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jenniferstringer's review
5.0
Phew. That was an undertaking. I understand why this got the Pulitzer. I've read several other of his books, and I believe this is McCullough's masterpiece. And, after visiting the Truman Museum/Library and seeing the rooms of documents that McCullough would have had to read through, assess, organize and explain, I am thoroughly impressed.
Nearly every time I read a biography of a president, that president becomes my new favorite. What I am coming to learn is that each faced unique challenges and were men of their time. Truman had dire choices to make, after being thrown into circumstances not of his own creating. He stood by and lived with them, but always remembered the consequences. What I think I most appreciated about him, especially in our hyper-political times, is how he simply asked himself, " is this the best we can do for the American people?" rather than "what will this do to my party?" My favorite quote was "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
Nearly every time I read a biography of a president, that president becomes my new favorite. What I am coming to learn is that each faced unique challenges and were men of their time. Truman had dire choices to make, after being thrown into circumstances not of his own creating. He stood by and lived with them, but always remembered the consequences. What I think I most appreciated about him, especially in our hyper-political times, is how he simply asked himself, " is this the best we can do for the American people?" rather than "what will this do to my party?" My favorite quote was "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
nekreader's review
4.0
I enjoyed it and learned a thing or two about WWII and the post-war era. However, it's really long, and I got bogged down in the last 150 or so pages.
megs_k's review
3.0
He proved the ordinary American is capable of grandeur and that the President can be a human being. ~ David McCullough
rheren's review
3.0
This was a good biography, it gave a good feel for the person, as well as for the significance of what he did and the context in which he lived. It does a good job of staying balanced and fair, admitting when he made mistakes and defending him for wise decisions even when they were widely panned at the time. As for him as a historical figure, I was interested to learn more about a president I knew little about. Unlike other recent biographies I have read, I don't feel as much admiration for him, I feel like I disagree with him about as much as I agree. However, I can appreciate that he made some very farsighted, wise decisions that we today can agree were vital to surviving the threat of communism and laying the groundwork for things like civil rights. I still find myself disagreeing with a lot of his progressive values, and find it curious that he couldn't see his own blindspots when it came to things like accusing others of corruption without noticing how his administration was as corrupt as any, and how he was elected by the power of mob bosses in dark, smoke-filled rooms. However, I come away most impressed by the down-home, midwestern character of the man, and that is as it should be. He was definitely a man of courage, good sense and fortitude. We need more of that in the country (and in the White House) these days.
aaronboyes19's review
5.0
McCullough was a master historian and biographer. This biography of Truman was excellent. It personified the former president and showed him as a person, albeit one with immense power and influence during his lifetime. It is a page turner and will not disappoint.
tessisreading2's review
2.0
This book just went on... and on... and on. I enjoyed the early days of Harry Truman, but then it just kept going, in oft-excruciating detail. As I approached the end, I found myself muttering things like, "Really? You think I care this much about his renovation of the White House?" McCullough was clearly aiming to write the comprehensive Truman biography, and I'm sure he has, but there were so many details about so many aspects of Truman's life that weren't particularly interesting - and Truman himself, frankly, doesn't necessarily seem that interesting: fair and honest and patriotic, yes, but if he had a really complex inner life, that... doesn't seem indicated. McCullough clearly really liked his subject, which is great, but did make it difficult occasionally to trust his objectivity in evaluating Truman's motivations or behavior. I guess I'm glad I read it, but wow, it took a long time.