50-- Harry S. Truman by Robert Dallek (read 3 Nov. 2023) This is a very good short treatment of its subject, though iI over -emphasized some negative things. History has shown the many things Truman did right, and we can be glad the 1844 Democratic Convention did what it did--though at the time I bitterly disagreed. But I was only 19 and I am glad Harry Truman became president and Wallace did not ( )

Being a short-format examination of Harry Truman's rise and administration of American government. Even as a lad, I always found it queer to think on Truman's rollercoaster ride of popularity, which polled between eighty-nine and twenty-two percent, surely the widest swing in the history of the presidency. The author does a very good job of explaining the factors which went into his constituency's disillusion. As is often the case, it seems that Truman's bluntness had a certain appeal at one time but wore out its welcome as he stepped on more and more toes. I enjoyed reading this book a great deal and agreed with the emphases he prioritized within his limited space, though I would like to have seen a less oblique mention of his comeback in American popular culture after his death such as having a hit record and a one-man stage production devoted to him. ( )

In many ways an unlikely occupant of the office, Harry Truman’s career was one of dogged determination in a series of failed jobs and minor offices. Even his first term as a United States senator was less than noteworthy, and it was not until he had won reelection and achieved prominence as the head of a special committee designed to root out corruption and waste in military appropriations that he emerged as a vice presidential prospect in the 1944 presidential campaign – a critical decision given Franklin Roosevelt’s failing health.

Though Truman was selected to serve as vice president to a terminally ill man, Robert Dallek stresses the lack of preparation for his succession. Thrust into office by Roosevelt’s sudden death, the new president found himself facing enormous challenges involving the ongoing war and the even thornier ones of peace. While generally sympathetic to Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, Dallek judges his plummeting support in the months that followed as the result of his attempts to be all things to all people, and that it was not until Truman decided to be his own man that he enjoyed greater success as president.

Dallek judges the two years that followed as Truman’s most successful as president, as he made key decisions involving the Cold War, the recognition of Israel, and civil rights. He fought against the Republican-dominated 80th Congress, and used their opposition to his domestic agenda as a launching pad for his victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 election. Yet Truman was unable to capitalize on his unexpected triumph, as he faced anticommunist hysteria, charges of corruption by members of his administration, and an intractable war in Korea, all of which led to his decision to abandon a run for another term in 1952.

An award-winning presidential historian and biographer, Dallek uses his considerable knowledge and insight to inform this study of Harry Truman. Though lacking original research, the author infuses his narrative with perceptiveness borne of his extensive historical expertise, one that has much to offer readers familiar with the 33rd president. The result is a book that is a good starting place for anyone interested in learning about the man from Missouri and how he led the nation through tumultuous times. ( )