1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America

by David Pietrusza

The behind-the-headline true story of Harry Truman's stunning upset!


Everyone knows the iconic news photo of jubilant underdog Harry Truman brandishing a copy of the Chicago Tribune proclaiming “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.” David Pietrusza goes backstage to explain how it happened, placing the brutal political battle in the context of an erupting Cold War and America's exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism.


Pietrusza achieves for 1948's presidential race what he previously did in his acclaimed 1960--LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: bringing history to life and intrigue readers with tales of high drama while simultaneously presenting the issues, personalities, and controversies of this pivotal era with laser-like clarity.

Genres: History, Politics, Biography, Nonfiction, American History, Presidents, Us Presidents

544 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

David Pietrusza’s books include 1920: The Year of Six Presidents; Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series; 1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America's Role in the World; 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies; and 1932: The Rise of Hitler and FDR—Two Tales of Politics, Betrayal, and Unlikely Destiny. Rothstein was a finalist for an Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, and 1920 was honored by Kirkus Reviews as among their "Books of the Year." Pietrusza has appeared on Good Morning America, Morning Joe, The Voice of America, The History Channel, ESPN, NPR, AMC, and C-SPAN. He has spoken at The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the Harry S Truman library and Museum, and various universities and festivals. He lives in Scotia, New York. Visit davidpietrusza.com

Reviews

[CoachJim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It came down to so many factors: an underdog who refused to surrender, a presumed victor who refused to fight, disgruntled Democrats—on the left and right— who, by deserting their party, merely strengthened it, and fearful Republican farmers who, in the end, proved more farmer than Republican.
(Page 405)

In this book the first 100 pages or so read like a High School Sophomore’s term paper where they used only the World Book Encyclopedia as their source. A lot of facts and not much analysis. The book became more interesting after that as it started discussing the political campaigns of 1948, which is what the title promised.

The political campaign for president in 1948 was somewhat different in that there were four contending candidates. In addition to the Democratic and Republican candidates, Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey respectively, there was Henry Wallace, the Progressive party candidate, and Strom Thurmond, the Dixiecrat candidate.

The Dixiecrats were a faction of Southern Democrats that objected to the Civil Rights plank in the Democratic platform. The fight for a Civil Rights plank was led by the young Hubert Humphrey, who was then mayor of Minneapolis. He was elected a U.S. Senator that year and thus began his role in the political history of the United States.

We learn in these pages that Truman faced a difficult re-election. He suffered as the non-FDR president, or a president that had not been elected. Because he suffered from severe near-sightedness when he had to read his speeches they were dull and uninspiring. Early in 1948 at a speech he began speaking extemporaneously, like he was talking to a neighbor over the back fence. He found that this method raised interest and excitement in his campaign.

As the quote above mentions disgruntled Democrats deserted their party. The presidential campaign of Henry Wallace lured the pro-Communists and strident left-wingers from the party. This eliminated for the Democrats the issue of being labeled the party of communists, and also made Catholics more comfortable voting for Democrats.

Likewise the campaign of Strom Thurmond’s Dixiecrat party brought out the black vote. It was the African-Americans who gave Truman his victory in several states. The number of black votes more than covered his margin of victory in those states.

There are parallels between the election of 2016 and the election of 1948. In 2016 an overconfident Hillary Clinton failed to campaign vigorously while her opponent’s campaign energized the electorate. In 1948 an overconfident Thomas Dewey and the Republican party decided to run a very low-keyed campaign in order to not jeopardize what they thought was a sure victory. Meanwhile Harry Truman’s pugnacious attack on what he termed the “Do-Nothing 80th Congress", energized his campaign and gave it the “Give-Em Hell Harry” reputation that carried him to victory.

One niggle I have about this book was the overuse of quotes. There were some important points in these quotes, but it was overwhelmed by the amount of quoted material. It disrupted the flow of the writing.

This is one of three books this author has written on presidential elections. The other two being the elections of 1920 and 1960. This invites comparison to Theodore H. White’s books on the presidential elections of 1960 through 1972. It has been some 50 years since I have read the White books, but I have fond memories and a high opinion of them. I do plan to read this author’s book on the 1960 election soon, but at this point I don’t feel that this book can compare to those books.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Pietrusza has found/developed himself an interesting historical niche, chronicling critical 20th Century Presidential elections – 1920, 1960 and now 1948 – and each of these books is a fascinating read. The author uses a balanced recipe combining brief biographical sketches of the major players, just the right amount of historical back-story, personal anecdotes/recollections and contemporary news coverage of the day to propel the drama of the election chronicled, all without losing the thread of the story.

The Presidential election of 1948, besides being a “huge upset” – see book cover above – also had more than its fair share of colorful personalities tossing their hats into the ring. Along with Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey, there was Henry Wallace, Strom Thurmond, Harold Stassen, Douglas MacArthur, Robert Taft and Earl Warren. Each had their moment in the political spotlight – in some cases – very briefly. The campaign/election was covered extensively, with the new technology of television coming into its own.

All the while of course the country and the world continued on – domestically the country was winding down from the war leading to inflation, labor and race issues. Internationally the Cold War was becoming a reality - Stalin’s belligerency concerning The Marshall Plan leading to the Berlin Airlift- and Israel was “founded”. This just to name a few of the non-campaign/electoral events.

One need not be a political/history junkie to enjoy Peitrusza’s books – although it may help – the author has a knack of not only breathing life into these past days, but capturing the excitement and urgency of the moment as well. A very good book and definitely recommended.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some presidential elections are more consequential than others. Usually 1948 is not seen as one of the critical ones, a view David Pietrusza corrects in this book. He brings a panoramic view to an America in the middle of its first presidential election after World War II. Here the events that impacted the election are given their due: the Berlin Blockade and Airlift, the birth of Israel and domestic inflation. Each of the four major candidates is profiled in excellent thumbnail biographies that help show how each ran the kind of campaign he did. One detail I found interesting was the rise of television (the was the first year in which the new medium covered the contest) as an important part of a presidential campaign. While I hold Harry Truman in higher regard than Pietrusza, I do believe he has given a way to understand how he became such a figure of ridicule during the first three years of his presidency. Unfortunately this book has some errors that stronger copyediting could have avoided. I also hoped for more on Truman's whistle-stop campaign (I believe it is slighted a bit in favor of more about the overconfident, doomed Dewey campaign). Overall, I was captivated by the narrative. Truman's excitement and pride over his election has more of an impact because of the panoramic look at America as it elected its president in a critical year.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just now finished it. Any reader will be surprised in the similarities between 1948 and 2012; a defiant Republican Congress, a President under attack and the startling dull personality similarity between Thomas E. Dewey (Our future lies in front of us?) and Mitt Romney. Henry Wallace - please younger generations, NOT to be confused with the right wing segregationist George Wallace of the 1960s - predicting a vote of 10 million..remember Ross Perot in 1992- but Wallace earned less than 1 million votes and no electoral votes. HENRY WALLACE was a visionary progressive thinker ahead of his time unfortunately tainted by the communist influence and activism in his Progressive Party...Strom Thurmond the Dixiecrat actually took some Southern States in his plan to force the election into the House of Representatives. You all know how it ended. The Chicago Tribune headline, DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN! "Mr. President," read a sign from one newspaper, "We are ready to eat crow whenever you are ready to serve it." An amazing upset, a presidential archivist once told me, "There was no way that Truman should have won this election." Read how he did it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers basically the one-year period leading up to the four-way 1948 presidential election, which pitted incumbent Harry Truman against GOP candidate/NY Governor Thomas Dewey, Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace, and South Carolina Governor/"Dixiecrat" candidate Strom Thurmond. Because the Democratic party was being split three ways (with the "communists" expected to go for Wallace, the Southern states for Thurmond, and the party faithful for Truman), the conventional wisdom was that Truman was doomed and Dewey would cruise to an easy victory -- a confident prediction that led to the iconic news photo of a jubilant Harry Truman brandishing a copy of the Chicago Tribune newspaper that ran with a headline proclaiming “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN." The book is written in an entertaining way (not dry, as many history books can be), and it details facts that are little-known, long-forgotten, or never before revealed. (I found the information about Strom Thurmond's relationship with his secret illegitimate biracial daughter to be particularly intriguing.) It's fun and informative, and if you are a history buff you will enjoy it. 3.5/5 stars

[Christopher Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book that goes over the Presidential Election of 1948 in great detail, used it for a 20th Century US History paper I had to write for US History II.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was way enamored with Pietrusza's 1920- The Year of Six Presidents- that I asked for another of Pietrusza's books for Christmas. As 1920 was a big hit, David has since wrote on the 1948 and 1960 elections as well as a 1932 book about the rises of FDR and Hitler. I could not get enough of 1920.

1948 promises even more. It's a nailbiter election with subplots like Henry Wallace and the Dixiecrats. My expectations were high. Pietrusza is a strong conservative, so I suspect that colors some of the things that he hits along the way (Truman was the product of the Kansas City political machine, that machine was corrupt and racist (whether young Harry S was as well is incomplete), Henry Wallace had some crazy mystic leanings, Wallace's party was hijacked by Communists and Socialists, For a Southern Governor in the 1940s (this is a very low bar), Strom Thurmond was progressive than most. in 1946 and 47, Truman was a deeply unpopular President). Of course, the thing that Pietrusza does well is that he makes history exciting, and all of these points are not untrue or dishonest. You can look them up.

I wish 1920 never ended. 1948 sort of feels like what would have happened if I had got what I asked for. 1948 can be a little bit of a slog at times. There is almost too much backstory. Of course, there are four candidates to flesh out and a lot of ground to cover.

Besides the minutiae, it really is a fascinating book. Truman is unpopular, attacked from all sides. Many of FDR's inner circle want to draft Eisenhower to run as a Democrat, though Ike seemingly isn't interested. The Progressives and the Dixiecrats leave the party which seems to split the Democrat vote, though it actually probably saves Truman in many ways. Truman is free to make moves like integrating the army, while also casting away the Far Left.

Truman (we are told) is awful at giving prepared speeches, and desperate to win, goes across country often going off the cuff, which ends up being a strength, Dewey confident in victory does not get out into the heart of the country. FDR's circle does come to embrace Truman at the 11th hour. Dewey concentrates on the states he lost in '44, and thus loses the ones he had won- the farm states of the Midwest. (Dewey defeats Bob Taft and Harold Stassen on his way to the nomination- though Stassen is now an inside joke- he was a very colorful and real contender)

Wallace expects ten million votes and is certainly an exciting sideshow, but never can turn it into more than one million votes. The Dixiecrats don't have a plan much more than winning just enough to throw the election into the House of Representatives. They are only able to have any success in the very deep south as some lifelong Democrats can't fully abandon the party, so Thurmond only carries four states, and Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida and Georgia go to Truman (Though interestingly enough, if Dewey had won about 30,000 more votes in key areas, it would have been enough to keep everyone from the needed plurality.


Since it's Pietrusza, he includes a list of colorful characters from LBJ to Dashiell Hammett, Hubert Humphrey to Curtis LeMay, HL Mencken and Norman Mailer. Nixon and Norman Thomas and Walter Winchell.

I, of course, do strongly recommend the book with the caveat that sometimes this 400+ page book at times does feel like it is 400+ pages, but once again, very interesting and must-reading for election junkies.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most politicians, let alone most Americans, considered the "accidental President," Harry S. Truman, dead meat when it came to the 1948 presidential election. Nobody gave Truman any chance, whatsoever, to beat Thomas Dewey. Pietrusza paints a very gloomy picture, for the incumbent (Truman) and the democrats. But he then goes into great detail outlining how Truman never lost faith and took his message to the people of America. His whistle stop tours were tremendous successes, while at the same time, Thomas Dewey was barely campaigning, feeling that the election was in the bag. Americans do not like to be taken granted and that's what the republicans/Dewey did. Lots of detail about different characters in this book that shows an America that is split, by party, and race. It discusses the various newspaper and magazine editors who despised Truman and did everything they could to ensure Truman's loss. The final result, however, is history and Pietrusza's book is a good read on how it happened. Strongly recommend it.

[Tyrone Hibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see I am not the only one who noticed a striking similarity between the players and the results of the 1948 and 2012 US Presidential elections. Mr Pietrusza brought me the strategy sessions, the players involved, and agendas of the various political players surrounding the 1948 election in a way that made me as aware of them as I was witnessing the 2012 election.
What a great job of depicting the winning strategy. More to the point of the comparison between the two years is the descriptions of the losing strategies, especially the similarities of the mistakes common to both Dewey in 1948 and Romney in 2012.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in US history, but to especially political scientist who study the politics, particularly the coalitions, involved in winning a majority of the electoral votes necessary to win a US Presidential election.

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really feel "backstage" as the official review says. I didn't really feel present in 1948 and conversant with voter sympathies and anxieties. As engaging as David Pietrusza is in talking ABOUT his books, I expected more.

[Anthony Bergen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review in AND Magazine: http://www.andmagazine.com/content/ph...

[Kenneth Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A++

[Albert Farrugia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed and readable account of a notable election held when the USA was still a democracy

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

1948 was one of the momentous time in America’s electoral history. Not only two sides, fighting for the presidency, in fact, there were three (de facto four) sides who duked it out. The first would be “Give ‘em hell” Harry Truman, the incumbent president who got in his place by the sole virtue of succeeding the late president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. His party was plagued by fierce factionalism, so much that the extreme left and right of the Democratic Party bolted. The left, led by Henry Wallace, the mystic-loving, a sort of proto-hippie, if you like, Who was also the former Vice President of FDR. He was supported by the Progressive Party, which was so completely infiltrated by the communist. While the right, outraged by the party platform of supporting civil rights that threaten their ‘southern way of life’ (a.k.a Jim Crow Laws) formed a grouping called the Dixiecrats, intending to win enough electoral college vote to bring the election to the House of Representatives. They rallied by (rather reluctant) Strom Thurmond, Governor of South Carolina. While on the other side of the divide would be Republican Thomas Dewey, the former mob-busting, Governor of New York. With a rather illustrious career background, he chose to play it safe and ultimately lost the election. This moment was immortalized by the photo of Truman holding a newspaper with a headline that stated Dewey’s victory. Overall, although I find the book rather daunting for its number of pages, it is ultimately an interesting reading for me.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

History always seems to rhyme. It seemed that more often than not, a lot of US presidents was a laughing stock before they got elected (Truman being one of them, but also recently the younger Bush and on the Dems’ side, Obama (yes, Obama, as Hilary Clinton was seen as the clear winner of the ‘08 election) and Bill Clinton too were widely seen as unlikely winners). (PM Harper of Canada also noted that his initial ascend to power was widely seen as unlikely by the Canadian establishment at the time.) Because the experts and establishments have a tendency to think within their bubble, absent of the understanding of the on-the-ground feeling of voters.

Truman’s win was seen as unlikely due to people mistaking him for who he was. Under FDR's shadow, it’s easy to dismiss Truman (or any of FDR’s VP). Truman’s main opponent Thomas E. Dewey was liked by the establishment because he was out of central casting “presidential” whereas Truman seemed “off the cuff” (sounds familiar with many of the recent US presidents?), an “accidental president” at best: experts see “presidential” candidates as the clear winner, whereas people elect people who they could mirror themselves too - people who are anything but “presidential”.

Lastly - my study of South American politics recently informed me that people are often not going to make rational decisions, especially over the short run and suffering is there. And yes - that also includes America: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else.” (Apparently Churchill never said this.)

[Paul Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, well researched, easy read covering the 1948 presidential race. I really enjoyed it, although I must say Harry Truman is one of my favorite historic figures. He was a "back-bencher" who Roosevelt selected out of no where to be his running mate in 1944, and assumed the presidency upon Roosevelt's death. Denigrated by many, especially the eastern establishment, his presidency involved many big issues: the Marshall Plan, communist take-overs in China and Czechoslovakia, the Berlin airlift, and Korea, to mention a few. Today, many consider him the best president of the 20th century. Most didn't give him a chance in 1948 but through a series of odd circumstances and his political acumen, he was elected to the post he held by default. The book covers the political scene in great detail including the Democrats and Republicans as well as Strom Thurman's and Henry Wallace's third and fourth party candidacies. It's long, over 500 pages including the notes, bibliography, etc., but an well worth the time.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Plain-Speaking Man of His Word

I was born in 1950, just 24 months after Truman’s Hail Mary victory. My parents were life long Republicans who never met a Democrat they’d admit to liking, so I was poisoned early. But as I grew and studied, the plain-speaking man from Independence became a hero of mine, despite his throw-back, sometimes Confederate beliefs and racist language.
Like most of us, he was clearly a conflicted man with feet in two worlds. Perhaps that is why his 1948 victory even now seems improbable. Yes, his mother was a Rebel, yes, he used the N-word, but he as President set us - haltingly - along the road to civil rights. He bucked the Soviets in Berlin when more reactionary figures either wanted the U.S. to hand Berlin over, or nuke the Russians.
Harry Truman’s image and legacy improved with age and this interesting book explains how he redeemed victory from sure defeat.
If you enjoy history, politics and plain speaking, this is a good read.

[Karl Schaeffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of Truman’s presidency concentrating on the time from when he assumed the presidency after Roosevelt’s death to his own election against overwhelming odds. The iconic picture of Truman holding aloft the “Dewey Wins” headline is well known, but what’s the story behind the headline? Interesting parallels with Biden and whether he’ll run again in 2024. Truman was not well liked and he was urged not to run in 1948, given the country’s supposed infatuation with Dewey. All of Truman’s opponents on both sides of the aisle dismissed him. Truman ignored his naysayers and quietly put together a coalition and organization to win the democratic nomination and subsequently the election. The author also provides a good discussion of the various issues buffeting the ship of state and the nation during this time in the nation’s history, like the Dixiecrats,segregation, and the red scare.

[Brett Van Gaasbeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took awhile to blast through this title, but it was worth the read. Pietrusza always delivers on the details of the most controversial elections of the 20th century. I loved his work on the 1920 election and the 1960 election, so this one is no different. If you don't like books with a ton of detail, his work is not for you. For those that enjoy an in-depth look at the political back channels and decision-making, this is the type of book that will keep you engaged and inform you about Truman, Dewey, Wallace and Thurmond. All 4 individuals that ran for the Presidency that year had intriguing back stories and interesting reasons for running. Plus, this book does a great deal to explain how Truman won the election and, more importantly, how Dewey lost it.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone who has read postwar American history will be familiar with the general outline of this story. Pietrusza, though, fills in the details of that amazing election year. I'm not sure if he ever gets around to detailing how it was "the year that transformed America," as the subtitle states. Meanwhile, some of the major world events of that year -- the Berlin airlift, the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia, Israel, the Marshall Plan -- are presented in brief fashion. It all lends context to the four-way campaign that saw Harry Truman somehow defy all the experts. Pietrusza's writing lags a bit during the lengthy sections on the backroom convention machinations, but overall this is an informative book on an exciting political year.

[Twolkai Twolkai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good summary on the goings-on of the 1948 election. Gives good descriptions of the four candidates, how they were nominated, and the election itself. Very good read, but if I had to nitpick, I had a few grievances. I wish the book would have been a little less biased. The text constantly blasts Truman and Wallace, while praising Thurmond. The author only really treats Dewey fairly. Also, I would have liked to see more of the campaigning involved (Only the last fourth of the book is post-convention). But otherwise, a pretty lengthy but worth-it read. Would recommend to anyone interesting in the second greatest upset in American presidential election history.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have to read other accounts of the 1948 U.S. presidential election campaign to be more sure, but I feel that this might be the best of them all. Mr Pietrusza gives not only a rich and compelling account of the campaign, but also of the various characters involved. He even gives some fascinating insights on Henry Wallace's running mate - Senator Taylor (who was obscure even at the time), as well as various party fixers that were little known to the general public but had a great amount of influence. The flaws in Harry Truman's opponents are laid out, and it becomes easy to see why he sneaked out a shock victory in November of that year.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, in part because I remember so many of the politicians that appear in it. Although I was only 3 years old when this election took place, many of its important actors were prominent during my youth - Charlie Halleck, Harold Stassen. Hubert Humphrey, Clark Clifford, Eleanor Roosevelt, among many, many others. So, it was like a walk down memory lane. On a more serious note, as another reviewer wrote, the book is long on anecdotes and short on analysis. And on a more somber note, the viciousness of the political rhetoric, particularly from the Truman campaign, was a surprise to me. I guess nothing is new under the sun.

[Ralphz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1948 election pitted an unelectable Democrat incumbent, Harry Truman, against an inevitable GOP candidate, Tom Dewey. Truman had more opposition in his own party as leftists/communists peeled off to run Henry Wallace in a new Progressive party, and racist Dixiecrats ran Strom Thurmond.

With the odds decidedly against him, Truman started fighting back, and slowly climbed back in the race.

This book goes week by week through the politics, issues, personalities and events that made a landmark election.

Pietrusza is very adept at summing up election years. I've read his books "1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon" and "1920: The Year of Six Presidents" and enjoyed them, too.

[Tyler Janke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pietrusza packs a lot into his book, almost too much. He name drops so many people providing one of the most inclusive histories of the ‘48 election. As it got closer to Election Day I couldn’t put it down.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good history

[David Kruh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A talented writer and researcher Pietrusza tells the story of the 1948 election and how Truman beat all the odds to win that election.

[Jim Gallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1948 presidential is the classic, come from behind upset in which President Truman, judged having no chance to win, gave them hell and won over a country. It is a legend cited by every underdog since. Author David Pietrusza gives his readers an insight into the personae dramatis, the political background and the determining events from nominations to election night.

The brightest lights shine on Harry Truman. He is portrayed as the little known Missouri Senator who was slated as FDR’s running mate in 1944 as the only acceptable alternative to Henry Wallace. He was the stereotypical common man who had inherited the Presidency without inheriting the respect that normally accorded to those who gain the White House through election.

Thomas Dewey, although defeated by FDR in 1944, was the presumed front-runner. The crime busting prosecutor and Governor of New York was told that his time had come and only his miscues could derail his Victory Express.

Henry Wallace was the left-wing former Vice-President, Agriculture and Commerce Secretaries, séance attendee and general flake. His quest to become the bearer of the liberal standard threatened Democratic unity.

South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond, a relative liberal for his time and region, was the reluctant point man for a South unwilling to accept change in race relations demanded by the rest of the country. The Dixiecrat revolt was not as simple as it seemed. Many Southern Democrats, prominently Speaker Sam Rayburn and Rep. Lyndon Johnson, stayed out..

Pietrusza lays out the strategy of each campaign. Truman was told that the South had no place to go so no attention need be paid to it. His focus was to hold the liberal wing from Wallace and harvest the farm vote of the West and Midwest. Dewey played it safe, speaking in generalities intended to soothe all and alienate none. Knowing that he had lost the 1944 election in the East he directed his efforts toward that region while taking the Midwest and West for granted. Wallace pursued the big city ethnics with the goal of getting 10,000,000 votes. Thurmond hope to hold the South and thereby force the election into the House of Representatives where the South might be able to obtain concessions.

On these pages we encounter contrasts that foreshadow the upset in the making. Truman’s handlers were horrified when he appeared on the platform of the Ferdinand Magellan in pajamas, while Republicans shook their heads when Dewey refused to greet crowds waiting for him. As one columnist put it: “Truman is like that easy-going grandpappy, of whom he loves to speak, who sold knick-knacks to Indians and early settlers as he roved the early West”. while Dewey “has been polished up no end, almost too much, in fact. It is almost too mechanically perfect.” Truman, the descendant of strong Confederates, became the first Civil Rights President. Wallace’s acceptance of Communist support that he could not, and would not, renounce drove liberal supporters back into the Truman camp.

In the end, Truman’s presidential actions drew most liberals home and his Give’m Hell” campaign played in well Peoria and the farm belt. Dewey won in the East but his lack of attention to the West was costly. Wallace’s support imploded to the point that he carried no states and threw only New York, Michigan and Maryland to Dewey. Thurmond carried only four states and 39 electoral votes, insufficient to send the election to the House.

Readers of “1948” will gain a much deeper appreciation of that history making campaign and view it a bit differently. Many historians interpret Truman’s Civil Rights initiatives as courageous stand for the right even when it was politically risky. Pietrusza shows it, while a good faith expression of a long held conviction, as a calculated political manoeuver to draw liberal and black support from Wallace. Similarly Truman’s recognition of Israel helped draw Jewish votes back into the Democratic column. I came away with a much greater understanding of the other candidates, Dewey, Thurmond and Wallace. We are taken into the strategy sessions, aboard the campaign trains, into hearts of the crowds and the deepest valleys and up the highest mountains. Throughout it all, “1948” remains a very easy to read work. After reading several books about an historical figure or event I often feel that I am just rehashing the same things again. Although I have read much about Harry Truman, “1948” was always fresh and engaging. I am glad that I read it and trust that you will be too.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a very well organized book - less a historical narrative than a list of names and dates... I'll have to come back to it again and see if I like it better the second time around.

[Susan O · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really get what I wanted from this book, but that wasn't the author's fault. It is about the election with all of it's ins-and-outs which necessarily includes a lot of people and by the end a lot of statistics and polls. I was familiar with the four candidates, but not with all of the others who wanted the nomination. Pietrusza takes you through all of the pre-election politics and events including the four conventions.

My first thoughts on starting this book were either Pietrusza is very conservative, or he really doesn't like Truman. He collects more negative events and quotes about Truman than I have seen anywhere else. Perhaps this was to emphasize why so many people thought he had no chance of winning in 1948, but it did seem excessive.

Then there is Pietrusza's use of labels. He refers to Arthur Schlesinger Jr. as an arch-liberal, OK I can see this, but then he calls Henry Wallace a progressive giving the impression that Wallace is more moderate than Schlesinger. Then he refers to Strom Thurmond as a liberal! Granted these terms are relative, but liberal compared to whom??

Having read quite a bit about Truman, I read this book primarily to learn about his opponents. With the heavy negative bias about Truman, I'm left to wonder how fair his assessments of the other candidates are. Was Henry Wallace really just a crazy mystic?

In the end Pietrusza was pretty negative about all of the candidates except perhaps Dewey, but then Dewey played it safe and there wasn't nearly as much to talk about with him. I learned a lot, just not what I was hoping for, and it is well-written.