The Watchdog: How the Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two

by Steve Drummond

The story of how a little-known junior senator fought wartime corruption and, in the process, set himself up to become vice president and ultimately President Harry Truman.

Months before Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that the United States was on the verge of entering another world war for which it was dangerously ill-prepared. The urgent times demanded a transformation of the economy, with the government bankrolling the unfathomably expensive task of enlisting millions of citizens while also producing the equipment necessary to successfully fight—all of which opened up opportunities for graft, fraud and corruption.

In The Watchdog , Steve Drummond draws the reader into the fast-paced story of how Harry Truman, still a newcomer to Washington politics, cobbled together a bipartisan team of men and women that took on powerful corporate entities and the Pentagon, placing Truman in the national spotlight and paving his path to the White House.

Drawing on the largely unexamined records of the Truman Committee as well as oral histories, personal letters, newspaper archives and interviews, Steve Drummond—an award-winning senior editor and executive producer at NPR—brings the colorful characters and intrigue of the committee’s work to life. The Watchdog provides readers with a window to a time that was far from perfect but where it was possible to root out corruption and hold those responsible to account. It shows us what can be possible if politicians are governed by the principles of their office rather than self-interest.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Presidents, Audiobook, Military Fiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2023

About the author

Steve Drummond is a journalist, educator and author who for more than 20 years has been a senior editor at NPR in Washington. He is the author of The Watchdog: How the Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two.

At NPR, Drummond has held a variety of roles, including national editor, supervising editor of All Things Considered, and executive producer of the network’s Code Switch podcast and its education reporting team. His work has been honored with many of journalism's highest honors, including three Peabody Awards and two Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards

In 2013, he taught at Princeton University, and currently teaches in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Drummon grew up near Detroit, and holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

Reviews

[Porter Broyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! Let's get that out of the way right from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Watchdog by Steve Drummond.

The book does an excellent job in explaining how Harry Truman went from an obscure junior senator tainted by the Pendergast Machine from Missouri in 1941 to becoming the Vice Presidential Candidate in 1944 and then President.

While this book contains biographical tid-bits about Truman and discusses him in detail near the end of the book, he is not the subject of the book.

The book focuses on the Truman Committee, which he created and guided into existence. The Truman Committee defied expectation and norms of the period because of the vision Truman had.

NOTE: I work in the audit field. I work closely with our Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) team and could not help but read this book with my professional lense on.

The Truman Committee investigated FWA during WWII. The Committee presents a textbook case on how to handle FWA investigations. When Truman recruited members for his committee and staff, he espoused the idea that their job would be to identify issues and get them corrected. They would not bury issues due to political expediency nor would they blow-up issues for headlines. If they could get the issue resolved without fanfare all the better.

To this end the Truman Committee did things differently from other committees.

First, they always made sure that their facts were accurate and complete. If they couldn't absolutely affirm an allegation, then it did not make it into their report.

Second, they presented the report to the offenders to offer them a chance to rebut, correct, or prepare for the reports issuance. This garnered Truman the respect of FDR as FDR used this advance warning to enact changes that coincided with the release of Committee reports.

Third, the committee consisted of Republican and Democrats. The Truman Committee remains unique amongst congressional committees in that there was never a minority report. Truman firmly believed that any report coming from his committee needed to represent the view of every member of the committee. Thus, all 34 reports were issued with the unanimous support of all members.

Fourth, the committee acted in a manner to affect change, not to make a media splash. Facts and balance proved keys in his reports. Truman did not want politics to infringe on their reports. This garnered the Committee a ton of respect in the media, congress, and the nation as a whole.

Through the committee, Truman purged himself of the taint of his association with the Pendergast Machine (a political Machine in Missouri similar to Tammany Hall in NYC.)

Sounds rather bland so far, eh?

That's because the above simply represents what made the committee unique and special.

What I am not discussing are the numerous investigations into Fraud, Waste, or Abuse that the Committee investigated. These stories about the building of Army bases, Carnegie Metal Works, the Curtis Wright Engine, or a military officer/partner at a lawfirm siphoning money constitute the fun in the book.

Stories about FWA are always fun as you learn what happened, how it happened, and how it was stopped. But you have to read the book to learn those details.

At the end of the day, the Truman Committee is:

1) Estimated to have save the US Government between 10-15 billion WWII dollars,
2) Saved tens of thousands of lives, and
3) Ended the war earlier as it save money and resources.

PS Let's not forget how the Truman Committee stumbled upon the Manhattan Project and spilled the beans publically! The book is exceptionally documented. It also talks about how the Committee ignored calls to investigate the plight of black soldiers/civilians during the War. When FDR ran for his fourth term, the Republicans used this to appeal to black voters. I suspect this criticism served as an impetus behind his advocacy of black rights as President.

[Donald Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about an amazing bi-partisan effort in the US Congress to find and eliminate waste in the government. It is a great story about the committee work and relationships which "made" Harry S. Truman.
This is a story about the type of cooperation, honesty and hard work which our government has had so little of since its time. If you have not heard about the topic of this book, I highly recommend you get this book.
I started this book months ago and was diverted. After reading "Ascent to Power" about President Truman's transition from FDR I had to finish this great read.

[Big Otter Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 BIG FAT STARS! This book is so good-the rarely told tale of the 'Truman Committee'. Exhaustively researched and well written. The details and extra little bits of not just the facts, but of the people and how they worked (and sometimes fell in love!) together. We all know how Harry Truman became VP and then President and the bombs etc. This is the build up to how it all came about. From a lowly Senator from Missouri with an 'iffy' past (Pendergast, we're looking at you), Harry Truman stayed true to himself and his values to change history. The committee took on the corporate machine to battle corruption and waste to save money and lives during the extreme construction projects that supplied WWII. I can't give enough love to this book-it was awesome. I'm a huge fan of Truman, I live in Independence, Missouri so it's almost required; I'm familiar with the events of this book, but there were still many times I said wow, didn't know that. I love when nonfiction reads like a novel and I was up most of several nights engrossed in The Watchdog. If you are a history buff, this is your book. Probably the highest compliment I can give a book is to say: I was given a copy to share my opinion but I would gladly have paid for it-it's that good.

[Helen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Wish Washington could work Ike this again. Bipartisan, no grandstanding, highly effective at rooting out waste and corruption. Should be required reading for Elon Musk before he begins his new job.

[Isaac Murtha · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we write about government power, it’s usually about the power to tax, regulate, prohibit or destroy. We rarely are told about the work that a government investigation can do to publicize information, and bring change by making that information public.

The Truman administration did just that— saving billions of dollars and an untold number of lives. With their painstaking investigations into waste and corruption, the committee embarrassed the powerful into doing the right thing.

If there is such a thing as a how-to guide for how to run an investigative committee, I would recommend other elected officials follow Truman’s example.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In early 1941, the junior Senator from Missouri, Harry Truman, requested that the Senate authorize his setting up a committee to oversee and investigate the immense sums the government was spending to place the economy on a war footing … They did so, and the Truman Committee was born — famously bipartisan, of the seven members, two were Republicans … Their work saved the country millions and tried to eliminate waste, inefficiency, and corruption … This book examines the Committee and how its findings propelled Truman into the Vice Presidency … Intriguing, in other hands, this might have been quite boring …

[Adrian Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my uncle. Concise and well written, and doesn't waste time on unnecessary detail or 'color'. The account of how a Congressional committee run by Harry Truman helped keep the military acquisition process (more) honest during WWII. Very interesting.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

US was not ready prepared for entry into WW2 and there was corruption involving overbilling by corporations issued military contracts. Truman's committee brought about transparency in the way overspending happened. Also was interesting in how Truman became a well known Senator from Missouri and eventually President of the US.

[David Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Drummond’s, The Watchdog: How the Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two, is an outstanding 5 Star history on the Truman Committee. At only 385 pages it is relatively short. While the book goes from his childhood to his selection as Vice President and ultimately his ascension to the presidency with the death of Franklin Roosevelt.

The core of the book deals with the creation of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, AKA the Truman Committee, created March 1st 1941. This committee is superficially known by many of us as the vehicle which propelled Harry Truman from the junior Senator from Missouri to the rising political powerhouse then nominated to the office of Vice President.

The book goes into some of his primary assistants and briefly gives a short biographical accounting of them both before, during and after their service to the committee. The book highlights sever high profile investigations of the time including the cost and development of the first camps as the U.S. prepared for war, investigation of U.S. Steel, The Curtis Wright Airplane company, a general cases of corruption.

A fabulous book on an often bypassed portion of Truman’s political career and I heartily endorse the reading of this book.

[Olivia Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

great insight into a somewhat unknown part of truman’s political career! i learned he was great at identifying problems and just alright at proposing solutions. all my homies hate corruption 😌

read 4 school

[Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars bumped up to 5. What could have easily been a dry read about the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program—or the Truman Committee—Steve Drummond instead makes the work of the junior Senator from Missouri and his colleagues gripping and dramatic without shortchanging the details. Drummond points out that while the Truman Committee is mentioned in other biographies of Harry S. Truman, never before has so much detail been offered to arguably the single most important accomplishment in Truman’s pre-presidential career. What’s so striking to me as I read this was how encompassing the detail goes. Not only is Truman and his personal involvement in the Committee thoroughly researched, but those of his Senate colleagues, the staff (and the relationships and even marriages which sprung up thanks to the Committee’s creation), even down to whistleblowing steel workers with each receiving attention. A welcome inclusion here is Truman’s personal life during this period, with many presidential biographies paying spouses and family only a brief mention, but here Drummond makes Bess and Margaret Truman integral to understand Truman, his work ethic, and stresses during these years. And most crucially for me in any history text, there is praise but balanced criticism as well, Drummond pointing out on several instances the Committee’s shortcomings and blindspots in its work and reports. The Watchdog is expertly paced, meticulously researched, and can serve as a rare addition to the lexicon of history texts that is both inviting to newcomers and to seasoned history veterans.

[Avi Poje · Rating 4 out of 5]

This normally wouldn't have been a book I'd pick up--I'm not one to read about a Senate committee from 80 years ago. However, I was invited to a dinner in a few weeks and was informed the author would be at my table, so I wanted to see what he wrote.

It was well-written and exhaustively researched (read: lots of footnotes referencing minutiae). It got in the weeds from time to time with too much detail, and his writing style threw in occasional sentence fragments.

Throughout the book I found myself wondering, "Yes, but why are we talking about it now?" Drummond didn't hammer the point very hard. In fact, it all came down to the last sentence at the end of the book: "It was a time, however brief, when Washington worked." The book's point was to show that a congressional committee can be bipartisan and achieve results with the right people with the right attitude.

The book doesn't exactly serve as a blueprint for how to do that in the future--Drummond seems resigned to today's political dysfunction: "In their work, Truman and the committee built a level of public trust and confidence that, compared with the contempt people have for their elected leaders in Washington today, seems unimaginable."

So, what should I make of this historical lesson from my grandmother's generation? That Americans weren't so politically divided back then? That when government works, it can be a positive force? Or perhaps corruption is going to happen, and to fight it effectively, people should put aside their political differences? Drummond left me to make my own conclusions.

You could tell that Drummond genuinely cares for the people he writes about, like they became his friends as he delved into historical research. He ended the book with an Epilogue of how all the committee's main characters lived the remainder of their lives. My favorite was Marion (Toomey) Baker, who became a full-time lawyer helping families in need. When times got tough in the legal aid office and someone needed to be laid off, she voluntarily resigned to let a single mother stay employed instead. And then she continued working for 23 years pro bono.

Perhaps that was the point--that if you peer hard enough into the lives of functional humans, you might not care what part of the political spectrum they fall on. When people of true character care to make a real difference and collaborate, good things can get done.

[Logan Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at how the Truman committee went after corruption and greed with regard to wartime government contracts. I loved the personal anecdotes from the committee staff, especially the stories about the honeymoon photos. Drummond did excellent work highlighting how the bipartisan committee worked together - and for the people - without verging into soapbox territory when writing about it. As someone who recently retired from being a political aide and speechwriter for a committee co-chair, this book really brings you in to the hectic, twelve-hour-plus days of the staff, especially when chasing down facts for their committee. I’ve felt so jaded since retiring from politics just about a year ago, but this book reminded me of the good political committees can do and that our system - while not perfect - is pretty darn good. And that there is still a lot to be hopeful about.

[Ted Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WATCHDOG was a surprise discovery on the new release shelf at Zionsville Public Library. I have always been fascinated with history surrounding WWII, being part of the "Silent Generation". Steve Drummond has depicted a little known facet of political and military history attributed to Harry S. Truman. This was an enjoable, readable documentary of obscure facts involving the Truman Committee. I expected it to be a dry, historical read. The Watchdog greatly surpassed my expectations.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2023 Handover Square Press released Steve Drummand’s book “The Watchdog: How the (U.S. Senate)Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two.” Steve Drummond is a National Public Radio journalist, and former reporter for the New York Times, Detroit News, Education Week, and Teacher Magazine. His “present “moment” journalist style makes “The Watchdog” book an exceptional reading experience. Drummond begins the book with chapters about Harry Truman’s early life in the Kansas City and Independence, Missouri region. It next profiles Truman’s WW 1 military leadership experiences, his marriage to Bess Wallace, and his love for his daughter Margaret. The book also discusses Truman’s early work experiences in business, farming, and County Court Justice leadership. The book then focuses on Truman’s election to the U.S. Senate, and his assignment to lead a special 7 member World War 2 committee to investigate graft, fraud, corruption and related malpractices associated with provision of materials and World War 2 armaments. This discussion forms the core of the book and provides valuable insight on how Truman became President of the United States and how he became an international world leader. “The Watchdog” is an amazing book. (L/P)

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really an interesting book. Since this happened a few years before I was born, I obviously don't remember what happened. In these contentious times, I really wish there were the sort of relationships between members of the two main parties like that detailed in this book, especially when there is a common goal like there was during WWII - not that there needs to be a war to cause it.

[Translator Monkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice book. Although adding "Helped Win World War Two" might be a touch of hyperbole. Did it save money? Yup - hundreds of millions. Did it save lives? Yup. Thousands. But most of the changes implemented through the actions of the so-called "Truman Committee" took place after the tide had mostly turned in favor of the Allied Powers.

Still, an excellently researched and well-written package, giving us a very intimate look at Harry Truman through his correspondence, the correspondence and memoirs of other associates, and the transcripts of the proceedings in which Truman often would coldly slice through the nonsense and lies of rich corporate executives doing their best to save their good name. Truman was very fair, never wanting see the military dragged through the mud in the press, and did his best to rectify fraud and waste quietly, out of the spotlight of the press. He also gave a fair shake to the folks who admitted their wrongdoings before having to go before a formal enquiry.

Glad I read this.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, providing a detailed history of Harry Truman in his time chairing the Senate’s Truman Committee during World War II. The author, journalist and historian Steve Drummond, gives a detailed chronological history of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program during its foundation and for the over three years that Truman was the Chair. The author describes Truman’s transition from little known Senator (with the taint of political corruption) to the national symbol of efficiency and oversight amidst the massive defense outlays of WWII. Drummond recounts in detail the structure of the committee, it’s major staff members, and the methods of oversight. Various significant cases investigated by the Committee provide examples of its work. The author does not hesitate to provide criticism of the committees failings. Overall, this is a positive story of how oversight in wartime is effectively conducted. Highly recommended for anyone involved in government. A great book for understanding Congressional oversight of National defense.

[Lisa B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional! Harry Truman is undoubtedly the most underrated POTUS of the last 75+ years. He was principled, fair to a fault, humble and did not need a place in the limelight. Truman made many tough decisions and never shirked responsibility. Too bad this book isn’t being read by present day politicians. They might learn a thing or two! 32 reports from the bipartisan Truman Committee and all passed unanimously on their way to the Senate. Amazing!

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy history books that read like a novel and keep you entertained while also giving you a glimpse into history. Well written and it really adds to David McCullough’s book: Truman. He even references that book several times. If you enjoy David McCullough, you would enjoy this read.

[Steven Houchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent storytelling and very informative. It was hard to put it down.

[Charles Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watch how politician Truman and his bipartisan committee put the good of the country and the people’s tax dollars over considerations that are political, personal, or venal. It is an abject lesson for the U. S. Congress of the present day.

Descriptions of Truman’s daily routines and his correspondence with his wife Bess were not particularly riveting. However, his committee plugged through World War II keeping the industrialists and the generals/admirals in their proper roles, while protecting all those serving the war effort from compromised materials, shoddy workmanship, and even shoddier inspections. Their work saved the U. S. government millions of dollars.

As notable as their accomplishments were, they were actually few in number in the grander scheme of the expense of getting the U. S. into World War II and securing the double Vs over Germany and Japan. The earliest hints of what Truman’s successor in the White House called “the military industrial complex” were already in place and fighting Truman’s committee with overwhelming advantages.

I have always loved President Eisenhower’s 1953 quote about the military industrial complex, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” Would anyone be able to recommend to me a book that documents the rise of the military-industrial complex during the Truman and Eisenhower presidencies?

This review is not an endorsement of amazon.com or any business owned by Jeff Bezos. Books for my reviews were checked out from a public library, purchased from a local brick-and-mortar book shop, or ordered from my favorite website for rare and out-of-print books.

[Richard Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Steve Drummond's wonderful book about Truman's often overlooked oversight role and rise to prominence. Not only does Drummond make Congressional oversight supremely interesting, he brings out the lives of the staff members - their hopes, dreams, and pride of being part of the Truman Committee. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and can't wait for Drummond's next book.

[Vincent Lombardo]

I greatly admire Harry Truman, and this book is very well written and exhaustively researched, but I decided that I was not sufficiently interested in this part of Truman's life to read over 300 pages about this aspect of his career, no matter how central it was to his rise.

[HTP Books]

Presidents & Heads of State Biographies & Autobiographies, 20th Century United States History, Political Biographies & Autobiographies, World War II History

[Steven Beningo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history book - very well researched!

[Jim Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative look at a little known part of the Truman story.

[Matt Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Drummond does a great job of storytelling.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing Trade for an advance copy on this history of the effort of one man's efforts to stop war profiteering and waste during the Second World War.

War is big business. As the Pentagon can not account for billions of dollars spent, and never seems to be asked too, preparing for war can also be a clever way of making money. I remember when I first started reading history and was always amazed at sections showing poor food, spoiled food, shoddy equipment, or even worse dangerous equipment given to navys and armies who were exploring or even fighting wars in far flung places. How could anyone justify letting people die, just for a few dollars. Or losing a war, for a few dollars more. Then I started working part-time and saw this happened all the time, even in my little town. Every war has a winner, most of the time its those involved in the machinery of making war. Harry S. Truman, a junior senator from Missouri knew this. He might be new to higher office, but his time working in machine politics are shown him that if people can steal money, they will. Truman created a bipartisan committee that went after those that wasted money, or put those fighting the Axis in danger from its own equipment. And his plain speaking secured Truman his legacy. The Watchdog: How the Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two by journalist and NPR editor Steve Drummond tells the history of Truman and his committe, the enemies made, and the impression Truman made on both the public, and his own party.

Harry S. Truman was a man who found his place after many starts and failures. Truman loved his wife, his daughter, his part of Missouri, America and helping people. Truman started in politics as part of the Democratic machine that controlled most of the Missouri government, though he tried to not be a part of it. When Truman had to compromise it bothered him deeply, however this gave him the training to see graft and motivation to skirt the law that would later help him in his time in the Senate. Truman narrowly won his second election to the US Senate, and needed something to prove himself both to his party and his supporters. And Washington preparing for war was the perfect cause. Truman knew that spending for war lead to a lot of money going nowhere, or being spent badly, or even into pockets of business men, and certain members of government. Truman decided to look into this, and soon his life would never be the same.

A very good look at both Truman, and the way the government first prepared for war, and finally paid for war. Drummond is very good at making things flow well, and even what should be dry material, senate hearings, has all the tension and interest of a good thriller. What surprised me was the amounts of money, even today, this seems like real money, though it is quaint to see that Truman was making $10,000 a year in the Senate. Truman comes across well, but Drummond is quick to point out Truman's less than PC comments about minorities. Though for his time Truman really did stand out on many issues. The book is very well written, and clearly. There is a large cast, and most of their stories are told well, and their contributions are noted, and frankly should be celebrated. Truman's committee did very good work, and helped saved lives.

A different look at World War II discussing both how this country began to prepare for war, those Americans who wished to profit from it, and those who said, no we are better than this. A perfect Father's Day gift for readers of both history, and biography.