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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
informative
A collection of interviews with Harry Truman and several people who were close to him. The book allows you to get to know the man, his attitude, his approach, his principles, and his incredible knowledge of US and world history.
I picked up this book after Ryan Holiday mentioned it on his reading list. I managed to find it on the local libraries' storage catalogue - what a find!
This book was a series of conversations between Truman and the author that took place long after his presidency. It was loosely structures in a biographical manner, beginning with his childhood and going through to his presidency, finishing with his thoughts on the past 15 years after. This book painted a clear picture of the type of man Truman was. He was a main with strong moral convictions- I would liken him to Sam Rayburn in this way, and they mention that they were friends. He also was a voracious reader and had an encyclopedic knowledge of world events. He made sure he was well educated on a topic before he made a decision, and then stuck with that decision. One other big theme that came through in his books- no regrets. If we are doing it right, we are making decisions using the information we had available. This was particularly interesting concerning the dropping of the nukes on Japan. He was convinced that this was the correct course of action, almost to a fault of not wanting to look back at this time.
All in all, I got the impression that despite his flaws (sometimes letting his anger get the best of him and saying things he probably shouldn't have said) that Truman was one of the greats. He was a true public servant and did great things for his country.
Three stars because it was OK. If you love reading about US presidents, give this a read. If not, you're probably better served reading one of the Caro or Chernow biographies, or potentially the Politzer prize winning McCullough biography first.
This book was a series of conversations between Truman and the author that took place long after his presidency. It was loosely structures in a biographical manner, beginning with his childhood and going through to his presidency, finishing with his thoughts on the past 15 years after. This book painted a clear picture of the type of man Truman was. He was a main with strong moral convictions- I would liken him to Sam Rayburn in this way, and they mention that they were friends. He also was a voracious reader and had an encyclopedic knowledge of world events. He made sure he was well educated on a topic before he made a decision, and then stuck with that decision. One other big theme that came through in his books- no regrets. If we are doing it right, we are making decisions using the information we had available. This was particularly interesting concerning the dropping of the nukes on Japan. He was convinced that this was the correct course of action, almost to a fault of not wanting to look back at this time.
All in all, I got the impression that despite his flaws (sometimes letting his anger get the best of him and saying things he probably shouldn't have said) that Truman was one of the greats. He was a true public servant and did great things for his country.
Three stars because it was OK. If you love reading about US presidents, give this a read. If not, you're probably better served reading one of the Caro or Chernow biographies, or potentially the Politzer prize winning McCullough biography first.
informative
Several years ago, I visited the Truman Library in Independence, MO. I got to talking to a man staying at the same hotel about Harry Truman. He came to see the library also. He told me that Plain Speaking was the best book on Truman. He was not far from the truth. If you are new to the nation's 33rd president, I would recommend David McCullough's Truman. However, to get to the voice and personality of Truman, read, no, listen to this book.
Miller's book is like no other presidential biography I have ever read. Miller sat down with Truman to create a series of TV shows that never came to be. He took what he had recorded, transcribed it, mixed it with other interviews he had conducted, and came up with this amazingly insightful oral history. It felt as if I were sitting next to the former president as he would talk about his life, his presidency, and other presidents throughout history. With other books, I understood what and why Truman did what he did. With this book, I understand who Truman was. I highly recommend the Audible version of the book, read by Chris Ciulla. He does an incredible job capturing the tone and mannerisms of Truman's voice. It feels very real.
Now I'm waiting for the world to reopen, as well as the Truman Library to reopen as it is undergoing renovations. I'm sure as I make the 4 hour drive back to Independence, I will be listening to this audiobook again.
Miller's book is like no other presidential biography I have ever read. Miller sat down with Truman to create a series of TV shows that never came to be. He took what he had recorded, transcribed it, mixed it with other interviews he had conducted, and came up with this amazingly insightful oral history. It felt as if I were sitting next to the former president as he would talk about his life, his presidency, and other presidents throughout history. With other books, I understood what and why Truman did what he did. With this book, I understand who Truman was. I highly recommend the Audible version of the book, read by Chris Ciulla. He does an incredible job capturing the tone and mannerisms of Truman's voice. It feels very real.
Now I'm waiting for the world to reopen, as well as the Truman Library to reopen as it is undergoing renovations. I'm sure as I make the 4 hour drive back to Independence, I will be listening to this audiobook again.