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Harry S. Truman
In this number-one New York Times bestselling book, Margaret Truman gives a moving and intimate portrait of her father, Harry Truman, one of America's greatest presidents. Her perspective on his career - from his early days in Independence, Missouri, to serving in the Senate, subsequent election as vice president, and years as president - is unique and compelling.
The book provides a rare inside view into the presidency during a critical moment in the nation's history. Harry Truman had to address some of the most difficult problems any president has faced: He assumed the presidency during wartime, conducted negotiations with Joseph Stalin, made the decision to drop the atopic bomb, initiated the Marshall Plan, oversaw the Berlin Blockade, and dismissed General Douglas MacArthur, America's most revered military leader.
Harry Truman was also a family man. The most important people in his life were his wife, daughter, sister, and mother. His letters to them contain fascinating descriptions and details of the leaders and events that were changing the world.
Margaret Truman's understanding of both the political and personal aspects of her father's life make this book an essential and fascinating volume for anyone interested in American history.
The book provides a rare inside view into the presidency during a critical moment in the nation's history. Harry Truman had to address some of the most difficult problems any president has faced: He assumed the presidency during wartime, conducted negotiations with Joseph Stalin, made the decision to drop the atopic bomb, initiated the Marshall Plan, oversaw the Berlin Blockade, and dismissed General Douglas MacArthur, America's most revered military leader.
Harry Truman was also a family man. The most important people in his life were his wife, daughter, sister, and mother. His letters to them contain fascinating descriptions and details of the leaders and events that were changing the world.
Margaret Truman's understanding of both the political and personal aspects of her father's life make this book an essential and fascinating volume for anyone interested in American history.
483 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
141 people are currently reading
806 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Truman
87 books262 followersMary Margaret Truman Daniel was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry Truman and First Lady Bess Truman. While her father was president during the years 1945 to 1953, Margaret regularly accompanied him on campaign trips, such as the 1948 countrywide whistle-stop campaign lasting several weeks. She also appeared at important White House and political events during those years, being a favorite with the media.
After graduating from George Washington University in 1946, she embarked on a career as a coloratura soprano, beginning with a concert appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1947. She appeared in concerts with orchestras throughout the United States and in recitals throughout the U.S. through 1956. She made recordings for RCA Victor, and made television appearances on programs like What's My Line? and The Bell Telephone Hour.
In 1957, one year after her marriage, Truman abandoned her singing career to pursue a career as a journalist and radio personality, when she became the co-host of the program Weekday with Mike Wallace. She also wrote articles as an independent journalist, for a variety of publications in the 1960s and 1970s. She later became the successful author of a series of murder mysteries, and a number of works on U.S. First Ladies and First Families, including well-received biographies of her father, President Harry S. Truman and mother Bess Truman.
She was married to journalist Clifton Daniel, managing editor of The New York Times. The couple had four sons, and were prominent New York socialites who often hosted events for the New York elite.
After graduating from George Washington University in 1946, she embarked on a career as a coloratura soprano, beginning with a concert appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1947. She appeared in concerts with orchestras throughout the United States and in recitals throughout the U.S. through 1956. She made recordings for RCA Victor, and made television appearances on programs like What's My Line? and The Bell Telephone Hour.
In 1957, one year after her marriage, Truman abandoned her singing career to pursue a career as a journalist and radio personality, when she became the co-host of the program Weekday with Mike Wallace. She also wrote articles as an independent journalist, for a variety of publications in the 1960s and 1970s. She later became the successful author of a series of murder mysteries, and a number of works on U.S. First Ladies and First Families, including well-received biographies of her father, President Harry S. Truman and mother Bess Truman.
She was married to journalist Clifton Daniel, managing editor of The New York Times. The couple had four sons, and were prominent New York socialites who often hosted events for the New York elite.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 6, 2016
4.5
I really enjoyed this biography of Truman. I've read a couple of others and much of the material was the same, but Margaret Truman's writing style is fun and conversational making the reading experience delightful. She also includes a lot of family anecdotes and personal correspondence which might not be available to others. As Truman's daughter, Margaret doesn't pretend to be completely objective, but I do think she gives a reasonably accurate portrait of her father based on the other information I've read. I highly recommend it.
I really enjoyed this biography of Truman. I've read a couple of others and much of the material was the same, but Margaret Truman's writing style is fun and conversational making the reading experience delightful. She also includes a lot of family anecdotes and personal correspondence which might not be available to others. As Truman's daughter, Margaret doesn't pretend to be completely objective, but I do think she gives a reasonably accurate portrait of her father based on the other information I've read. I highly recommend it.
September 2, 2016
It was refreshing to read about a President, from the perspective of a Daughter, you can tell that she adores her father. the book is filled with letters and document backing up her theories and conclusions. She is very biased about her fathers history and record, but the facts are well researched and documented. Harry Truman was a great President and Commander in Chief, and yet he is the only world Leader ever to authorize the use of an Atomic bomb against civilians and military targets. He also relieved a popular General of his command. Politics have not changed, President Truman had to fight the hostile press and a hostile congress, and accusations from Senator McCarthy about him being to weak on communist regimes and having communist in his cabinet. This is a very good book and I encourage political junkies and Presidential enthusiasts to read it.
June 3, 2014
Margaret Truman was uniquely qualified to write this book. First of all she was Harry Truman's daughter and secondly, she could write. The perspective is one no one else could have provided. Of course it is a biased perspective but one that should be welcome to anyone with an interest in history or the presidency. You can get the facts of what happened and when anywhere but no other book will provide the insight this one does.
June 28, 2017
An excellent tribute to Harry.
The only fallacy I could find was his faith that sooner or later Russia would start honoring its agreements. We know how that turned out.
I found several quotes that are just as important today in what we believe is a political free-for-all as they did back then:
“I have been all over these United States from one end to another, and when I started out the song was - Well, you can’t win, the Democrats can’t win. Ninety percent of the press is against us, but that didn’t discourage me one little bit. You know, I had four campaigns here in the great state of Missouri, and I never had a metropolitan paper for me the whole time. And I licked them every time! People are waking up to the fact that this is their government, and that they can control their government if they get out and vote on election day. That is all they need to do. . . . People are waking up, that the tide is beginning to roll, and I am here to tell you that if you do your duty as citizens of the greatest Republic the sun has ever shone on, we will have a government that will be for your interests, that will be for peace in the world, and for the welfare of all the people, and not just a few.”
“I don’t go that far, but I sometimes think that if Congressmen talked less and worked more for the public interest they would come out much better and so would the country.”
“We must not fall victim to the insidious propaganda that peace can be obtained solely by wanting peace. This theory is advanced in the hope that it will deceive our people and that we will then permit our strength to dwindle because of the false belief that all is well in the world.”
“Communism is based on the belief that man is so weak and inadequate that he is unable to govern himself, and therefore requires the rule of strong masters. Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with reason and justice.”
“Held Cabinet meeting - explained to Cabinet members that in my opinion the Cabinet members were simply a Board of Directors appointed by the President, to help him carry out the policies of the government; in many instances the Cabinet could be of tremendous help to the President by offering advice whether he liked it or not. But when President made an order they should carry it out. I told them I expected to have a Cabinet I could depend on and take in my confidence and if this confidence was not well placed I would get a Cabinet in which I could place confidence.”
Little disappointed shed didn’t spend a some more time talking about the Berlin Airlift. This was a watermark point in the Cold War.
If you want a good look at Harry, well worth the time.
Five Stars
The only fallacy I could find was his faith that sooner or later Russia would start honoring its agreements. We know how that turned out.
I found several quotes that are just as important today in what we believe is a political free-for-all as they did back then:
“I have been all over these United States from one end to another, and when I started out the song was - Well, you can’t win, the Democrats can’t win. Ninety percent of the press is against us, but that didn’t discourage me one little bit. You know, I had four campaigns here in the great state of Missouri, and I never had a metropolitan paper for me the whole time. And I licked them every time! People are waking up to the fact that this is their government, and that they can control their government if they get out and vote on election day. That is all they need to do. . . . People are waking up, that the tide is beginning to roll, and I am here to tell you that if you do your duty as citizens of the greatest Republic the sun has ever shone on, we will have a government that will be for your interests, that will be for peace in the world, and for the welfare of all the people, and not just a few.”
“I don’t go that far, but I sometimes think that if Congressmen talked less and worked more for the public interest they would come out much better and so would the country.”
“We must not fall victim to the insidious propaganda that peace can be obtained solely by wanting peace. This theory is advanced in the hope that it will deceive our people and that we will then permit our strength to dwindle because of the false belief that all is well in the world.”
“Communism is based on the belief that man is so weak and inadequate that he is unable to govern himself, and therefore requires the rule of strong masters. Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with reason and justice.”
“Held Cabinet meeting - explained to Cabinet members that in my opinion the Cabinet members were simply a Board of Directors appointed by the President, to help him carry out the policies of the government; in many instances the Cabinet could be of tremendous help to the President by offering advice whether he liked it or not. But when President made an order they should carry it out. I told them I expected to have a Cabinet I could depend on and take in my confidence and if this confidence was not well placed I would get a Cabinet in which I could place confidence.”
Little disappointed shed didn’t spend a some more time talking about the Berlin Airlift. This was a watermark point in the Cold War.
If you want a good look at Harry, well worth the time.
Five Stars
May 27, 2015
I love reading about Truman. I picked this one up because I thought - since it is by his daughter - it would add more of a personal touch to his image. It does do that, but it also repeats most of the historical and political experiences that other books provide, so I was a little disappointed.
September 2, 2008
As we're in the midst of a historic election year, this bio was an especially fascinating read. The very first chapter is all about his unexpected victory over Dewey! The book was written by Truman's daughter, so naturally, she portrays him in glowing terms, but the book is so well-documented, you can't help but believe her. She also interweaves history and politics with personal anecdotes, which keeps the book from getting too heavy and dry (though, I admit, some parts were slow). She details all his major decisions - the A-bomb, firing MacArthur, and my personal interest, the support of the State of Israel. She also discussed many things I didn't know about Truman - assassination attempts on his life, his support of civil rights before the movement really took off, and even his love of classical music. But the main theme that shone through was that his policies grew out of his dedication to public service, NOT self-service and personal ambition. He must be turning over in his grave over the current image-driven political process. The world needs another Truman - an honest and courageous person who will risk his popularity to make life-and-death decisions. I don't know if either of the current candidates is that, but may Hashem bring about whatever is best for the world as a whole.
August 17, 2008
This was an informative read and interesting to follow. It read more as a family memoir than a political history book so the tone was different from other presidential biographies I have read.
August 3, 2025
Only occasionally slow moving but an otherwise lovely biography that is different from those I ordinarily read about former Presidents.
September 27, 2016
Harry Truman's daughter Margaret writes a personal but very factual account of her father's life, from his early days as a county judge, through his career in the US Senate, Vice Presidency and then his time as the 33rd president.
Margaret Truman is uniquely positioned to infuse lots of personal details about Harry Truman and his beliefs and motives throughout his life. This gives her biography a very rich feel to it, as we see Truman's political life from the inside.
What makes this such a great read, though, is that it's not merely a daughter's personal viewpoint of a famous man. Rather, Margaret Truman was an intelligent and well educated woman who knew a great detail about the issues that her father faces and the broader political climate of the time. Her work therefore becomes that much more authoritative.
The result is a rich and interesting portrait of a president who many consider to be one of our top four or five greatest presidents of all time.
Margaret Truman is uniquely positioned to infuse lots of personal details about Harry Truman and his beliefs and motives throughout his life. This gives her biography a very rich feel to it, as we see Truman's political life from the inside.
What makes this such a great read, though, is that it's not merely a daughter's personal viewpoint of a famous man. Rather, Margaret Truman was an intelligent and well educated woman who knew a great detail about the issues that her father faces and the broader political climate of the time. Her work therefore becomes that much more authoritative.
The result is a rich and interesting portrait of a president who many consider to be one of our top four or five greatest presidents of all time.
April 9, 2019
Margaret Truman truly had a close connection and deep love for her father. This book shows it. It also had some parts that fell short of my expectations. The book sometimes had parts that focused on (to me) seemed small and trivial. Example- when the Germany portion of WWII ended, there was more discussion about decorating the White house than the fall of Adolf Hitler. That made the book feel soft. It lacked a lot of presidential parts- and focused on his home life. I did like the book. I just did not love it.
February 13, 2022
Fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes about President Harry S. Truman that reveal his humor, his grasp of world history, and his loyalty to subordinates. Though advertised as "the definitive biography" of Truman, it passes over the first three decades of his life to focus on his political career, and here the treatment is uneven. Ms. Truman spends a substantial part of the narrative defending her father from the charge that he was a pawn of Kansas City machine politician Tom Pendergast, but very little on his relationship with Churchill, Stalin, or other postwar leaders.
June 29, 2009
I only read a few pages of this book. It is so detailed I just could not get into it. I feel I am in a hurry to read books on my list and this one is huge so I gave up. The chapters are only numbered so I could not even browse for things that interest me. I have liked a few of Margaret Truman's mysteries so I am disappointed I could not read this now. Maybe another time.
January 31, 2010
This is one of the first adult biographies I read. I always thought my mom was crazy for reading non-fiction, but this book was so good, that I've continued some non-fiction throughout my reading life. I wrote a report on this one for sophomore English.
October 25, 2020
Clearly, the author adores the subject of her book. Still, I was surprised to find that she managed to write a book that isn't hero-worship. You'll learn about a side of Harry Truman that no one else could possibly understand.
September 16, 2016
I really enjoyed Margaret Truman's insights and access to her Dad's personal writings. Amazing insight to have her father's perspective. Would love to have read more about the renovation of the White House ("Big White jail" as she it."
December 12, 2007
Rated: B+
August 15, 2017
Good book by the daughter of Harry and Bess Truman
June 16, 2012
Interesting and informative. If American history is your thing, then you really need to add this title.
October 4, 2014
A little tedious at times but packed full of great information and the historical sourcing couldn't be better. Definitely worth a read.
Read
May 11, 2016Just could not finish this one. I pick it up from time to time but still can't get through it.
May 13, 2015
Read years ago,but remember that I loved it.
January 13, 2016
Great man
Very well written. Great insight to the man and his presidency. Had to make some tough decisions and did a great job. One of our best presidents.
Very well written. Great insight to the man and his presidency. Had to make some tough decisions and did a great job. One of our best presidents.
March 6, 2016
His daughter write his biography as she was there for most of it. Insightful, except for when she inserts herself into the story, then it bogs down.
sampled-not-interested
September 8, 2017Not quite the bio I was looking for in my "read the presidents" thing.
I think I need to stick to authors not related to the subjects for my purposes.
I think I need to stick to authors not related to the subjects for my purposes.
March 27, 2020
A lighter, more personal bio of a President. One AMAZING trait of 33rd President was how humble he was and understated. Sure which other leads could have the same degree of humility.
Fun read.
Fun read.
January 24, 2024
My interest to President Harry S. Truman was reignited by the emergence of that famous biopic, Oppenheimer, last year. In it, Truman (brilliantly portrayed by Gary Oldman), called Oppenheimer 'Crybaby Scientist', after he visited Truman and whined about the devastation caused by atomic bombs dropped over Japan. This strikes me in thinking about President Truman as a tough, no-nonsense man who thoroughly understand the effect of the decision he made as President of United States of America, one of the most powerful office in the world.
In this brilliantly written autobiography, Margaret Truman, Harry's only daughter and child, bring us into the life of Harry Truman. Throughout the book, I get the impression of Harry being a man with integrity, quality and virtues of his own. However, circumstances put him under the shadow of bigger men and this reputation of being someone who rides on someone's coattails continued to haunt his political career, even after when he tried to strike a political career on his own. Earlier in his political career, he rose steadily under the patronage of 'Boss' Tom Pendergast of Missouri, as common during that time, finally earning a place in House of Representative as one of Senators from Missouri. There he made a name for himself by conducting himself admirably in overseeing the condition of Federal Infrastructure, and then, as World War II looms, he oversaw the war preparation of USA's Arsenal of Democracy.
Serving as a Vice President for FDR's unprecedented fourth term, the dying President left Truman the unenviable job of preparing the New World Order after the defeat of Nazis and Imperial Japan. He was proven to be able to hold his own against giants such as Stalin and Churchill. His gargantuan task was made worsen by his having to deal with Roosevelts' men in the cabinet, who think they were more important than Truman, the so-called 'Prima Donna', as Truman liked to call them. His leftover cabinet, and even his party, was very not supportive of him, culminating in his legendary Presidential Campaign of 1948, one of the biggest political upsets in US history.
During that time, The Democratic Party was terribly split in three. Harry's commitment to Civil Rights platform caused Southern Conservatives led by Strom Thurmond bolted the party and contested the election under the name of Dixiecrats, while the communist-infested left Democrats, dissatisfied by Harry's tough stance against Soviet Union, left and joined the Progressive Party, with Henry Wallace as their presidential Candidate. with the party so unbelievably broken, it was up to 'Give 'em Hell' Harry to give his best campaign performance, with hundreds, if not thousands whistle stops around America, while his Republican Party Candidate, Thomas Dewey, assured of his victory, played it safe. Even till the end, everyone, apart from Truman and his team, believed that Dewey would win the contest, with Papers mistakenly calling for Dewey victory.
During his proper second presidency, Truman's task was not made easier, for Cold War began in earnest. His belief in internationalism, and to stood up against Soviet Communism, put Americans under the banner of UN forces into defending South Korea against Soviet Union, Communist China and North Korea. In accomplishing his goal of limited war, in which pressing the enemy hard enough to think about further consequences of continuing the war without escalating into World War III, was consistently screwed by General MacArthur, his supreme commander in the Far East Theatre. However, amazingly, Truman was committed in supporting his choice, even after MacArthur blamed Truman for his mistakes directing the UN forces during the war.
As his presidency came to an end, Truman was caught off-guard by Eisenhower's presidential candidacy for Republican Party. Truman's preferred successor, Governor Adlai Stevenson from Illinois, was so indecisive in accepting the presidency, playing the role of reluctant candidate, and his reluctance to defend Truman's record, doomed the Democratic Party. However, despite his rather gloomy second term record, he managed to sign executive orders to racially integrate the armed forces and to forbid racial discrimination in public places.
Overall, while the political career of Harry S. Truman is an interesting subject of its own, this book was enriched by Margaret's recollections of Harry's private side, from the story of his glasses which cannot be lost, his private, no-nonsense, off-the-cuff remarks, Margaret's singing career and Truman's later life, which he dedicated to building his presidential library and reading Thucydides to his grandsons. It is this other side of President Truman that endear him to me, and he earned his place as one of the greatest American Presidents.
In this brilliantly written autobiography, Margaret Truman, Harry's only daughter and child, bring us into the life of Harry Truman. Throughout the book, I get the impression of Harry being a man with integrity, quality and virtues of his own. However, circumstances put him under the shadow of bigger men and this reputation of being someone who rides on someone's coattails continued to haunt his political career, even after when he tried to strike a political career on his own. Earlier in his political career, he rose steadily under the patronage of 'Boss' Tom Pendergast of Missouri, as common during that time, finally earning a place in House of Representative as one of Senators from Missouri. There he made a name for himself by conducting himself admirably in overseeing the condition of Federal Infrastructure, and then, as World War II looms, he oversaw the war preparation of USA's Arsenal of Democracy.
Serving as a Vice President for FDR's unprecedented fourth term, the dying President left Truman the unenviable job of preparing the New World Order after the defeat of Nazis and Imperial Japan. He was proven to be able to hold his own against giants such as Stalin and Churchill. His gargantuan task was made worsen by his having to deal with Roosevelts' men in the cabinet, who think they were more important than Truman, the so-called 'Prima Donna', as Truman liked to call them. His leftover cabinet, and even his party, was very not supportive of him, culminating in his legendary Presidential Campaign of 1948, one of the biggest political upsets in US history.
During that time, The Democratic Party was terribly split in three. Harry's commitment to Civil Rights platform caused Southern Conservatives led by Strom Thurmond bolted the party and contested the election under the name of Dixiecrats, while the communist-infested left Democrats, dissatisfied by Harry's tough stance against Soviet Union, left and joined the Progressive Party, with Henry Wallace as their presidential Candidate. with the party so unbelievably broken, it was up to 'Give 'em Hell' Harry to give his best campaign performance, with hundreds, if not thousands whistle stops around America, while his Republican Party Candidate, Thomas Dewey, assured of his victory, played it safe. Even till the end, everyone, apart from Truman and his team, believed that Dewey would win the contest, with Papers mistakenly calling for Dewey victory.
During his proper second presidency, Truman's task was not made easier, for Cold War began in earnest. His belief in internationalism, and to stood up against Soviet Communism, put Americans under the banner of UN forces into defending South Korea against Soviet Union, Communist China and North Korea. In accomplishing his goal of limited war, in which pressing the enemy hard enough to think about further consequences of continuing the war without escalating into World War III, was consistently screwed by General MacArthur, his supreme commander in the Far East Theatre. However, amazingly, Truman was committed in supporting his choice, even after MacArthur blamed Truman for his mistakes directing the UN forces during the war.
As his presidency came to an end, Truman was caught off-guard by Eisenhower's presidential candidacy for Republican Party. Truman's preferred successor, Governor Adlai Stevenson from Illinois, was so indecisive in accepting the presidency, playing the role of reluctant candidate, and his reluctance to defend Truman's record, doomed the Democratic Party. However, despite his rather gloomy second term record, he managed to sign executive orders to racially integrate the armed forces and to forbid racial discrimination in public places.
Overall, while the political career of Harry S. Truman is an interesting subject of its own, this book was enriched by Margaret's recollections of Harry's private side, from the story of his glasses which cannot be lost, his private, no-nonsense, off-the-cuff remarks, Margaret's singing career and Truman's later life, which he dedicated to building his presidential library and reading Thucydides to his grandsons. It is this other side of President Truman that endear him to me, and he earned his place as one of the greatest American Presidents.
January 18, 2026
While I’m glad HST was loved by his daughter and she perceived him as a great man, many of the vignettes she shares do not show him to be what she says or even in a good light.
One story is about when HST began writing to his daughter directly when she was 18yo and expected a response “or else.” Her words.
Another tells of when she first met General MacArthur and was enraptured by him and was so flattered that he listened so attentively and engaged with her. She was young, late teens or early 20s, and that evening was still flying high, happily talking about this. HST response was to snap at her that of course a general working for him would want to speak to, basically, his boss’s daughter. What a shit!
Another tells the story of HST’s official physician when he became POTUS. He ran into the son of his personal physician back home who was a Navy physician and offered him the WH physician position. Dr. Graham said he really did not want the job, he would rather continue to service lots of military members at Walter Reed Hospital where he worked. HST issued orders to reassign Graham to the WH. Again, what a shit!
One more. She talks about how honorable and humble her father was and how things he said in private letters to family or friends were unfairly used against him. Well, the way HST communicated in private letters turned my stomach. He was whiny, childishly name calling opponents and the press, and just base. I argue private communication shows who he really was better than the face he put on in public.
Oh and one more thing! When he was campaigning with speeches off the back of trains in small towns across the country, she tells of one town that let “the school children,” so presumably elementary school age kids, maybe up to high school, out for the day so they could go see him. Margaret says HST gave some brief remarks and the “school children” “begged” him to “give a 2 hour speech.” Really?!?
Throughout the book, Margaret Truman shares how contemptuous she, her father and mother were about the White House, political figures, and the whole experience. She frequently stressed that her father did not even want to be President and how gloriously he endured the “torture.” Her words. No one held a gun to his head, especially not for his second term!
I’ll read David McCullough’s Truman next for a, hopefully, better balanced picture based in reality.
One story is about when HST began writing to his daughter directly when she was 18yo and expected a response “or else.” Her words.
Another tells of when she first met General MacArthur and was enraptured by him and was so flattered that he listened so attentively and engaged with her. She was young, late teens or early 20s, and that evening was still flying high, happily talking about this. HST response was to snap at her that of course a general working for him would want to speak to, basically, his boss’s daughter. What a shit!
Another tells the story of HST’s official physician when he became POTUS. He ran into the son of his personal physician back home who was a Navy physician and offered him the WH physician position. Dr. Graham said he really did not want the job, he would rather continue to service lots of military members at Walter Reed Hospital where he worked. HST issued orders to reassign Graham to the WH. Again, what a shit!
One more. She talks about how honorable and humble her father was and how things he said in private letters to family or friends were unfairly used against him. Well, the way HST communicated in private letters turned my stomach. He was whiny, childishly name calling opponents and the press, and just base. I argue private communication shows who he really was better than the face he put on in public.
Oh and one more thing! When he was campaigning with speeches off the back of trains in small towns across the country, she tells of one town that let “the school children,” so presumably elementary school age kids, maybe up to high school, out for the day so they could go see him. Margaret says HST gave some brief remarks and the “school children” “begged” him to “give a 2 hour speech.” Really?!?
Throughout the book, Margaret Truman shares how contemptuous she, her father and mother were about the White House, political figures, and the whole experience. She frequently stressed that her father did not even want to be President and how gloriously he endured the “torture.” Her words. No one held a gun to his head, especially not for his second term!
I’ll read David McCullough’s Truman next for a, hopefully, better balanced picture based in reality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2024
In the Acknowledgments for "Truman", David McCullough calls this book "a lively, often moving memoir by an adoring daughter". That accurately sums up the book: it is a memoir, not a biography, and Ms. Truman did indeed revere her father! She is hardly objective when judging him.
There is some good information in this book and Ms. Truman extensively quotes primary sources like President Truman's letters, memorandums, and notes. But she too often quotes too much about unimportant matters and in general includes much minutiae, like what the President ate for dinner and what dress she wore to an event.
I enjoyed the book overall because I greatly admire Harry Truman. He and Lincoln are my two favorite Presidents. But if you want to read one big book about Harry Truman, read "Truman".
There is some good information in this book and Ms. Truman extensively quotes primary sources like President Truman's letters, memorandums, and notes. But she too often quotes too much about unimportant matters and in general includes much minutiae, like what the President ate for dinner and what dress she wore to an event.
I enjoyed the book overall because I greatly admire Harry Truman. He and Lincoln are my two favorite Presidents. But if you want to read one big book about Harry Truman, read "Truman".
June 30, 2019
I enjoyed this book very much. Margaret Truman has written many good mysteries. This book about her father is as good as any of those. I loved hearing about her dad from her perspective, biased though it may be. Harry Truman was a man of character and hard work, and that shows in this book which chronicles his years in politics and his family life.
October 7, 2020
I enjoyed this mostly because of the large number of personal correspondence from the President to his daughter. These provided insight into the man. Harry Truman was a principled person who made decisions based on how they would impact America and not how they played out politically. He is sorely underrated as a President.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews