Explore the Life of President Harry S. Truman with Truman

Avid Reader: Even at 993 pages I ripped through it because it’s so beautifully written.

United Kingdom on Oct 12, 2023

Amazon Customer: The era of WW 2 ending and start of the Cold War positioned America for greatness led by a modest, humble, prudent president with qualities we can only wistfully long for today.

Canada on Oct 04, 2021

Jonathan W White: After finishing David McCollough’s legacy redefining tome of the 33rd U.S. President Harry Truman, it is easy to see why “Truman” is largely considered a masterpiece and the gold standard of Presidential biographies. Although an intimidating 992 pages long, McCollough’s work is so well written and meticulously researched, it makes for a great read.

Harry S. Truman has been placed in the upper echelon of great American Presidents, and it’s easy to see why. Never has a President been unexpectedly thrown into the breach of the office with so many ominous decisions to make, yet seemingly so unprepared for the highest and most powerful office in the land. After been reluctantly selected to be Franklin Roosevelt’s Vice President, Truman took the oath of office upon the death of FDR, the world was still at war, just 82 days into Roosevelt’s unprecedented fourth term. Upon learning of the President’s death, it is said Truman asked Eleanor Roosevelt if there was anything he could do for her; she replied, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!"

Truman’s rise to the Presidency is a great American story, which McCollough...

United States on Aug 26, 2020

Marcelo Costa: Undeservedly in the shadows of FDR and IKE, Truman was a master politician. This book does him justice. A man of integrity, came to the presidency at a critical period and did a superb job. The biography is really fact-filled, vastily researched yet wonderful to read. What can I say? Buy it. Read it. Appreciate it.

Brazil on Mar 12, 2020

Ammit P Chawda: A very well written Biography about the life of the accidental president his life a true inspiration also a must read for history buffs

India on Sep 06, 2018

Tiroli60: Meinem Sohn, der Anglisitik und Amerikanistik studiert, gefällt diese Buch ausgesprochen gut. Daher kommt von mir eine klare Empfehlung dafür!

Germany on Aug 27, 2018

Clem: Before I read Truman, my favorite presidential biography was Edmund Morris’ The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. I found it ironic that this one eclipsed Morris’ epic as my favorite since Theodore Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman were such different individuals. To be blunt, Roosevelt was an incredibly exciting character - especially prior to becoming president. Truman, to be equally blunt, was not. He was actually kind of a boring human being. So why did I enjoy this 1,100 page epic so thoroughly? A large part was due to McCullough’s writing. This was such an immense joy to read. The author knows exactly just how much detail to spend on the events of this man’s life, that you get the impression that any retrospective he would pen about any individual would be incredibly interesting.

That’s not to say Truman’s story should be ignored. This was an incredible figure of the United States history, and he quietly went out and accomplished many milestones for the United States when the country needed a president to do just such. It’s easy to forget that this man was a crucial part of the Potsdam conference at the end of the European conflict, the decision to drop the secret...

United States on Dec 31, 2013