Synopses & Reviews
Few U.S. presidents have captured the imagination of the American people as has Harry S. Truman, andldquo;the man from Missouri.andrdquo;
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 whoandmdash;with modesty, commitment to service, and basic honestyandmdash;moved with method and system toward the presidency.
Truman was ambitious in the best sense of the word. His powerful commitment to service was accompanied by a remarkable shrewdness and an exceptional ability to judge people. He regarded himself as a consummate politician, a designation of which he was proud. While in Washington, he never succumbed to the andldquo;Potomac feverandrdquo; that swelled the heads of so many officials in that city. A scrupulously honest man, Truman exhibited only one lapse when, at the beginning of 1941, he padded his Senate payroll by adding his wife and later his sister.
From his early years on the family farm through his pivotal decision to use the atomic bomb in World War II, Trumanandrsquo;s life was filled with fascinating events. Ferrellandrsquo;s exhaustive research offers new perspectives on many key episodes in Trumanandrsquo;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, a position which put him a heartbeat away from the presidency.
No other historian has ever demonstrated such command over the vast amounts of material that Robert Ferrell brings to bear on the unforgettable story of Trumanandrsquo;s life. Based upon years of research in the Truman Library and the study of many never-before-used primary sources, Harry S. Truman is destined to become the authoritative account of the nationandrsquo;s favorite president.
Review
andquot;In Harry S. Truman: A Life, Ferrell, the author of eight previous books on Truman, provides a definitive biography of the thirty-third president. The author highlights the origins, the youth, and the steady political climb of his subject. What eventually emerges is a respectful, unabridged account of the fascinating life of a shrewd, ambitious, and committed politico.andquot;--Booklist
Review
andquot;No other historian has ever demonstrated such command over the vast amounts of material that Robert Ferrell brings to bear on the unforgettable story of Truman's life. Based upon years of research in the Truman Library and the study of many never- before-used primary sources, Harry S. Truman is destined to become the authoritative account of the nation's favorite president.andquot;--American Political Biography
Review
andquot;Clearly an admirer, Ferrell presents his subject as an honest man of the people as well as a shrewd politician--not someone who just happened to be on the scene but a man who actively sought the presidency.andquot;--Publishers Weekly
Review
andquot;This is Harry Truman's kind of book, and his qualities expand in its gaze. He might not have entirely liked the treatment he receives. Nevertheless, he would have read this book, one guesses, from cover to cover, as should anyone interested in American history.andquot;--St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Review
andquot;Ferrell's book is the masterful culmination of lengthy research on the 33rd president, the capstone achievement of America's foremost Truman scholar. Ferrell's treatment is more critical of Truman and more analytical than that of David McCullough's Truman. Ferrell finds Truman engaging, complex, a man of extraordinary talents.andquot;--Choice
About the Author
"In Harry S. Truman: A Life, Ferrell, the author of eight previous books on Truman, provides a definitive biography of the thirty-third president. The author highlights the origins, the youth, and the steady political climb of his subject. What eventually emerges is a respectful, unabridged account of the fascinating life of a shrewd, ambitious, and committed politico."--Booklist
"No other historian has ever demonstrated such command over the vast amounts of material that Robert Ferrell brings to bear on the unforgettable story of Truman's life. Based upon years of research in the Truman Library and the study of many never- before-used primary sources, Harry S. Truman is destined to become the authoritative account of the nation's favorite president."--American Political Biography
"Clearly an admirer, Ferrell presents his subject as an honest man of the people as well as a shrewd politician--not someone who just happened to be on the scene but a man who actively sought the presidency."--Publishers Weekly
"This is Harry Truman's kind of book, and his qualities expand in its gaze. He might not have entirely liked the treatment he receives. Nevertheless, he would have read this book, one guesses, from cover to cover, as should anyone interested in American history."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Ferrell's book is the masterful culmination of lengthy research on the 33rd president, the capstone achievement of America's foremost Truman scholar. Ferrell's treatment is more critical of Truman and more analytical than that of David McCullough's Truman. Ferrell finds Truman engaging, complex, a man of extraordinary talents."--Choice