Truman Audio CD – CD, May 5, 2015

After finishing David McCollough’s legacy redefining tome of the 33rd U.S. President Harry Truman, it is easy to see why “Truman” is largely considered a masterpiece and the gold standard of Presidential biographies. Although an intimidating 992 pages long, McCollough’s work is so well written and meticulously researched, it makes for a great read.Harry S. Truman has been placed in the upper echelon of great American Presidents, and it’s easy to see why. Never has a President been unexpectedly thrown into the breach of the office with so many ominous decisions to make, yet seemingly so unprepared for the highest and most powerful office in the land. After been reluctantly selected to be Franklin Roosevelt’s Vice President, Truman took the oath of office upon the death of FDR, the world was still at war, just 82 days into Roosevelt’s unprecedented fourth term. Upon learning of the President’s death, it is said Truman asked Eleanor Roosevelt if there was anything he could do for her; she replied, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!"Truman’s rise to the Presidency is a great American story, which McCollough details vividly. The son of a Missouri farmer, which Harry himself became, Truman was truly a man of the people. Earnest, plain spoken, and hardworking, these were the characteristics that justly defined him. After serving as a Field Captain in World War 1, Harry returned to Independence, Missouri where he would marry his sweetheart Bess and become a haberdasher before he would find his calling in public service.After some aid from Kansas City Democratic Machine Boss Tom Pendergast, Truman would go on to become Jackson County Judge, an administrative position similar to that of a County Commissioner. Harry oversaw the County’s “Ten Year Plan”, which included the transformation of the county’s public works including updating the network of roads and a new county courthouse. He was elected the president of the Greater Kansas City Plan Association and made director of the National Conference of City Planning. As an urban planner myself, I found this to be great trivia!After serving 12 years as County Judge, Truman would go on to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934, again leveraging the aid of Boss Pendergast. Upon entering the Senate, he would be disregarded as “The Senator from Pendergast”. It was after being reelected to the Senate in 1940, where Truman would begin to make a name for himself, establishing the Truman Committee, charged with rooting out waste and war profiteering from the expansive war mobilization efforts of the Roosevelt Administration. It was during his time on this committee where Truman’s no nonsense and hard work allowed him to establish himself as worthy of a Vice Presidential candidate.Truman’s tenure as President is as consequential as any during the 20th Century. Soon after taking office he set off to Potsdam, Germany to meet with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin to discuss the postwar order of Europe. Within months, he authorized the use of the atomic bomb, quickly ending what would have continued to be an enduring and ghastly war with Japan. Upon taking the oath of office, Truman, even as FDR’s Vice President, had no idea the bomb was even in development, which is much more a reflection of FDR given his failing health. His presidency helped achieve historic institutions of monumental consequence including the creation of the United Nations and NATO. Ushered in the Marshall Plan which helped rebuild post-war Europe. Initiated the Berlin Airlift, a campaign to deliver food, coal and other supplies using military aircraft on a massive scale allowing the circumvention of a Soviet blockade to Western Europe. Instituted the “Truman Doctrine” of communist containment. Recognized the creation of Israel. All within his first term!The gripping account of the 1948 reelection bid is certainly a highlight of the book. Truman’s reelection campaign is on of political folklore, and McCollough details it masterfully. Down mightily in the polls to New York Governor Thomas Dewey, and with ever political pundit in the country counting him out, Truman zig-zags across the country by train speaking at every stop along the way. Truman’s plain-speaking approach and “give em hell, Harry!” style contrasting with Dewey’s lofty and empty rhetoric coupled with a lack of urgency ultimately wins the day. Even after garnering massive crowds, he was expected to go down in defeat as of election night. After emerging victorious the day after, Truman holds up the front page of the Chicago Tribune announcing “Dewey Defeats Truman”! Harry S. Truman was never a man to be counted out, and he earned everything he got.Truman’s second term was no less ominous than his first. Even as the economy was as strong as ever, the Korean War and labor strikes dictated much of his time. A lasting triumph of his second term was the desegregating of the military, an action that began to erode the Democratic party’s stronghold on the south. Truman left office after his second term a very unpopular President, succeeded by World War II hero General Dwight D. Eisenhower.It’s said that McCollough’s “Truman” helped to reshape his standing among U.S. Presidents, and it should. Harry S. Truman is proof that if you are given a job, it is your duty to give it all you got, and that hard work does pay off, and that only in America can a man of humble beginnings can soar to great heights.

Once in a while a book makes an indelible impact. For me, David McCullough's biography, Truman, is one of those magnificent books that I will forever cherish. I savored each page, and as I read, I didn't want Harry Truman's extraordinary story of courage and perseverance to end. Beyond his stature as President, Truman was a remarkable human being, striving always to do what was right.From the time he was a boy growing up in Missouri, young Harry S. Truman possessed a determination to work hard and succeed. He may have looked frail and awkward with his thick-lens spectacles, and he may have remembered himself as a "sissy" due to the fact he was shy and lacked athleticism during his adolescence, but he was well-liked and respected by his peers. He was a voracious, studious reader, and he loved to play the piano. He dreamed of wanting to become a renowned pianist or a famous general. After high school, he wanted to attend West Point, but his poor eyesight barred his acceptance. He went on to work various jobs, always earning high praise from his employers for his strong work ethic and intelligence. Then the Great War compelled him to fulfill what he believed was his duty to serve. At age thirty-five, he did not have to go, but going to war became the formative experience of Truman's life. Elevating himself to the rank of Captain of Battery D in the U.S. Army, the experience of battle on the frontlines changed him forever: gave him the confidence that, indeed, he possessed an innate quality to lead men. He gained the courage not to run from fights; he discovered the courage to inspire.These were traits demanded of him, after the death of Roosevelt, when he was catapulted into the unthinkable scenario of assuming the presidency. Confronted with the challenge of leading the nation through the end of the Second Great War, his choice to use the bomb against Japan was a deeply conscientious decision based on his considerations of the moral ramifications of using or not using an atomic weapon. He chose to use it as the soundest method to ending the war immediately, rather than deciding to expend the lives of potentially millions more, both on the American and Japanese sides, had the continuance of the war required the Allies to take the island of Japan in a military undertaking larger than that of the D-Day operation. During the postwar crisis, when the nuclear age and the rise of communism could have spun history towards apocalyptic disaster, he remained steadfast and optimistic with resolve to rebuff the Soviet advance in Europe by implementing the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the Berlin Airlift, all resounding achievements considering the tension the world teetered on. Aside from Churchill, Truman ranks in the 20th Century as one of the most the altruistic leaders of peace in his efforts to prevent the onslaught of a nuclear war.How Truman pulled out the 1948 election when every political pundit and media source declared him defeated is one of the most inspiring moments to read about in the history of American politics. As an elected president emerging from the shadow of FDR, Truman's agenda and what he stood for are representative of an exemplary leader. He was incorruptible, a man of the highest integrity and honesty. He had a remarkable ability to remain calm, composed, and poised with strength under pressure. And no matter how tough the decisions he had to make, he always fell back on choosing to do what was right, even in regard to the nightmare that transpired in Korea. His leadership was a testament of courage and perseverance to stand firm against communism. He believed with confidence in the triumph of democracy as the guiding force to achieve peace. In a world of trouble and fear, he was unblinking in his determination to steer American and Russia on a path to avoid destruction.Aside from his abilities as a leader, Truman was a model human being. He treated everyone with the same dignity and respect, never acting short or petty with anyone. He was friendly, likeable, cheerful, warmhearted, always smiling, and didn't take himself too seriously. He put his heart in the right place and never gave up on anything he undertook. He was considerate and soft-spoken. He was strong-willed, good-natured, and patient under duress. He had ambition to succeed, but he was always decent and never allowed himself to by misguided by power. He could always be relied upon for the truth, and counted upon to make conscientious decisions in the face of adversity. He was brave, hopeful, undaunted, and indomitable in all his duties. He believed in the cause of the common man and was loyal in wanting to do everything in his power to help those who struggled to make ends meet.McCullough's magisterial work on Truman's life is a tremendous inspiration to read. I love this book and Truman is one of my heroes.