Harry S. Truman: A Life

by Robert H. Ferrell

In this major new biography, Robert H. Ferrell, widely regarded as an authority on the thirty-third president, challenges the popular characterization of Truman as a man who rarely sought the offices he received, revealing instead a man who - with modesty, commitment to service, and basic honesty - moved with method and system toward the presidency. Ferrell's exhaustive research offers new perspectives on many key episodes in Truman's career, including his first Senate term and the circumstances surrounding the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. In addition, Ferrell taps many little-known sources to relate the intriguing story of the machinations by which Truman gained the vice presidential nomination in 1944.

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

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Robert Hugh Ferrell was an American historian and author of several books on Harry S. Truman and the diplomatic history of the United States. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during the Second World War and was an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He received a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University in 1946 and a PhD from Yale University in 1951, where he worked under the direction of Samuel Flagg Bemis and his dissertation won the John Addison Porter Prize. He went on to win the 1952 Beer Prize for his first book, Peace In Their Time, a study of the making of the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

He taught for many years at Indiana University in Bloomington, starting as an Assistant Professor in 1953 and rising to Distinguished Professor of History in 1974. He has held several notable visiting professorships, including Yale University in 1955 and the Naval War College in 1974.

Reviews

[Frank Theising · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good history book but not that engaging a biography. In almost every chapter I felt the author devoted an inordinate amount of space to describing the situation and context and then sprinkled in some anecdotes about Truman and how he fit into it all. It is almost as if Truman was just a recurring character rather than the focus of the story. Perhaps unfairly, I compare it to David McCullough’s bio where Truman emerges as an engaging personality at the center of a fascinating life’s story. In all fairness, McCullough’s work is about 1,000 pages long (this one is just 400 pages) so he had a lot more room to work with. Although this one covers all the bases, it reads more like a textbook than I’d prefer. The author clearly did his research but he just falls flat as a storyteller. There are a few insights into Truman’s personality here but again, they are short and anecdotal. If you are looking for a condensed account of Truman’s contributions this one will do, but if you really want to understand Truman’s personality I think you’d be better served looking elsewhere.

What follows are my notes on the book:

He was born in the rural farm village of Lamar, MO in 1884. His father lost all his money speculating on grain futures and moved to Kansas City to work as a watchman. His disastrous speculation prevented Harry from going to college (6). Few records survive of Harry’s childhood (7). They later moved to a 71 acre farm, and then again to a larger 600 acre farm owned by his grandmother and grandfather Young (8). In 1890 the family moved to Independence, MO. As poor Baptists, they were generally excluded from the highest social circles. Being from a family of modest means and forced to protect his expensive glasses, Harry didn’t play sports or roughhouse with the other boys. Additionally, young Harry had to work which prevented him from participating in the city’s social life. Whenever he wasn’t in school, he was working in the local drugstore (15-17).

The author argues there was a logic to Truman’s life that prepared him well for the presidency. Truman himself said that politicians needed preparation in three fields: finance, farming, and the Army. Truman would spend time in each. He couldn’t afford the more traditional law-school track followed by most politicians (23). After a series of odd jobs in newspaper and railroad companies, Truman worked as a cashier and clerk in two different Kansas City banks where he got a modest education in finance. In 1906, a flood washed out his parents’ corn crop and he returned to his grandparents’ farm to help (36).

He would spend the next 11 years working on the farm. He was happy in the city but kept his feelings to himself upon returning to the farm in reduced circumstances. He became something of a perfectionist on the farm, trying to do everything on the farm as well as he could (38). Truman joined the Missouri Guard and took a deep interest in Masonry. However, his most important outside interest was courting Bess Wallace (49). He made a series of efforts to convince Bess’ mother that he, a Jackson County farmer, possessed enough money to marry her daughter. Harry invested in a lead and zinc mine and lost over $7,500. He also went in on an oil venture that had great promise. Unfortunately, the company went out of business as the country entered WWI. Had it gotten its well down deep enough before the war it would have hit the famous Teter Pool and Harry would have been a millionaire (53). By the time Harry entered the Army in 1917, he and Bess were engaged.

The decision to go into the Army during WWI was the crucial event of Truman’s life. As a 33 year old farmer, he was unlikely to be drafted, but because he belonged to the Guard, thought he should volunteer. His experiences over the next two years stretched his mind and showed him he could be a leader of men. Although not a factor in his thinking at the time, it also gave him a ready-made political base when he returned to Kansas City after the war. He worked so hard for his light artillery regiment they promoted him to first lieutenant (56-57). While training at Camp Doniphan, OK for the trip overseas, he ran a little canteen selling merchandise to the other soldiers. Like most of the 2M men in the Allied Expeditionary Force, he spent a year outside the US (a few months in the war, the rest waiting to go home). He became the commander of Battery D, comprised of a bunch of unruly Irish-, German-, and Catholic-Americans who had run off the last couple commanders and were not about to take orders from this Baptist farmer. Truman soon gained their respect with tough but fair discipline. While he praised the infantry as the true heroes of the war, his battery saw plenty of action in at St. Mihiel, the Meuse-Argonne, and Verdun (63-66). After the war, they waited for ships to become available to return them home. Naturally, the boys grew restless and rowdy and Truman hated disciplining the men he had gone into battle with. During this period, he took little to no interest in the larger political and diplomatic scene unfolding around him (69).

From 1919-1922, he ran a haberdashery in Kansas City. Truman sold his farm livestock and machinery to raise capital to open the store. The store became a hub for his old army buddies and something of a headquarters for organizing other activity in the city. His store went under during the nationwide economic recession of 1921-1922. The loss was tragic and took him to the verge of bankruptcy that would take a dozen years to get out of. Because the house was in his mother-in-law’s name, the family didn’t lose it. He and his wife would move in with his mother-in-law and stay for the next 16 years (72-74). As a newly elected county judge, his wages couldn’t be garnished and he avoided bankruptcy. After ten years, Truman was able to buy the debt note from Security State bank for a tenth of the total he owed (87). From that time on, Truman became a fiscal conservative. When he went into county politics he watched over every penny. He supported New Deal spending because he believed it was necessary but also organized “watchdog” committees to oversee and scrutinize war expenditures (89).

Mike Pendergast and his son Jim (who served in the 129th Field Artillery) approached Truman in 1921 and asked him to consider a run for eastern judge of the county (92). Had it not been for a special need of the Pendergast machine, Truman may never have gone into politics. At the same time, his association with a corrupt political boss would follow him the rest of his career. As a judge from 1923-1935, he learned a great deal about politics, becoming quite an adept politician. These were happy years for Truman and his daughter Mary was born in 1924 (106). Truman became adept at controlling the other judges he worked with over the years (in some cases by turning a blind eye to their corrupt behavior). In so doing, Truman displayed a great deal of independence from Boss Pendergast (109). Yet he made several compromises, including ensuring Pendergast men got county jobs and contracts.

Before 1929, Truman was uncertain of the obligation of government to care for the indigent. Yet his position evolved afterwards as a result of the Great Depression and the New Deal. As his second term as presiding judge came to an end, he wasn’t sure what would come next. Only 50, he was too young to retire but needed to find another job in the midst of the Depression. He sought Pendergast’s support to run for congress, but he had already offered the post to someone else. Pendergast suggested he might run for the US Senate instead. Truman was annoyed and depressed thinking the offer just a mere pleasantry (114-116).

Pendergast offered the post to Truman after several other preferred candidates turned him down (127). In the battle between Kansas City and St. Louis political machines, Truman’s background as a farm boy helped him win over the “outstate” (rural) vote. That, coupled with the Pendergast machine’s ability to produce absurd margins of victory in Kansas City put Truman over the top in the Democratic primary (130). He would cruise to victory in the general election. Truman voted down the line for all of FDR’s New Deal policies (including his court packing fiasco). His reliability was taken for granted and consequently he received little federal patronage which went to other colleagues whose votes were in doubt (135). The Pendergast machine collapsed under its own corruption in 1939, right as Truman was fighting for reelection in 1940. Everyone, including FDR, seemed to be backing another candidate in MO, but Truman stayed in and pulled out a razor thin win.

The possibility of ever becoming president never occurred to Truman. That FDR’s successor would hail from Missouri was laughable at the time. Remembering all Wilson’s unfulfilled bluster about war preparedness, Truman wondered if FDR would repeat the mistakes of WWI. He drove around to inspect the nation’s military bases. He found huge amounts of waste and cost overruns. In response to a suggestion from a Kansas City reporter, he started a congressional committee to investigate (156). Towards the end of the war, Truman and his committee advocated for “reconversion” of factories back to civilian production to prevent the economy from faltering when post-war consumer demand would return. His recommendations were ignored by FDR. Later as president, Truman would receive endless criticism for post-war scarcities, inflation, and labor trouble (159).

As the presidential election approached, FDR’s health was failing. The Democratic Party knew this and desperately wanted to replace Wallace as VP. It was only after several other candidates proved unacceptable that Truman (who was unquestioningly loyal to FDR and the New Deal) was proposed. FDR waffled and multiple contenders believed they had the president’s support. Truman did not expect the nod and found out at the convention. He was uneasy about the move and was essentially guilt-ed into it by FDR (170).

When FDR died, few Americans knew anything about their new President. Throughout his presidency, he would remain unpopular (his reputation began to recover in the 1970s). FDR was president for so long he became almost proprietary about it, believing almost that it was his by longevity and so he began to take decisions lightly. Having heard it all before, he lacked a sense of urgency when approached with the latest “urgent” problem. Truman was the opposite, and he tenaciously focused on the problems before him, acting decisively. FDR ignored many problems believing they’d go away, for Truman “The Buck Stops Here”. While FDR could be Machiavellian, Truman was direct and honest. FDR was rich and was not much of a family man. Truman struggled with money and his family was a priority (182-3).

Truman’s problem was not Congress or the Supreme Court but the unwieldy bureaucracy that had exploded in size during the Roosevelt era. Truman brought in former President Hoover to lead a commission on it and reorganized the executive branch to manage the leviathan that had become the Federal government (195). FDR’s appalling failure to keep Truman in the loop on foreign affairs meant Truman entered the Presidency knowing nothing more than could be read in the newspaper (198). He met his UK and USSR counterparts for the first time at the Potsdam conference. While there news arrived of the successful nuclear detonation in NM. Like FDR, Truman thought he could deal with Stalin and actually preferred him to Churchill at first. It didn’t take long to change Truman’s mind as numerous controversial post-war decisions were discussed (recognition of Soviet-dominated states, German reparations, etc). When Stalin refused to budge on Poland, it became clear that the only thing they respected was power (204-207). The most controversial decision of his presidency was the use of nuclear weapons against Japan. His decision was based on two things: Japanese atrocities and the cost (in lives and treasure) of an invasion (211).

FDR’s successor began with 87% approval, but as WWII ended Americans couldn’t say enough critical things about him. The GOP was campaigning on the slogan “Had enough?” and won majorities in both houses (218). Much of the criticism would have hit anybody dealing with the daunting task of demobilization and reconversion. Demobilization was an emotional issue for families wanting their husbands and sons back ASAP. Both business and labor were clamoring for the removal of wartime wage and price controls. When they were abruptly removed, prices skyrocketed 25% and the country was plagued by a series of auto, steel, and railroad union strikes (227-231). Foreign policy was equally chaotic after Potsdam. Relations with the USSR deteriorated into what would become the Cold War. The Truman Doctrine, an effort to counter Soviet expansion (initially in Greece and Turkey), was the first move. He was interested in acting anywhere the free world was being coerced to give up its free institutions. Sadly, the sheer size and population of China made any effort there impractical. Truman was trying to restore the European balance of power, not police the world (252-253).

The European Recovery Act flowed out of the Truman Doctrine. Secretary of State Marshall conceived the plan and his prestige carried it forward. Truman had little to do with it but the author gives him credit because he hired Marshall and calculated that naming it after himself would hurt congressional support. The Soviet coup in Czechoslovakia shocked Congress and they appropriated the funds (253-256). General Lucius Clay initiated the Berlin Airlift without approval after the Soviets cut off land access to the city. Truman backed Clay the next day (257). Truman made a strong push for universal military training. When Congress displayed zero appetite for such a move, he slowly came around to the idea of a multi-lateral alliance. While Marshall was in Europe negotiating a security treaty, Truman tried to send Chief Justice Vinson to Moscow to ease tensions with Stalin. The affair was a fiasco that undermined Marshall and reflected poorly on Truman (262). In 1949, Truman signed NATO treaty, our first foreign alliance since the one with France in 1778. Fear of the Soviets helped to limit opposition to re-entering permanent, entangling alliances that Washington warned against in his farewell address (264).

Dewey had a reputation as a peerless administrator of the most populous state (NY) was considered a lock for the presidency in 1948. Truman’s come from behind victory was both the country’s greatest political upset and his greatest triumph (268-269). He attacked the 80th Congress (that had approved his Marshall Plan and DoD reorganization) as a do-nothing body. His boisterous shouting and courting of farmers and labor with evangelistic fervor on his “whistle stops” made him appear sincere and contrasted favorably with the formulaic Dewey trying to appear statesman-like (279). After this election labor stopped voting as a bloc, the farm vote shrunk, and transportation changed…but at the time the strategy worked for Truman (283).

Truman’s domestic agenda, named the “Fair Deal” after FDR’s New Deal, largely died in Congress (even when it returned to Democratic control). He had resented the way FDR twisted arms and did not exert pressure as he could have (291). By 1950 attention shifted elsewhere: communism, McCarthy, and the Korean War. While he championed civil rights (desegregated the military by executive order), he did not fare as well with civil liberties (Federal Employee Loyalty Program). On recognizing the new nation of Israel, Truman had no hidden agenda; he just wanted a fair deal for the Jews of Europe after their treatment by the Nazis (305). It was a decision made against the advice both Marshall and his own staff.

Kim Il Sung begged a reluctant Stalin for permission to invade South Korea. Truman couldn’t have known that and viewed the invasion as a Soviet probe of Western will as in Berlin. He viewed his decision to enter the war as the toughest of his administration. This was not communist subversion or guerilla tactics but a crude takeover that challenged the credibility of the US and the newly formed UN (322). The Soviets were caught off guard by the reaction believing the US had clearly excluded Korea from their defensive perimeter. Truman’s conduct of the war included several significant failures (including not getting a declaration of war and letting MacArthur cross the 38th parallel precipitating China’s entry into the war) (324-325). Truman concluded the US should not widen the conflict but made an offhanded statement that the US would use “every weapon it had” to win. The British were indignant and met with Truman to ensure we did not intend to use nuclear weapons (328). He famously fired General MacArthur over his public insubordination (333). MacArthur returned to a hero’s welcome and criticism against Truman grew. In 1950, he gave the go-ahead to develop the hydrogen bomb after the Soviets detonated an A-bomb (349).

By 1951, his approval rating was 23% (Nixon’s was at 24% when he resigned). Several domestic contentions and errors in judgment by Truman came to be called the “mess in Washington”. Truman was growing tired under the strain and Eisenhower seemed certain to beat Stevenson in the upcoming election (358-359). Stevenson tried to distance his campaign from Truman (being snubbed irritated Truman greatly) (376). Ike won decisively capturing the presidency and both houses of Congress (379).

Truman returned to Independence. He worked on his memoirs and arranged for the construction of a library to house his presidential papers and memorabilia (385-387). He continued to spin democratic talking points but was largely disengaged when it was clear Ike wasn’t going to try and reverse the New Deal. He also refused to pick fights because of the perceived need for national unity over foreign policy. Although not a big fan of either JFK or LBJ, he largely approved of their domestic policies but abhorred the growing public demonstrations (394-395). He detested Nixon, who all but accused him of treason over communism. He loved spending time in his library, giving tours to thousands of high school students. He died of heart failure on Dec 26, 1972.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...

First published in 1994, Robert Ferrell’s comprehensive “Harry S. Truman: A Life” is one of nearly a dozen books he has authored on the 33rd president. Ferrell is a historian, a highly-regarded authority on Truman and the author of more than two-dozen books. While a student at Yale, Ferrell studied under renowned historian Samuel Flagg Bemis and later became a professor of history at Indiana University for more than two decades.

Ferrell’s birth-to-death review of Truman’s life weighs in at a modest 401 pages and proves insightful, balanced and easy to follow. Nevertheless, while Ferrell is a skilled historian and astute analyst he is not a gifted storyteller. His narrative is often carefully constructed and cleverly analytical but, with some notable exceptions, rarely elegant or engrossing.

The biography begins with a brief but effective preface laying out the author’s primary thesis: that despite outward appearances, Truman was no ordinary American or accidental president. Instead, he was the perfect person to occupy the White House at a pivotal moment in time. This premise being successfully reinforced throughout the book’s eighteen chapters, the absence of a concluding review of Truman’s legacy is not particularly disappointing.

There are many excellent moments in this surprisingly detailed and potent biography. Among the best are Ferrell’s early dissection of Truman’s relationship with his mother-in-law, his analysis of Truman’s one-time benefactor (and Missouri political boss) Tom Pendergast and an excellent comparison of FDR and Truman which reveals their similarities as well as the stark contrasts in their styles and personalities.

Other highlights include an exceptional chapter on the early days of Truman’s presidency and a particularly revealing chapter on the presidential campaign of 1948 (which ended with Truman defeating Thomas Dewey in a surprising upset).

But for all its strengths, Ferrell’s biography possesses several notable shortcomings. Among the most glaring is that a great deal of context and color is missing from the narrative. The author’s failure to provide meaningful background related to even the large-scale ebbs and flows of World War II and the Korean War (as just two examples) will leave many readers unable to appreciate the full implications of certain of Truman’s decisions.

In addition, while Ferrell provides solid coverage of some of Truman’s important personal and political relationships, many relationships (family and otherwise) are left aside. And some key figures – FDR chief among them – are described in a surprisingly tendentious two-dimensional manner which serves the narrative at the expense of a more robust and realistic description of the people involved.

Finally, Ferrell’s book often lacks the “sizzle” that makes a great presidential biography difficult to set aside. While the nine chapters through Truman’s early presidency are remarkably engaging, the second half of the book proves far more clinical, reading like a well-drafted thesis rather than a colorful review of a subject’s life.

Overall, Robert Ferrell’s “Harry S. Truman: A Life” is an imperfect but worthy biography which builds on Truman’s relatively new reputation as an ordinary man but an uncommonly capable president. This book is friendly but not obsequious and tilts toward a deliberately thoughtful, analytical style which is rarely engaging or dynamic – but will leave any student of Harry Truman enlightened if not delighted.

Overall rating: 3¾ stars

[Regina Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Truman, of Independence Missouri, was the last president to serve with no college degree. Instead he joined the army and served in WWI where he discovered he was a leader of men. He once said, “my whole political career…is based on my war service and war associates.” (pg. 57) . Upon returning home he discovered he had a political base to run for county office. From there he progressed in elected offices until he reached the presidency when FDR passed away and as vice-president assumed the responsibility of the presidency. He led the country through very difficult times - the ending of WWII, the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, the start of the Cold War, and the Korean War.

He and FDR were a complete dichotomy as personalities go. This combined with the inherent challenges an unelected president has historically faced created real obstacles for Truman. The nation was accustomed to the charismatic, articulate, and often flamboyant Roosevelt. Instantly they inherited a reserved, ineloquent, humble, but decisive Truman. While popular until the end of WWII, Truman had a serious fight for his political life on his hand in securing the nomination in '48 and eventually the election where fewer than half of the eligible voters voted for either he or Dewey leading to the famous headlines miscalling the election.

I think the biggest surprise for me was learning about the personality of Truman. That often gets lost, I think, because of the larger historical events with which he was managing. Someone observed, "“he had a tenacious ability to focus on a problem and make a decision, served him well in his decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan" that attribute comes across throughout Ferrell's work. He is also portrayed as a man not afraid to "reach across the aisle." - I was surprised that Truman turned to Hoover for assistance on two tasks – surveying the world food supply, which Hoover had a great deal of experience in during WWII and reorganizing the executive branch. On the one hand many had anticipated Hoover running as a Democrat and Truman apparently had a great deal of respect for Hoover early in his career. On the other hand, Hoover’s reputation was so traumatized during the Great Recession it would seem anathema to bring him into an administration’s circle especially since he ended up on the Republican ticket. Also, sought input from two Republican presidential candidates who were unsuccessful – Dewey and Alf Landon. This is certainly a contrast to the environment we see today.

While the book was informative, I found it incredibly lacking. I was excited to dig into Truman because this is the intersection of three areas of history in which I do so much reading: presidential history, WWII, and Middle East. Ferrell is wholly lacking in analysis in this work with respect to actions immediately after WWII which sets up everything from WWII to where we are in the Middle East today. In fact, he simply puts forth that nothing else could have been done. While it is certainly possible that Truman's course of action may have been the best of very difficult circumstances (a view I will readily admit is not my own in a couple of areas, but would agree in others) for a historian to take that blase without a little exploration is incredibly disappointing.

[Josh Mirabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second presidential bio down, and again I’m very satisfied with the presentation of fact and the analysis thereof. Felt I got to know the man and his presidency quite well. Truman moves a good bit up on the list of go-to answers for “Which historical figure would you like to have dinner with?”. Now onto Eisenhower.

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascinating story of a man from Independence, Missouri who became president and led the country through some of the most momentous events in the 20th century.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historian Robert H. Farrell who has made a study of the life and presidency of Harry S. Truman has
written a popular new biography of the 33rd president. It is one of the best studies of Truman I've
ever read.

The secret of Truman's success I believe is two fold. He was in fact Mr. Average Man. Born in 1884
in Lamar, Missouri he graduated high school and was the last president to not attend college. Upon
graduating in 1902 he held a variety of jobs trying to find a proper career like so many of us then and
now. He was active in the national guard in Missouri and when we entered World War 1 he had more
than honorable service as a captain of an artillery battery. When he was discharged after serving Truman married the girl he'd been courting Bess Wallace.

He and a fellow veteran Eddie Jacobson opened a haberdashery store which went bankrupt. But at
that point Truman discovered politics because among others he served with was the son of the
Kansas City and Jackson County boss Jim Pendergast son of Tom Pendergast. Both decided that
Truman would have a good future in politics as he was popular with returning veterans. He was
put up as a candidate for presiding judge in Jackson County. The title judge here was not a legal
one, he was a member of a board of three that ran Jackson County. It made him a contender in
1934 for the US Senate and Truman as Pendergast's candidate won the Democratic primary and
then beat GOP incumbent Roscoe Patterson in the general election.

He was the Senator from Pendergast and a lot in the Senate kept him at arm's length. But he did
have a few friends among his colleagues. Although he voted pretty much down the line for the
New Deal measures he was held at arm's length by a lot of FDR's official and unofficial government
family. So much so that they worked against him in 1940 in the Democratic primary where he
squeaked out a win in a three way race.

His second term in the Senate brought him good reviews for his handling of a special committee
that investigated waste fraud in war spending. Truman struck a fine balance between a White
House rubber stamp and a committee like several in the past that did interfere with war policies.
His good reviews there made FDR reassess him and his geographical location and good labor voting
record made him an acceptable alternative to Vice President Henry A. Wallace who was being dumped.

Roosevelt and Truman won and on April 12, 1945 FDR died and Truman was president. The second
reason for his high standing with historians is simply that he became president when America's
position in the world was changed radically by the outcome of World War 2. The decisions he made
regarding foreign and domestic policies are still relevant today.

He was a Cold Warrior, one of the first. The high point of his career in that was the Marshall Plan
with massive amounts of foreign aid to help Europe recover from WW2. Also the airlift into West
Berlin dropping tons of food and medical supplies to Berlin residents as the Russians were trying
to force a withdrawal. Truman also gave recognition within minutes to the new state of Israel when it was formed. Under Truman the Departments of War and the Navy were combined into a
Department of Defense and an Air Force was created as well.

Truman kind of passed into legend when as an underdog because the Democrats were split three
ways with J. Strom Thurmond running as a Dixiecrat because Truman was the first Democratic
president to come out for civil rights and Henry A. Wallace running to his left as a Progressive Party
candidate who felt he was wrong on the Cold War. Governor Thomas E. Dewey the GOP candidate
in 1948 was a betting favorite yet Truman pulled out a re-election in his last campaign.

His second term saw the Korean War, the loss of China to Communism for which he and George
Marshall were pilloried. A lot of lower level appointees got caught up in scandals, some of the
old Pendergast crowd he took care of. One of his worst decisions was having the army take over
the operation of the steel mills against the striking unions. The Supreme Court came down hard against him. And he fired an insubordinate Douglas MacArthur as our commander in Korea.

The Republicans winning with Ike Eisenhower was considered a repudiation of Truman's policies
in some eyes. But time has brought a favorable reassessment of him. I think his best moments as an ex-President his going to the White House when Lyndon Johnson signed the bill establishing
Medicare. Harry and Bess Truman were the recipients of the first Medicare cards. Truman was
the very first president to talk about health insurance at all though he could not get it passed.

Truman died in 1972 at the age of 88. A lot of folks came around and realized his greatness. We
feel it every day still in the things he did and advocated.

[Sara Cardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting to know about Harry Truman. I liked how the author began with a list of Truman’s personal weaknesses and faults. The information and quotes are excellent.

I sometimes had trouble following the narration. The author occasionally mentioned something he didn’t explain the significance of or give background information on, like what the 38th parallel was during the Korean War and why it was chosen as important. Perhaps things like that are common knowledge to some, but I wished a more teacher-like approach was taken in presenting the incredible information.

Besides a few places I didn’t follow, I soaked up what I learned. Harry Truman took office when FDR died in office and Truman oversaw some turbulent years with courage. I am astonished at his foresight and vision for the future. His presidency set the course for our nation that we’re still on today.
— His ability to build international relationships helped make the US a recognized power
— Truman oversaw the end of WWII (and prevented a post-war collapse in our economy)
— He oversaw the creation of the Marshall Plan which loaned money to other nations to help restart their economies, which in turn helped ours
— He approved use of the atomic bombs in Japan and kept them from being used further
— He worked with world leaders to ensure a safer world by alliances
— To fight Communism, he entered the US into the Korean War (the first test of NATO)
— When a popular and powerful General was insubordinate, Truman fired him and weathered the public outrage (it faded as the public began to see the truth)
— In domestic issues, Truman expanded the creation of jobs, wanted and saw higher wages, and expanded Medicaid
— He desegregated the armed services. He also listened to the experiences of Black Americans and was “converted” in a way because he finally saw the injustices and was changed. He chose people to help look at court cases (paving the way for future cases, like Brown vs the Board of Education)
— He was humble, and he always kept himself and the office he held separate, knowing people came to see * the President*, not him.

Truman wasn’t fully appreciated in his time, but I believe he’s someone who’s decisions largely hold up over time as made in good faith and that his administration benefited the country. I really came to respect and admire him. He saw right from wrong and had an uncanny ability to reason and make decisions. He also had a kind heart.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Ferrell provides with much interesting detail about the 33rd President. I learned a lot about President Truman, especially his youth and his adult years prior to becoming president. I have previously visited Grandview Farm, the house on Delaware, and his Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, so this book fills in many gaps in my knowledge.

The book was not as engaging as I would have liked, and sometimes I had to skim through some of the political detail, yet I feel this was a valuable book to read for a well-rounded look at this President of the United States.

[Joseph Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly appraisal of Truman's life, although lacking the compulsive readability of Hamby's 'Man of the People,' which also provides somewhat more comprehensive coverage. (Although that may be because I read this on the back of that, and am simply a bit bored with reading about Truman by this point.)

[Zebulynn Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These presidents sure do seem to like their libraries after their out of office. Cant say that I blame them either. If one was built in my honor Id probably hang out there all the time too. Truman may not come to alot of peoples minds when topics of who the greatest presidents were but thats undair since some only rise to their occassion. Gove Truman a chance. Its well worth knowing.

[Scooter McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more like a textbook. Would give 3.5 overall. Informative regarding political issues of 1945-1952 as well. Interesting facets of Truman discussed. Definitely a politician but more interested in helping the working class and the nation than himself. Rare quality then or now.

[Willem Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite comprehensive history of the guy, and a lot of nuance I hadn’t otherwise picked up on reading bits & blurbs over the year about Truman, arguably one of our most influential presidents ever regardless of how you judge the resulting Post-WWII order & America’s role in it

[Paul Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biographer.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodreads won't let me put this in my did-not-finish pile, but I stopped reading after 260 pages. Instead I started McCullough's 1000-page Truman biography, which is much better written.

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

calls truman out on his bullshit LOVE!

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry S. Truman catapulted into the Presidency upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. What an incredible contrast between the suave, four-term “New Deal” Knickerbocker President and the farm-bred senator from Independence, Missouri. Yet Truman proved to be a capable leader who helped navigate the complex maze to end World War II. He had the horrific responsibility of deciding which course of action could quickly bring an end to the Pacific war with the least loss of life. He oscillated between dropping the world’s first atomic bomb and a long, drawn out invasion of mainland Japan (estimated to cost between 500,000 and 1 million casualties). Truman opted for the bomb. During his first tenure in office he helped craft the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, and NATO alliance to attempt to staunch the Communist takeover in Eastern Europe. Stalin and his ruthless brand of communist totalitarianism proved to be sui generis, unlike anything the United States had ever previously faced. Truman responded quickly to the Soviet blockade of Berlin with his famous airlift of food and supplies.

In 1948 Truman faced almost impossible reelection odds to upset Republican contender Thomas Dewey. His second term was characterized by “Fair Deal” policies resulting in civil rights gains when Truman ordered the desegregation of the military. He also recognized the newly formed state of Israel, but was frustrated by the attack upon civil liberties during the Joseph McCarthy “red scare” era, and the onslaught of the cold war with the communist Soviet Union. The latter resulted in a long, drawn-out Korean War, as many Asian countries began toppling like dominoes to communism. A costly military buildup race began in earnest between the two super powers. As Charles Bohlen astutely noted, “It was the Korean War not World War II that made America a military world power” for the first time. Unfortunately, this conflict proved to be Truman’s political nadir. Coupled with a myriad of minor scandals and the famous firing of General MacArthur (“I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the President…I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was”), Truman’s approval ratings plummeted to historic lows. Truman did not run for reelection in 1952 and popular General Eisenhower became the next President. Truman retired to his Delaware Street home in Independence and died in 1972.

This was the second Truman biography I’ve read. The first, by Robert McCullough, was well written and entertaining. However I gleaned more information from Ferrell’s biography and I therefore highly recommend this work to anyone interested in learning more about the tumultuous post-war era, as well as about the Missouri farmer who became President.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I vaguely remember George W. Bush, when asked how he thought history would judge his Presidency, saying time will tell, and made reference to Truman's transition from a low regarded President immediately after his term ended to being considered a great President after time has passed. I'd heard that before, and know of Truman's unpopular decisions to send troops into Korea, to relieve General Douglas MacArthur as commander during the Korean War, to use the Atomic Bomb at the end of World War II, etc., and was curious to learn more.

In that regard, I found Robert Ferrell's book, "Harry S. Truman: A Life" to be informative and interesting. Ferrell detailed much of Truman's pre-political life, his background on the farm, as a clothing store owner, a judge, and his entry into Politics. And while that background was informative, and provided a good understanding into what drove Truman and how he became the person he was, I felt there was an overemphasis on that portion of his life over his years in the White House. Nonetheless, the major decision points of his Presidency are well covered, and I enjoyed learning more about Truman, as a man and as President.

[Gerald Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy biographies, learning about other’s lives. I wanted to read this one to find out how Harry Truman ended up as president when that was never one of his goals. And I wanted to know about his part in being the first to us atomic bombs.

Twenty-one hours (I listened to the audio version) was a bit tedious. The details of political greed and shenanigans with which he had to deal to keep a working staff was very disconcerting. I had no idea there was so much corruption in Washington.

[Michael Teems Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning about Truman. They had text of him swearing often. He used SOB a lot. Why did that stand out? I have no idea because there is so much more information about his life in this book. You get the answer to where "the buck stops here" came from, and more insight into dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima among other insights.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid piece of work. Written in reader-friendly style in contrast to a more scholarly approach, much like Truman himself. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone interested in knowing more about the man and the tough decisions he faced.

[Rose]

973.9 Fer

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chatty, anecdotal, uneven, superficial. Quite possibly an interesting adjunct to one of the major biographies, but definitely the introduction to Truman you should read first.

[Robert Kradoska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truman did a good job but in his last year or 2 much corruption was exposed

[Andy Plonka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been born in this man's home town while he was president, I thought I should learn a bit more about this man whom my mother much admired.

[Peter A. van Tilburg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to finish