First published 2003
Harry S. Truman emerges from the Missouri frontier as an unlikely leader who would reshape America and the world. McCullough traces Truman's journey from his hardscrabble beginnings through his service in World War I, his entanglement with the notorious Pendergast political machine in Kansas City, and his unexpected rise to the presidency after Roosevelt's death. The biography reveals a man more complex and determined than his humble exterior suggested, one who faced unprecedented decisions that would define the modern era. Truman authorized the atomic bombing of Japan, confronted Stalin at Potsdam as the Cold War began, committed American forces to Korea, and dismissed the popular General MacArthur. McCullough draws on newly available archives and interviews with Truman's family, friends, and colleagues to paint a portrait of extraordinary courage under pressure. The book captures both the man and his turbulent times, showing how an ordinary Missourian became perhaps America's most decisive president.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, political-thriller
Setting: Missouri, Kansas City, Potsdam
Period: World War I, World War II, Cold War, Korean War
1120 pages · Kindle Edition · Simon Schuster