Truman

Well-written and -researched and an interesting, illuminating read. I would have given this five stars if it wasn't so damned long.

Truman is most remembered for two major things: taking over after FDR died in office and launching the world's first Atomic Bomb, ending WWII. So, when I went into this book, I knew that there had to be more to this man than met the eye. I had heard about how this was one of the first cradle-to-grave biographies of Truman in decades, so it won the Pulitzer in 1993. I was excited to read another book by McCullough, whose writing style I loved when I read John Adams years ago. However, the more of this book that I read, the more I realized that just because you are the first of something in years, does not mean you are the best.

This book features many elements of Truman that I was unfamiliar with, such as the different struggles that Truman faced while in office. This includes everything from charges of corruption, to a general who refused to listen to him, as well as problems with world leaders abroad. McCullough delivers all of these issues with the usual grace and style that I have come to expect from him, giving weight to the major issues that the man from Missouri had to deal with. This makes for a fascinating read overall.

However, as much as I liked the writing style, this was one of McCullough's first major biographies, in that he seems to love his subject a little too much. Topics go on for longer than they should, and McCullough tends to focus on the wrong thing overall. The election of 1948, for example, gets a whole chapter devoted to it, with the result that it drags as points and speeches seem to be repeated multiple times. The point where Truman is chosen for the Vice-Presidency, on the other hand, is not given nearly enough attention.

A different way to put this is that Truman feels like McCullough's first attempt at a major biography, so when he wrote John Adams some years later, he learned from his mistakes. Adams feels tighter, with fewer words wasted, and a stronger narrative. McCullough knew what to cut and what to keep in with Adams. He does not know how to do so here. The result is a book that I liked while reading, but could not remember as soon as I put it down, or stopped listening, which is a shame.

So maybe this is a case of me just not getting it. Maybe it is a case of my just not understanding the book overall, and I am just doomed to be in the minority who respect this book, more than they like it. Either way, I give this book a three out of five. You should read it, but be warned, this chunky boy might be more of a disappointment than you expect.