berlin Blockade and the Korean War. Most history students are aware of the Marhsall Plan, but Greenberg makes the Truman Doctrine equally prominent. Noting that during his years in office how Truman was criticized as being the worst president in history, Greenberg establishes the reasons why Truman is now considered one of the strongest and most accomplished Presidents. More importantly, he has become one of the most admired for his honesty, loyalty towards family and friends, down-to-earth style, and storng sense of duty. Truman becomes an important modern president mainly because he is in so many ways the complete opposite of those who followed him in the White House, most of whom actively sought the presidency and courted public opinion. This volume is sparsely illustrated with historic black & white photographs, including the one of Bess that Truman carried throughout his military service in France. "The Bucks Stops Here" is not an introductory biography of Truman, but once a young student has become familiar with the key biographical elements of Truman's life and is interested in finding out a lot more about the man who became the 33rd president, Greenberg has provided an excellent biography to turn to next.
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