About this title: Dallek, the bestselling biographer of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, shows how the unassuming yet supremely confident Harry Truman rose to become one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.
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Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardback
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780805069389ISBN:0805069380
Description: New. Dallek, the bestselling biographer of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, shows how the unassuming yet supremely confident Harry Truman rose to become one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books
Date Published: 2008-09-02
ISBN-13:9780805069389ISBN:0805069380
Description: Like New. Paperback. Collectible uncorrected proof. An unblemished copy.; 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Free Delivery Confirmation! Ships same or next business day! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books
Date Published: 2008-09-02
ISBN-13:9780805069389ISBN:0805069380
Description: NEW. Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780805069389. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Times Books
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780805069389ISBN:0805069380
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: New. Dallek, the bestselling biographer of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, shows how the unassuming yet supremely confident Harry Truman rose to become one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. read more
"Harry S. Truman's life story in a short, accessible biography. That's the premise of The American Presidents Series, and this is one of the most recent entrants in the stable. The late Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. was the series editor.
The book begins by noting that, traditionally, the 20th century presidents deemed to be great or near great include: Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman. The "Preludes" section notes that (Page 1): "On the face of things, Truman's high standing is surprising. . . . Truman was notable for his ordinariness."
The book begins with his family background, his early years, his service in World War I, his early (failed) effort at a haberdashery business, and his decision to move into public life. The book well describes his moral dilemmas at one point: the corrupt Pendergast organization was willing to sponsor him for elective office. What would he do? Eschew the support of the machine? Or use its support and still try to stay clean? He did the latter and his political career began. By the way, to give a sense of The American Presidents' series, we come to see how and why FDR selected Truman as his Vice-Presidential partner by page 15!
Truman's time in the White House. . . . We see him reflecting on whether or not to use the atomic weaponry against Japan. We see him trying to adjust to the Post-World War II Cold War/Iron Curtain era. We see him trying to navigate between left and right in domestic politics, and sometimes seeming to drift. One intriguing line (Page 37): "And yet Truman was disinclined to confront the country with the emerging dangers he saw from Soviet aggression. . . ." This is a subtheme of the book, with the author, Robert Dallek, noting that on a number of occasions, Truman seemed to back off confronting difficult issues. It creates, in fact, a tension within this volume between the author commenting that Truman warranted his high rating by historians and then noting his occasional avoiding tough issues.
The story of his unexpected victory in 1948 over Thomas Dewey, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and his rapidly deteriorating public approval. . . . It's all here, including his active post-presidential career.
A very nice brief introduction to Henry Truman. This book has motivated me to consider buying one of the larger biographies of the subject and exploring his life more deeply. . . ."
"it was a good book. i read it for my history class and i enjoyed it. the author does a good job of showing harry trumie as a real person, not as a fictitious character in a book. i like harry truman, liken unto my sister."
"Dallek, Robert. HARRY S. TRUMAN. (2008). *****. This is the latest release in "The American Presidents" series, whose goal is to present a fact-based analysis of each of our presidents during their tenure(s) in 200 pages or less. Dallek, a professor at many different universities over the years and now living in Washington, is better known for his books on Johnson and Kennedy, but does an excellent job on summing up Truman's highs and lows while in office. Taking over from Roosevelt after his death was quite a task, especially since Roosevelt managed not to tell Truman a lot of what he should know. It was Truman's decision to use the bomb on Japan - although the author points out that there was really no decision as such; it was a foregone conclusion. If you look at some of what went on during those years from 1945 to 1953, it is an amazing record of accomplishments in the face of dire events. To name just a few: The split between the two groups in China; the implementation of the Marshall Plan; the support of Greece and Turkey agains Soviet imperialism; the establishment of NATO and the concurrent creation of the Warsaw Pact; the beginning of the Cold War; the Alger Hiss case; the emergence of Senator Joseph McCarthy; the development of the H-Bomb; and, finally, the Korean War. Can you think of a busier time in American History? The book presents a clear view of these events and Truman's affect on them in a way that everybody can understand. Highly recommended."
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