Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
Truman
by David McCullough
Summary
David McCullough delivers a sweeping life of Harry S. Truman, following the Missouri farm boy and failed haberdasher who rose through machine politics to the Senate and then the presidency upon Franklin Roosevelt's death. The book covers the decision to drop the atomic bomb, the Marshall Plan, the recognition of Israel, and the upset victory of 1948. It portrays Truman as a plainspoken man of principle thrust into world shaping choices.
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Historical Context & Significance
McCullough's biography became a bestseller and helped fuel a lasting revival of Truman's reputation among historians and the public.