Truman

Title: Truman

Author: David McCullough
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: June 1993
Genre: History/ Biography
Pages: 1120

There were two reasons that I read this book. First, I wanted to learn more about Harry S. Truman. The second, I have really come to admire the writing of David McCullough. At the time of it's release, Truman had gotten critical praise. I am not normally swayed by such things, but it helped in my decision to buy a book that was over one thousand pages long. Let's face it, if you're going to invest that much money on a history book, and that much time in reading said book, you also want a couple of other opinions backing up your decision.

Make no mistake, it will take you a while to read this book. It is packed with information, almost too much information, but coming from David McCullough I've come to expect nothing less. His research is extensive and detailed. However, if you want to get to know Harry Truman, this is the book to read. As you read it, your appreciation for the man will grow all the more. Not only is this a study of Truman's life, it is a study of his character and personality. You see Truman as a schoolboy, a farmer, a soldier, a merchant, a county judge, a senator, a vice president and as a president. You will come to appreciate how he got his reputation for honesty, reliability and common sense and in the process beat back the stigma of debt and business failure.

Even more than that, you will appreciate his accomplishments as the 33rd President of the United States. Among those accomplishments are halting communism in Turkey and Greece, ordering the atomic bomb to be dropped, desegregating the armed forces, establishing the CIA and the defense department, initiating the Marshall Plan, and firing General Douglas MacArthur.

4 out of 5 stars (I found myself getting bogged down in a lot of details)
Re-readable factor of 2 out of 5 (once was enough for me)