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The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman’s first four months in office, when this unlikely, small-town former farmer and haberdasher had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
Heroes are often defined as ordinary characters who get thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and through courage and a dash of luck, cement their place in history. Chosen as FDR’s fourth-term vice president for his well-praised work ethic, good judgment, and lack of enemies, Harry S. Truman was the prototypical ordinary man, still considered an obscure Missouri politician. That is, until he was shockingly thrust in over his head after FDR's sudden death. At the climactic moments of the Second World War, Truman had to play judge and jury during the founding of the United Nations, the Potsdam Conference, the Manhattan Project, the Nazi surrender, the liberation of concentration camps, and the decision to drop the bomb and end World War II. Tightly focused, meticulously researched, and using documents not available to previous biographers, The Accidental President escorts readers into the situation room with Truman during this tumultuous, history-making 120 days, when the stakes were high and the challenges even higher.
Heroes are often defined as ordinary characters who get thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and through courage and a dash of luck, cement their place in history. Chosen as FDR’s fourth-term vice president for his well-praised work ethic, good judgment, and lack of enemies, Harry S. Truman was the prototypical ordinary man, still considered an obscure Missouri politician. That is, until he was shockingly thrust in over his head after FDR's sudden death. At the climactic moments of the Second World War, Truman had to play judge and jury during the founding of the United Nations, the Potsdam Conference, the Manhattan Project, the Nazi surrender, the liberation of concentration camps, and the decision to drop the bomb and end World War II. Tightly focused, meticulously researched, and using documents not available to previous biographers, The Accidental President escorts readers into the situation room with Truman during this tumultuous, history-making 120 days, when the stakes were high and the challenges even higher.
461 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2017
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December 16, 2019
Page 26 (my book) April 12/1945 the day that President Roosevelt died
Ushers greeted the vice-president at the door [of the White House] … They led him upstairs to the First Lady’s private study, where Truman found Mrs. Roosevelt, her daughter and son-in-law Anna and John Boettiger, and Stephen Early, sitting quietly. The First Lady approached Truman and put her arm around his shoulder.
“Harry,” she said, “the president is dead.”
He gathered himself. “Is there anything I can do for you?’ he asked the First Lady.
“Is there anything we can do for you,” Eleanor Roosevelt answered, “For you are the one in trouble now.”
This book is about the four months after President Roosevelt died, where his successor Harry S. Truman faced monumental challenges, which really is almost an understatement considering all that happened during that time period.
Truman came to the helm of a newly ascendant United States that was on the verge, with its allies Britain and the Soviet Union, of destroying Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan.
The personalities that Truman had to contend with were already giants of the twentieth century – Churchill, Stalin, and the ghost of the departed President Roosevelt. The staggering issues Truman faced are splendidly outlined in this narrative.
One can imagine how Truman felt giving his first speech to Congress on April 16th, less than a week after the death of President Roosevelt.
The learning curve for the new president was fraught with little room for error. It must be said that Truman was not one to obfuscate issues (like Roosevelt sometimes did), but would meet a crisis head-on, being very decisive; sometimes to his advantage, but at other times to his detriment.
Along with England (and Churchill) the U.S. was being made aware that Stalin was playing an entirely different game and not adhering to the agreements made at Yalta.
Another very significant backdrop is the atomic bomb which was still under development when Truman took over the presidency. Actually, when Truman became president, he was completely unaware of the bomb; Roosevelt not being very good at keeping his vice-president abreast of developments (another example is that Truman had to look at the massive documents produced at Yalta and comprehend quickly what had transpired).
Truman faced many decisions to be taken in regards to the bomb – and this was dependent on if it worked. He wanted a test done by the time he went to the Potsdam Conference with Churchill and Stalin in July, 1945. A successful test was made in Alamogordo, New Mexico on July 13 during the conference.
Defeating Japan was just one of the major problems facing the new president. Up to the time of the first detonation in New Mexico it was planned to have a landing on mainland Japan of over 700,000 U.S. and British troops.
Another major hurdle for Truman was to make real President Roosevelt’s vision of the United Nations. This was done in San Francisco in May and June of 1945.
Truman became very popular with the American people during those first four months. Whereas Roosevelt was seen to understand the American people, Truman was one of them – a small-town farmer from Missouri.
This book captures this invigorating time period of Truman’s first months in office where history was constantly being made that would impact mankind for eternity. As the author states the U.S. achieved admiration around the world for its democratic values and its use of power.
Ushers greeted the vice-president at the door [of the White House] … They led him upstairs to the First Lady’s private study, where Truman found Mrs. Roosevelt, her daughter and son-in-law Anna and John Boettiger, and Stephen Early, sitting quietly. The First Lady approached Truman and put her arm around his shoulder.
“Harry,” she said, “the president is dead.”
He gathered himself. “Is there anything I can do for you?’ he asked the First Lady.
“Is there anything we can do for you,” Eleanor Roosevelt answered, “For you are the one in trouble now.”
This book is about the four months after President Roosevelt died, where his successor Harry S. Truman faced monumental challenges, which really is almost an understatement considering all that happened during that time period.
Truman came to the helm of a newly ascendant United States that was on the verge, with its allies Britain and the Soviet Union, of destroying Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan.
The personalities that Truman had to contend with were already giants of the twentieth century – Churchill, Stalin, and the ghost of the departed President Roosevelt. The staggering issues Truman faced are splendidly outlined in this narrative.
One can imagine how Truman felt giving his first speech to Congress on April 16th, less than a week after the death of President Roosevelt.
The learning curve for the new president was fraught with little room for error. It must be said that Truman was not one to obfuscate issues (like Roosevelt sometimes did), but would meet a crisis head-on, being very decisive; sometimes to his advantage, but at other times to his detriment.
Along with England (and Churchill) the U.S. was being made aware that Stalin was playing an entirely different game and not adhering to the agreements made at Yalta.
Another very significant backdrop is the atomic bomb which was still under development when Truman took over the presidency. Actually, when Truman became president, he was completely unaware of the bomb; Roosevelt not being very good at keeping his vice-president abreast of developments (another example is that Truman had to look at the massive documents produced at Yalta and comprehend quickly what had transpired).
Truman faced many decisions to be taken in regards to the bomb – and this was dependent on if it worked. He wanted a test done by the time he went to the Potsdam Conference with Churchill and Stalin in July, 1945. A successful test was made in Alamogordo, New Mexico on July 13 during the conference.
Defeating Japan was just one of the major problems facing the new president. Up to the time of the first detonation in New Mexico it was planned to have a landing on mainland Japan of over 700,000 U.S. and British troops.
Another major hurdle for Truman was to make real President Roosevelt’s vision of the United Nations. This was done in San Francisco in May and June of 1945.
Truman became very popular with the American people during those first four months. Whereas Roosevelt was seen to understand the American people, Truman was one of them – a small-town farmer from Missouri.
This book captures this invigorating time period of Truman’s first months in office where history was constantly being made that would impact mankind for eternity. As the author states the U.S. achieved admiration around the world for its democratic values and its use of power.
June 27, 2018
I met former President Harry S. Truman when he spent several days at my college. If you wanted to chat you could just walk up to him. The best time was early in the morning when he took his “daily constitutional” walk. Walking along with him was a great way to get to know how “down to earth” he was, and how much he valued every person.
Some of that comes through strongly in Baime’s book, which has as its primary focus the four months after Truman is thrust into the job by the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It would have been a whole lot easier if FDR had taken any steps to prepare Truman for that possibility. Aside from sending him a congratulatory note on election night he did almost nothing.
I have read some excellent biographies of Truman. Among them are Merle Miller’s Plain Speaking and Truman by David McCullough. I believe it was McCullough that quoted Harry’s cousin as noting that he was 'always' a late bloomer. He didn't marry until he was 35...so, why should it surprise for him to first arrive in Washington in his early 50's?
Baime does fine work in describing those first months of Truman’s presidency. He also devotes a large portion of the book to Truman’s early life, army experience, etc. That, while adequately covered, is outside the scope Baime sets in his title and seems more filler than “real meat.”
Yet his description of the campaign is entertaining: "The candidate’s appeal was his everyman persona. He was your neighbor, or the guy standing on line at the pharmacy, who just happened to be running for VP. Truman was “one of the most amazing stories in American democracy,” wrote one Boston Globe reporter. “It is the story of an average man, swept to dizzy heights against his will, a little bewildered by it all and doubting whether it is really true.” His message was a simple one: Now, in the climactic moments of the world war, was not the time to change chief executives."
And he notes the seemingly missed irony in one of his campaign speeches when he wanted to contrast the Republican, Dewey, with Roosevelt. "In early November the train pulled into Kansas City. In front of his hometown crowd, Truman delivered the most ironic sentence of his life: “Ask yourself if you want a man with no experience to sit at the peace table with Churchill, Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek." I guess nobody thought Harry was describing himself.
For a man who was practically dropped into the Presidency, Truman swam rather than sunk. The country did just fine with his leadership and he had some very tough decisions to make. I found the immediacy that Baime conveys about those few months well worthwhile, and if the rest wasn’t as eye-popping as Miller’s or McCullough’s books, well you could always read one of those as well.
Some of that comes through strongly in Baime’s book, which has as its primary focus the four months after Truman is thrust into the job by the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It would have been a whole lot easier if FDR had taken any steps to prepare Truman for that possibility. Aside from sending him a congratulatory note on election night he did almost nothing.
I have read some excellent biographies of Truman. Among them are Merle Miller’s Plain Speaking and Truman by David McCullough. I believe it was McCullough that quoted Harry’s cousin as noting that he was 'always' a late bloomer. He didn't marry until he was 35...so, why should it surprise for him to first arrive in Washington in his early 50's?
Baime does fine work in describing those first months of Truman’s presidency. He also devotes a large portion of the book to Truman’s early life, army experience, etc. That, while adequately covered, is outside the scope Baime sets in his title and seems more filler than “real meat.”
Yet his description of the campaign is entertaining: "The candidate’s appeal was his everyman persona. He was your neighbor, or the guy standing on line at the pharmacy, who just happened to be running for VP. Truman was “one of the most amazing stories in American democracy,” wrote one Boston Globe reporter. “It is the story of an average man, swept to dizzy heights against his will, a little bewildered by it all and doubting whether it is really true.” His message was a simple one: Now, in the climactic moments of the world war, was not the time to change chief executives."
And he notes the seemingly missed irony in one of his campaign speeches when he wanted to contrast the Republican, Dewey, with Roosevelt. "In early November the train pulled into Kansas City. In front of his hometown crowd, Truman delivered the most ironic sentence of his life: “Ask yourself if you want a man with no experience to sit at the peace table with Churchill, Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek." I guess nobody thought Harry was describing himself.
For a man who was practically dropped into the Presidency, Truman swam rather than sunk. The country did just fine with his leadership and he had some very tough decisions to make. I found the immediacy that Baime conveys about those few months well worthwhile, and if the rest wasn’t as eye-popping as Miller’s or McCullough’s books, well you could always read one of those as well.
December 13, 2022
The New Yorker summed up America’s passion for Truman: “There is one thing about President Truman—he is made in the image of the people. You go into a men’s shop to buy a pair of pajamas, President Truman waits on you. You go to have a tooth X-rayed, Truman takes the picture. You board a downtown bus, Truman is at the wheel. Probably it’s those glasses he wears, but whatever it is, we rather like having a President who always seems to be around. President Roosevelt was for the people, but Harry Truman is the people.”
The Accidental President by A. J. Baime (Page 223)
The selection of Harry Truman as a running mate for Franklin Roosevelt in 1944 could be seen as a comedy. Everyone familiar with Roosevelt was aware of his failing health. These people knew that Roosevelt’s running mate was likely to become president. Many ambitious people sought the candidacy, but Harry Truman was not one of them. He consistently fought off the nomination. When told that the president wanted him as a running mate, Truman replied, “Tell him to go to hell.” However, taking a phone call from the President, he responded, “Yes, sir. I know you’re Commander-in-Chief. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what I’ll do. I have always taken orders from the Commander-in-Chief.” (Page 102)
His nomination was not very highly regarded and was a concern among party members. He was called “the Missouri Compromise.” He had to live down his association with Tom Pendergast, a Kansas City Democratic political boss, who would eventually be sentenced to prison and die in Leavenworth penitentiary. When he assumed the presidency he confronted an administration deeply depressed by the death of Roosevelt and doubting his ability to govern. However, he gradually earned the respect of many. Whereas Roosevelt had regaled the press with quips and stories, Truman actually answered questions. He earned the respect of his cabinet, many of whom were Roosevelt appointees, by being decisive and giving clear directions.
The Potsdam conference with Churchill and Stalin is a major section of this book. Several of the delegates, both British and Soviet, commented upon the quality of this forthright American. They are quoted as stating: “his direct simplicity in speaking his mind … He brings a refreshing atmosphere to this old Europe.” (Page 305) Churchill’s impressions of Truman were also positive. He recognized Truman’s “most noteworthy personal trait: ‘his obvious power of decision’” The difference between Roosevelt and Truman was noted as “Roosevelt improvised, while Truman stuck to the script. Roosevelt’s discourse rambled, but Truman was crisp and to the point.”
This book focuses on the four months from April 12, 1945, when Franklin Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia, to August 14, 1945, when the word was received at the White House that Japan had accepted the terms of unconditional surrender.
Four days after the signing of the surrender documents Truman delivered to Congress his twenty-one point program. In it he outlined his strategy for postwar America. Included were plans for a hyper-fast reconversion to a peacetime economy, unemployment and labor programs, and investment in housing, small business, and farming for veterans. The fears of postwar runaway inflation and economic paralysis did not happen. Still these things along with his groundbreaking support for civil rights did not endear him to many Americans.
Today he is remembered for the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan which helped save many emerging democratic countries from falling to communism. He was the first world leader to recognize Israel. He is remembered for the Berlin Airlift following the Soviet blockade. He is remembered for firing “Dangerous” Douglas MacArthur. He is remembered for Executive Order 9981, issued on July 26, 1948, which abolished discrimination in the United States Armed Forces.
Still in spite of all these historic events, he is remembered most for his decision to use atomic bombs. There are still many unresolved questions about that decision. Was it a political decision to stop Russia from taking territory in the Far East. Did racism towards Japan play a part in that decision. Would Japan have surrendered without its use, and when and after how many lives were lost. The debate over that decision is wide and deep, but there is a smell of revisionism following the Vietnam War. This author does not render a verdict on that question. I like a quote by James D. Hornfischer in his book The Fleet at Flood Tide:
“In the end, the United States departed from the heritage of war-making handed down to it by the great centurion-states of the West. Unlike Sparta and Rome, America ministered to its enemy with surpassing mercy”
(page 496).
This book works as a concluding chapter to World War II. It covers the many political developments occurring in the four months before Japan surrendered. The Cold War is considered to have started during this time at the Potsdam Conference following Truman informing Stalin of the Atomic Bomb. At this conference Churchill learned that he was no longer the Prime Minister of England.
At the Potsdam Conference Truman accomplished about as much as anyone could have. His presidency is rated among the top six in a 2021 Presidential Historians Survey. If he was “The Accidental President” it was a very fortunate accident.
Addendum
In an attempt to get out in front of any comments on Truman’s decision to drop the Atomic Bombs on Japan I would like to briefly say this:
The moral argument against the use of the atomic bombs against a civilian population cannot be refuted any more than the moral argument against the use of any weapons against a civilian population. There is no threshold of death and destruction that must be crossed to make that immoral. Therefore the issue becomes one of circumstances.
The histories of some of the battles for islands in the Pacific during the war are evidence of the barbarity of the Japanese. Their refusal to surrender and their coercing the civilian population to commit suicide gave ample evidence that further battles would yield horrible fatalities. U.S. Armed Forces watched in horror as mothers killed their children and then jumped to their deaths from cliffs during the battle for Saipan. In Okinawa civilians were given grenades so that they could kill themselves rather than surrender.
The memories of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the murder of our prisoners of war was disturbing to Americans and the President. It gave ample evidence to the view that many deaths for both countries would result from the war continuing. What controversy would have arisen after disclosure that a war-winning weapon sat unused while tens of thousands of Americans died. Explain that to the parents and wives of servicemen killed during an invasion.
Regarding the often-made argument that a naval air-sea blockade would have forced Japan to surrender ignores that death toll. A strategy of blockade and bombardment would have inflicted a pandemic and wholesale famine that would likely have slowly killed millions of Japanese. That would have been just as inhumane.
Likewise an invasion would have in George Marshall’s opinion cost at a minimum one quarter of a million casualties, and might cost as much as a million, on the American side alone, with an equal number of the enemy.
The use of the atomic bomb saved hundreds of thousands of lives both American and Japanese. The war would have continued for many months. There are those who feel the use of the atomic bomb was inhuman, but the war was inhuman. It took the demonstration of the destruction caused by the bomb to convince Japan that it was time to surrender. This ended the war and avoided any more deaths.
There is a paper on the Internet “The Atomic Bombings by Ian Toll” which gives a revisionist view of this issue. Otherwise I relied on the previously mentioned book by James D. Hornfischer, The Fleet at Flood Tide (Pages 493-498).
November 14, 2017
I have read many biographies about Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). In this book A. J. Baime narrows the scope of the book to the first four months of the presidency. The author does provide some early history of Truman so the reader understands how events came about.
On April 12, 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt summoned Truman to the White House to inform him of the death of FDR. Truman said his worst nightmare immediately became a reality. He had only been Vice President for three months and had not been informed about anything by FDR. It would have been extremely difficult for anyone to follow in the footsteps of the charismatic Roosevelt. Truman was honest, decisive and hardworking. Some of the problems he faced that Baime goes into in depth are:
1. The war with Germany
2. The war with Japan
3. Learned about the Manhattan project. Had to decide about using the bomb on Japan.
4. The founding of the United Nations
5. The devastation of Europe and the starving refugees. He sent President Hoover to Europe to deal with the logistics of feeding the people. He and General Marshall developed the Marshall Plan to deal with Europe.
6. Russia posed challenges and different goals. Stalin failed to honor any of his agreements he made with Churchill and Roosevelt about Eastern Europe. Russia developed the atomic bomb and the cold war began.
The book is well-written and meticulously researched. Baime is a journalist and the book is written in that style. Baime detailed a chronology as to how Truman transformed into a president and leader of the world. Baime makes history come alive and makes an enjoyable read. The book is well organized. Truman faced many difficult situations over his presidency that had great effect upon the world and the United States. In fact, Baime claims no other president in the history of the United States has faced such difficulties at the beginning of their presidency.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Tony Messano does a good job narrating the book. Messano is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator. This is my first experience with listening to Messano.
On April 12, 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt summoned Truman to the White House to inform him of the death of FDR. Truman said his worst nightmare immediately became a reality. He had only been Vice President for three months and had not been informed about anything by FDR. It would have been extremely difficult for anyone to follow in the footsteps of the charismatic Roosevelt. Truman was honest, decisive and hardworking. Some of the problems he faced that Baime goes into in depth are:
1. The war with Germany
2. The war with Japan
3. Learned about the Manhattan project. Had to decide about using the bomb on Japan.
4. The founding of the United Nations
5. The devastation of Europe and the starving refugees. He sent President Hoover to Europe to deal with the logistics of feeding the people. He and General Marshall developed the Marshall Plan to deal with Europe.
6. Russia posed challenges and different goals. Stalin failed to honor any of his agreements he made with Churchill and Roosevelt about Eastern Europe. Russia developed the atomic bomb and the cold war began.
The book is well-written and meticulously researched. Baime is a journalist and the book is written in that style. Baime detailed a chronology as to how Truman transformed into a president and leader of the world. Baime makes history come alive and makes an enjoyable read. The book is well organized. Truman faced many difficult situations over his presidency that had great effect upon the world and the United States. In fact, Baime claims no other president in the history of the United States has faced such difficulties at the beginning of their presidency.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Tony Messano does a good job narrating the book. Messano is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator. This is my first experience with listening to Messano.
October 10, 2017
"Never had fate shoehorned so much history into such a short period." The Accidental President, A. J. Baime
His first response was "No." Truman did not want the position of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's new Vice President.
But FDR commanded it, and Harry S. Truman had to agree.
FDR was not a well man when he took office for a fourth term. And when he died on April 12, 1945, Truman said, "the whole weight of the moon and stars fell on me."
"Who the hell is Harry Truman?"
The Accidental President by A. J. Baime focuses on Truman's first four months in the presidency, portraying Truman as an unknown 'Everyman' kept out of FDR's loop, but who quickly gained the nation's trust and approval while tackling huge challenges. He came into the job with only a layman's knowledge of international politics but scrambled to catch up. Monumental decisions awaited.
Baime offers a condensed biography and profile of Truman and a detailed recreation of his first four months in the presidency. It is daunting to consider what this failed businessman with a high school degree had to contend with! His straight talking, systematic thinking, and unpretentious style was refreshing and his staff was surprised, and appreciative, of his competence.
When Truman took office, the U.S. Army was fifty-seven miles from Berlin. General Dwight Eisenhower had discovered the horrors of Nazi death camps. General LeMay was ruthlessly firebombing Japan, while Japan was sending out mass suicide missions of Kamikaze pilots. Iwo Jima was captured but a third of the American landing force had died.
The Soviets had suffered huge losses battling the Nazis. They wanted payback. Liberating Poland and Austria, they installed puppet regimes. Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote, "An iron curtain is drawn down upon their front."
What to do with Germany had to be decided. Already the Soviets were plundering, hauling away everything they could. If the Soviets joined in war against Japan, they would want a part of Japan, too. Truman could not allow a Soviet presence in Japan.
All of Central Europe's infrastructure had collapsed. Seven million persons were displaced without food or coal for heating. Children suffered from malnutrition.
Yugoslavia wanted a piece of Italy. Chaing Kai-shek and Mao Tse-tung had divided China.
The United Nations was yet to be organized, it's future unknown.
Would the U.S. recognize the new state of Israel?
The American wartime economy was thriving, but what would happen when the war contracts ended and servicemen returned home?
Churchill, who would soon lose his position as Prime Minister, Truman, and Stalin gathered at Potsdam. Truman need all his poker skills when facing off with Stalin. In his pocket was the upcoming test of the most terrible weapon ever known. If used against Japan, would it mean the end of civilization?
Reading about this tumultuous time was exciting and disconcerting. The whole world I grew up in was determined during these first months of 1945.
In his notes, Bamie states that history is a kind of myth that morphs through time as new evidence is unearthed and interpretations arise. The author spent three years sifting through original sources, diaries, and documents, ferreting out "new accession" including oral histories.
I enjoyed this highly readable and informative study.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair an unbiased review.
His first response was "No." Truman did not want the position of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's new Vice President.
But FDR commanded it, and Harry S. Truman had to agree.
FDR was not a well man when he took office for a fourth term. And when he died on April 12, 1945, Truman said, "the whole weight of the moon and stars fell on me."
"Who the hell is Harry Truman?"
The Accidental President by A. J. Baime focuses on Truman's first four months in the presidency, portraying Truman as an unknown 'Everyman' kept out of FDR's loop, but who quickly gained the nation's trust and approval while tackling huge challenges. He came into the job with only a layman's knowledge of international politics but scrambled to catch up. Monumental decisions awaited.
Baime offers a condensed biography and profile of Truman and a detailed recreation of his first four months in the presidency. It is daunting to consider what this failed businessman with a high school degree had to contend with! His straight talking, systematic thinking, and unpretentious style was refreshing and his staff was surprised, and appreciative, of his competence.
When Truman took office, the U.S. Army was fifty-seven miles from Berlin. General Dwight Eisenhower had discovered the horrors of Nazi death camps. General LeMay was ruthlessly firebombing Japan, while Japan was sending out mass suicide missions of Kamikaze pilots. Iwo Jima was captured but a third of the American landing force had died.
The Soviets had suffered huge losses battling the Nazis. They wanted payback. Liberating Poland and Austria, they installed puppet regimes. Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote, "An iron curtain is drawn down upon their front."
What to do with Germany had to be decided. Already the Soviets were plundering, hauling away everything they could. If the Soviets joined in war against Japan, they would want a part of Japan, too. Truman could not allow a Soviet presence in Japan.
All of Central Europe's infrastructure had collapsed. Seven million persons were displaced without food or coal for heating. Children suffered from malnutrition.
Yugoslavia wanted a piece of Italy. Chaing Kai-shek and Mao Tse-tung had divided China.
The United Nations was yet to be organized, it's future unknown.
Would the U.S. recognize the new state of Israel?
The American wartime economy was thriving, but what would happen when the war contracts ended and servicemen returned home?
Churchill, who would soon lose his position as Prime Minister, Truman, and Stalin gathered at Potsdam. Truman need all his poker skills when facing off with Stalin. In his pocket was the upcoming test of the most terrible weapon ever known. If used against Japan, would it mean the end of civilization?
Reading about this tumultuous time was exciting and disconcerting. The whole world I grew up in was determined during these first months of 1945.
In his notes, Bamie states that history is a kind of myth that morphs through time as new evidence is unearthed and interpretations arise. The author spent three years sifting through original sources, diaries, and documents, ferreting out "new accession" including oral histories.
I enjoyed this highly readable and informative study.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair an unbiased review.
September 11, 2023
― “Regardless of Truman’s legacy, the first four months of his administration should rank as the most-challenging and action-packed of any four-month period in any American presidency.”
― A.J. Baime, The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
Eight U.S. Presidents have died while in office, four of them by natural causes. John Tyler, the first vice president to be elevated to the office of president on the death of the incumbent, was dubbed “His Accidency” by his critics. When Franklin Roosevelt suddenly died on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman ascended to the presidency. Shortly after being sworn in, Truman told a senator from Vermont, “I’m not big enough for this job.” Many Americans echoed his concern. On hearing of Roosevelt’s passing, Winston Churchill exclaimed that FDR “died at the supreme climax of the war, and at the moment when his authority was most needed to guide the policy of the United States.” In the introduction to his book, author A.J. Baime poses a new thesis that is described in the quote provided above; he contends that Truman faced challenges in the first four months of his administration beyond those faced by any other American president. Truman felt ill-prepared to face these challenges. A reporter for the Los Angeles Times wrote, “No man ever came to the Presidency of the United States under more difficult circumstances than does Harry S. Truman.” That Harry S. Truman was even in the position to become president is a most remarkable story. Baime makes a cogent case for his premise.
There were a number of reasons many thought Truman seemed ill-prepared to be President. He had only a few classes of formal education beyond high school. Truman “had failed to crack the inner circle of Roosevelt's advisors and in fact knew almost nothing about what was going on in the Oval Office.” Before his venture into politics, Truman had failed at farming. He tried unsuccessfully to earn a living as an owner and operator of a small mining and oil business. After serving during World War I, Truman opened a men's haberdashery with an army buddy. The shop failed after only a few years. Truman had never even had the money to buy his own home.
The obvious problems that Truman faced upon becoming president were numerous. Here are some of the key issues that he faced in the first four months of his presidency, a daunting list:
• The mood in the Soviet Union had shifted shortly after the Yalta conference. Stalin had initiated the Great Purge.
• The Soviets had installed a puppet regime in Poland after being liberated from the Nazis, despite promises from Stalin that Poland would hold free elections. Stalin was obviously intent on extending the Soviet system.
• It was believed that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of American war prisoners were stranded in Poland, and US officials were barred from getting inside to check on their condition.
• Stalin reneged on his promise to allow the United States to set up military bases in Hungary.
• Much of Europe had been left annihilated during the war. There was complete economic, social and political collapse in much of Europe. Many had been left homeless by the devastation, leaving an estimated seven million displaced persons. There was little food. Railroads, canals and roads had been destroyed. “Without drastic action” hunger and pestilence could lead to political unrest. An estimated 70 to 80 percent of Europeans suffered from malnutrition. Many children had tuberculosis.
• Factories producing war materials in the US would have to stop producing. Unemployment was predicted to skyrocket. Wages had increased but the supply of goods had declined at a time when there was tremendous demand. This was a recipe for runaway inflation. Millions of soldiers would return with money they would want to spend. The war had created massive budget deficits.
• Yugoslavia’s President Tito had annexed a portion of Italy.
• Two major challenges faced the Middle East. Predatory nations wanted to take advantage of the resources to be found in the Middle East. Arabs were hostile to Zionism.
• Truman faced a tripartite meeting with the Big Three leaders.
• Truman only learned about the atomic bomb after he assumed the presidency. He faced the difficult decision on whether to use the weapon.
Truman was eager to make decisions promptly. “Truman’s most noteworthy personal trait: his ‘obvious power of decision.’” Yet some of the decisions Truman faced required deliberation. His decision to cut Lend-Lease shocked Churchill and Stalin and damaged Truman’s standing in international relations. Yet, as Truman prepared to attend the tripartite meeting in Potsdam, Americans were quite pleased with the new president.
― “At the time of his departure, a new Gallup poll set his approval rating at a miraculous 87 percent. Never during any of Franklin Roosevelt’s days as president had FDR enjoyed an approval rating that high.”
― A.J. Baime, The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
Author A.J. Baime has done more than produce a convincing defense of his premise, that Truman faced the most difficult first four months of any U.S. President, he has provided the reader with a warm portrait of an unlikely president. While he makes no excuses for Truman, he convincingly demonstrates that America was fortunate to have such a leader of integrity.
― A.J. Baime, The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
Eight U.S. Presidents have died while in office, four of them by natural causes. John Tyler, the first vice president to be elevated to the office of president on the death of the incumbent, was dubbed “His Accidency” by his critics. When Franklin Roosevelt suddenly died on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman ascended to the presidency. Shortly after being sworn in, Truman told a senator from Vermont, “I’m not big enough for this job.” Many Americans echoed his concern. On hearing of Roosevelt’s passing, Winston Churchill exclaimed that FDR “died at the supreme climax of the war, and at the moment when his authority was most needed to guide the policy of the United States.” In the introduction to his book, author A.J. Baime poses a new thesis that is described in the quote provided above; he contends that Truman faced challenges in the first four months of his administration beyond those faced by any other American president. Truman felt ill-prepared to face these challenges. A reporter for the Los Angeles Times wrote, “No man ever came to the Presidency of the United States under more difficult circumstances than does Harry S. Truman.” That Harry S. Truman was even in the position to become president is a most remarkable story. Baime makes a cogent case for his premise.
There were a number of reasons many thought Truman seemed ill-prepared to be President. He had only a few classes of formal education beyond high school. Truman “had failed to crack the inner circle of Roosevelt's advisors and in fact knew almost nothing about what was going on in the Oval Office.” Before his venture into politics, Truman had failed at farming. He tried unsuccessfully to earn a living as an owner and operator of a small mining and oil business. After serving during World War I, Truman opened a men's haberdashery with an army buddy. The shop failed after only a few years. Truman had never even had the money to buy his own home.
The obvious problems that Truman faced upon becoming president were numerous. Here are some of the key issues that he faced in the first four months of his presidency, a daunting list:
• The mood in the Soviet Union had shifted shortly after the Yalta conference. Stalin had initiated the Great Purge.
• The Soviets had installed a puppet regime in Poland after being liberated from the Nazis, despite promises from Stalin that Poland would hold free elections. Stalin was obviously intent on extending the Soviet system.
• It was believed that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of American war prisoners were stranded in Poland, and US officials were barred from getting inside to check on their condition.
• Stalin reneged on his promise to allow the United States to set up military bases in Hungary.
• Much of Europe had been left annihilated during the war. There was complete economic, social and political collapse in much of Europe. Many had been left homeless by the devastation, leaving an estimated seven million displaced persons. There was little food. Railroads, canals and roads had been destroyed. “Without drastic action” hunger and pestilence could lead to political unrest. An estimated 70 to 80 percent of Europeans suffered from malnutrition. Many children had tuberculosis.
• Factories producing war materials in the US would have to stop producing. Unemployment was predicted to skyrocket. Wages had increased but the supply of goods had declined at a time when there was tremendous demand. This was a recipe for runaway inflation. Millions of soldiers would return with money they would want to spend. The war had created massive budget deficits.
• Yugoslavia’s President Tito had annexed a portion of Italy.
• Two major challenges faced the Middle East. Predatory nations wanted to take advantage of the resources to be found in the Middle East. Arabs were hostile to Zionism.
• Truman faced a tripartite meeting with the Big Three leaders.
• Truman only learned about the atomic bomb after he assumed the presidency. He faced the difficult decision on whether to use the weapon.
Truman was eager to make decisions promptly. “Truman’s most noteworthy personal trait: his ‘obvious power of decision.’” Yet some of the decisions Truman faced required deliberation. His decision to cut Lend-Lease shocked Churchill and Stalin and damaged Truman’s standing in international relations. Yet, as Truman prepared to attend the tripartite meeting in Potsdam, Americans were quite pleased with the new president.
― “At the time of his departure, a new Gallup poll set his approval rating at a miraculous 87 percent. Never during any of Franklin Roosevelt’s days as president had FDR enjoyed an approval rating that high.”
― A.J. Baime, The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
Author A.J. Baime has done more than produce a convincing defense of his premise, that Truman faced the most difficult first four months of any U.S. President, he has provided the reader with a warm portrait of an unlikely president. While he makes no excuses for Truman, he convincingly demonstrates that America was fortunate to have such a leader of integrity.
May 28, 2021
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2021...
Published in 2017, "The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World” is the fourth of A.J. Baime's five books. His more recent "Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America’s Soul" was published in 2020. Baime is also an automotive journalist/enthusiast and frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal.
Baime quickly confesses this is not intended as a full-length biography of Truman but, rather, as "an intimate biographical portrait of Truman" during his early presidency. He goes so far as to postulate that the first four months of Truman's presidency rank as "the most challenging and action-packed" of any four-month period in American history. Hyperbole apparently unintended.
Unsurprisingly, most of the book's 360-page narrative concerns the early months of Truman's presidency - as the war in Europe ended and he authorized the use of atomic weapons over Japan. Despite the book's focus, however, readers unfamiliar with Truman's life will find a surprisingly comprehensive review of his pre-presidency. But while these nine chapters are too brief to replace a traditional exploration of Truman's early life, they will prove unnecessary - and somewhat uninspired - to many readers.
There are numerous stretches which will appeal to a wide audience. Baime's review of Truman's daily schedule as president is quite interesting as is his discussion of the Trinity nuclear test. And the author's description of the B-29 air raids over Tokyo is engrossing. Finally, this book observes numerous interactions between the president and his colleagues or advisers which add useful incremental color to the conventional portrait of Truman.
But one overarching issue pervades this text: "The Accidental President" always seems to be a book in search of a cause. While it is clear Baime did not intend to produce a cradle-to-grave biography of Truman's life, it is never entirely clear what he really did intend to create.
Despite his provocative contention of a historically challenging early Truman presidency, Baime never makes an effort to prove his claim. Inexplicably, he never even attempts to compare the challenges (or pace) of Truman's first four months to FDR's...or to Lincoln's. Instead, he simply deposits a spectacular assertion as a rationale for the book before proceeding to narrate interesting but well-trod history, seemingly devoid of meaningful revelations.
Writing an "intimate biographical portrait" also suggests conveying deep personal insights and interpersonal connections. But here, too, the book falls short. This is interesting condensed history and not a character study. Readers expecting to walk away with a thorough understanding of Truman's psyche or a robust familiarity with his most meaningful personal relationships will be sorely disappointed. Instead of diving deeply on anything (or anyone), most of the book reads like a drive-by shooting; history is observed...but never seriously analyzed or explored.
Overall, A. J. Baime's "The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World” is a serviceable but unexceptional review of Truman's life up through the early months of his presidency. Readers unfamiliar with his life and legacy are likely to find this book generally interesting and insightful. But as a meaningful review of Truman's life or legacy, or as a purposeful study of the possibly historic nature of his early presidency, the book proves disappointing.
Overall Rating: 3 stars
Published in 2017, "The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World” is the fourth of A.J. Baime's five books. His more recent "Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America’s Soul" was published in 2020. Baime is also an automotive journalist/enthusiast and frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal.
Baime quickly confesses this is not intended as a full-length biography of Truman but, rather, as "an intimate biographical portrait of Truman" during his early presidency. He goes so far as to postulate that the first four months of Truman's presidency rank as "the most challenging and action-packed" of any four-month period in American history. Hyperbole apparently unintended.
Unsurprisingly, most of the book's 360-page narrative concerns the early months of Truman's presidency - as the war in Europe ended and he authorized the use of atomic weapons over Japan. Despite the book's focus, however, readers unfamiliar with Truman's life will find a surprisingly comprehensive review of his pre-presidency. But while these nine chapters are too brief to replace a traditional exploration of Truman's early life, they will prove unnecessary - and somewhat uninspired - to many readers.
There are numerous stretches which will appeal to a wide audience. Baime's review of Truman's daily schedule as president is quite interesting as is his discussion of the Trinity nuclear test. And the author's description of the B-29 air raids over Tokyo is engrossing. Finally, this book observes numerous interactions between the president and his colleagues or advisers which add useful incremental color to the conventional portrait of Truman.
But one overarching issue pervades this text: "The Accidental President" always seems to be a book in search of a cause. While it is clear Baime did not intend to produce a cradle-to-grave biography of Truman's life, it is never entirely clear what he really did intend to create.
Despite his provocative contention of a historically challenging early Truman presidency, Baime never makes an effort to prove his claim. Inexplicably, he never even attempts to compare the challenges (or pace) of Truman's first four months to FDR's...or to Lincoln's. Instead, he simply deposits a spectacular assertion as a rationale for the book before proceeding to narrate interesting but well-trod history, seemingly devoid of meaningful revelations.
Writing an "intimate biographical portrait" also suggests conveying deep personal insights and interpersonal connections. But here, too, the book falls short. This is interesting condensed history and not a character study. Readers expecting to walk away with a thorough understanding of Truman's psyche or a robust familiarity with his most meaningful personal relationships will be sorely disappointed. Instead of diving deeply on anything (or anyone), most of the book reads like a drive-by shooting; history is observed...but never seriously analyzed or explored.
Overall, A. J. Baime's "The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World” is a serviceable but unexceptional review of Truman's life up through the early months of his presidency. Readers unfamiliar with his life and legacy are likely to find this book generally interesting and insightful. But as a meaningful review of Truman's life or legacy, or as a purposeful study of the possibly historic nature of his early presidency, the book proves disappointing.
Overall Rating: 3 stars
August 10, 2020
Even though this book focuses on only four months of Harry Truman's presidency -- between the time Franklin Roosevelt died and Japan surrendered to the USA -- you may never read a better political biography. Author A.J. Baime's extraordinary research, organization and writing make THE ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT a must-read, even for those of us who already know the Man from Missouri's life story. I especially enjoyed the way the author fused the personal with the political aspects of Harry Truman, showing how the man's ramrod character, insatiable work ethic and leadership skills made him among the top American Presidents.
from the book:
[Truman] wanted to talk to Miss Tillie Brown of Independence, Missouri.
[Matthew] Connelly made the phone call through the White House operator, and Miss Tillie picked up in Independence. Truman grabbed the phone and said, "Miss Tillie, who do you think this is?"
"Well, I don't know," answered the elderly woman.
"This is Harry Truman."
"The President?"
"Miss Tillie, who do you think I have with me?"
"Who do you have with you?"
"Charlie Ross. He's going to be my press secretary."
Connelly would recall tearing up while listening to this phone call. So too did Stephen Early, Roosevelt's long-time press secretary. . . . "Boy, what a man. I'll never forget it. I loved Roosevelt, but we have a President." (pp. 156-157)
While this book is a glory intellectually, the paperback edition with its cheap paper, smallish typeface and grey print is a disappointment physically, and just plain hard to read. Readers may want to seek out a used hardcover edition of the book, or go online. But do read it.
from the book:
[At the Potsdam conference]:
By the morning of July 28, Truman was still suffering intellectual exhaustion. He had been away from Washington now for twenty-two days. He was able to call Bess [his wife] on a transatlantic telephone, but hearing her voice made him "terribly homesick." He wrote his mother and his sister a letter. "Well," the missive began, "here another week has gone and I'm still in this godforsaken country awaiting the return of a new British Prime Minister." (p. 323)
from the book:
[Truman] wanted to talk to Miss Tillie Brown of Independence, Missouri.
[Matthew] Connelly made the phone call through the White House operator, and Miss Tillie picked up in Independence. Truman grabbed the phone and said, "Miss Tillie, who do you think this is?"
"Well, I don't know," answered the elderly woman.
"This is Harry Truman."
"The President?"
"Miss Tillie, who do you think I have with me?"
"Who do you have with you?"
"Charlie Ross. He's going to be my press secretary."
Connelly would recall tearing up while listening to this phone call. So too did Stephen Early, Roosevelt's long-time press secretary. . . . "Boy, what a man. I'll never forget it. I loved Roosevelt, but we have a President." (pp. 156-157)
While this book is a glory intellectually, the paperback edition with its cheap paper, smallish typeface and grey print is a disappointment physically, and just plain hard to read. Readers may want to seek out a used hardcover edition of the book, or go online. But do read it.
from the book:
[At the Potsdam conference]:
By the morning of July 28, Truman was still suffering intellectual exhaustion. He had been away from Washington now for twenty-two days. He was able to call Bess [his wife] on a transatlantic telephone, but hearing her voice made him "terribly homesick." He wrote his mother and his sister a letter. "Well," the missive began, "here another week has gone and I'm still in this godforsaken country awaiting the return of a new British Prime Minister." (p. 323)
May 21, 2023
3.5 Stars
Harry Truman never wanted to be president. In his early life he was a small town farmer and haberdasher. And not very successful at either. Truman's start in politics came about thanks to the help of the Kansas City Democratic machine led by Tom Pendergast. First as County Court judge of Jackson County's eastern district and later as Senator from Missouri.
By the time Roosevelt decided to run for a fourth term as president a decision was made that a change was needed for vice president. Henry Wallace was considered too far left. Roosevelt wanted either Truman or Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. Party leaders preferred Truman. Truman's vice-presidency was uneventful. He presided over the Senate, attended parties and receptions, and only met with Roosevelt twice. Roosevelt didn't even keep Truman informed on important events.
On April 12, 1945 he received an urgent message to go immediately to the White House. There Eleanor Roosevelt told him that her husband had died after a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Truman asked her if there was anything he could do for her; she replied, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!" After he was sworn in as president a aide told him about a top secret project known as the Manhattan Project and that he will be told more shortly.
Any president has a lot of responsibility but Truman had an extraordinary amount happening in his first four months. The surrender of Nazi Germany and the liberation of concentration camps, the Potsdam Conference, the founding of the United Nations, and the Manhattan Project. He had to make the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.
In many ways Truman was an ordinary man. I had to laugh when I read that shortly after becoming president Truman caught the Secret Service agents in the White House by surprise when he bounded down the steps and out of the White House unannounced. He was headed to the bank for some cash.
Harry Truman never wanted to be president. In his early life he was a small town farmer and haberdasher. And not very successful at either. Truman's start in politics came about thanks to the help of the Kansas City Democratic machine led by Tom Pendergast. First as County Court judge of Jackson County's eastern district and later as Senator from Missouri.
By the time Roosevelt decided to run for a fourth term as president a decision was made that a change was needed for vice president. Henry Wallace was considered too far left. Roosevelt wanted either Truman or Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. Party leaders preferred Truman. Truman's vice-presidency was uneventful. He presided over the Senate, attended parties and receptions, and only met with Roosevelt twice. Roosevelt didn't even keep Truman informed on important events.
On April 12, 1945 he received an urgent message to go immediately to the White House. There Eleanor Roosevelt told him that her husband had died after a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Truman asked her if there was anything he could do for her; she replied, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!" After he was sworn in as president a aide told him about a top secret project known as the Manhattan Project and that he will be told more shortly.
Any president has a lot of responsibility but Truman had an extraordinary amount happening in his first four months. The surrender of Nazi Germany and the liberation of concentration camps, the Potsdam Conference, the founding of the United Nations, and the Manhattan Project. He had to make the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.
In many ways Truman was an ordinary man. I had to laugh when I read that shortly after becoming president Truman caught the Secret Service agents in the White House by surprise when he bounded down the steps and out of the White House unannounced. He was headed to the bank for some cash.
October 25, 2017
This is a popularized history book about Harry Truman and the tumultuous first four months of his presidency. There was a lot more about Truman's history than I expected, stopping in its tracks the story of the first four months, but the background was helpful to get a measure of the man.
Truman, a self-educated man who grew up in poverty, had some redeeming characteristics, such as his work ethic and his respect for knowledge and fact: “There is no substitute for a fact. When the facts are known, reasonable men do not disagree with respect to them.”
He was also a white supremacist, with an all-out racist, Confederate-loving mother who was like Granny Clampet to the nth degree, two points treated too lightly in the book. The author admires Truman too much to be objective on other issues too, presenting in the end an uncritical elegy to Truman.
I grew skeptical of the book when I started noticing factual errors, for example Alonzo Fields was from Indiana not Missouri, John Adams was the first president to live in the White House not George Washington. I'm not a historian, so the few errors I noticed made me think that there might be a whole lot more.
The book is gossipy, readable, uncritical, full of trivia and snapshots of fascinating characters from history, but not as authoritative as I'd hoped. I received a review copy; this is my honest review.
Truman, a self-educated man who grew up in poverty, had some redeeming characteristics, such as his work ethic and his respect for knowledge and fact: “There is no substitute for a fact. When the facts are known, reasonable men do not disagree with respect to them.”
He was also a white supremacist, with an all-out racist, Confederate-loving mother who was like Granny Clampet to the nth degree, two points treated too lightly in the book. The author admires Truman too much to be objective on other issues too, presenting in the end an uncritical elegy to Truman.
I grew skeptical of the book when I started noticing factual errors, for example Alonzo Fields was from Indiana not Missouri, John Adams was the first president to live in the White House not George Washington. I'm not a historian, so the few errors I noticed made me think that there might be a whole lot more.
The book is gossipy, readable, uncritical, full of trivia and snapshots of fascinating characters from history, but not as authoritative as I'd hoped. I received a review copy; this is my honest review.
April 18, 2019
Excellent. Absolutely first rate, perhaps the best book I've read so far this year. High stakes political drama and war-time events unfold at breakneck pace. The research and writing are superb. You get to know Truman and feel as if you are right there with him during what were arguably the most challenging and momentous first four months any president has ever faced. For any readers who appreciate history and/or political thrillers, this book is for you.
December 12, 2017
Harry Truman was sworn in as the 33rd U.S. President on April 12, 1945 following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The first 1/3 of the book provides a background while the final 2/3 captures Truman’s first four months in office most notably as Commander-in-Chief during the final stages of World War II. When Truman took office the stage was already set for rapid historical events to unfold, but certain decisions still had to be made. The fall of Germany, the Postsdam Conference and the climactic mission of Enola Gay dropping Little Boy serve as a backdrop to Truman’s daily inner thoughts. Author A. J. Baime shows the strengths and weaknesses within the president who shunned the limelight.
On a side note, in 2011 actor/screenwriter Ed Nelson and his lovely wife visited our home a few times. As a voting member of the Academy Awards he had visions for my WWI biography to be on the “Big Screen” and he would do the screenwriting. Ed was most famous for playing Dr. Michael Rossi on the TV series Peyton Place however for a few years in the mid-70’s he filled in for James Whitmore playing President Truman on stage, on the National Tour of "Give 'Em Hell, Harry". During his first visit Ed stood in our living room and performed a few segments as Truman!
On a side note, in 2011 actor/screenwriter Ed Nelson and his lovely wife visited our home a few times. As a voting member of the Academy Awards he had visions for my WWI biography to be on the “Big Screen” and he would do the screenwriting. Ed was most famous for playing Dr. Michael Rossi on the TV series Peyton Place however for a few years in the mid-70’s he filled in for James Whitmore playing President Truman on stage, on the National Tour of "Give 'Em Hell, Harry". During his first visit Ed stood in our living room and performed a few segments as Truman!
May 22, 2022
Enlightening and enjoyable
This book is not a biography of Truman (in the author's words) but tells the story of his first four months in office--up to the end of WWII. It is difficult to underestimate the pressure on a man who had to follow our longest serving, and one of our most beloved (at least at the time) presidents. He resisted becoming VP because he feared for FDRs health and did not think he was qualified. In short, he did not want to be there. He had been pretty much ignored by FDR and was not in the inner circle. His learning curve was huge. However, he did the best he could, which turned out to be enough. In fact, he is generally ranked by historians as one of the top 10 US presidents.
I felt this book gave very good insight into Harry S. Truman and how he operated. It also gave some insight on the development and deployment of the atomic bomb and the advent of the Cold War. I found the chapters on the Potsdam Conference very interesting. I will be looming more into that.
The book is very readable and interesting.
This book is not a biography of Truman (in the author's words) but tells the story of his first four months in office--up to the end of WWII. It is difficult to underestimate the pressure on a man who had to follow our longest serving, and one of our most beloved (at least at the time) presidents. He resisted becoming VP because he feared for FDRs health and did not think he was qualified. In short, he did not want to be there. He had been pretty much ignored by FDR and was not in the inner circle. His learning curve was huge. However, he did the best he could, which turned out to be enough. In fact, he is generally ranked by historians as one of the top 10 US presidents.
I felt this book gave very good insight into Harry S. Truman and how he operated. It also gave some insight on the development and deployment of the atomic bomb and the advent of the Cold War. I found the chapters on the Potsdam Conference very interesting. I will be looming more into that.
The book is very readable and interesting.
August 11, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a marvelously engrossing biography & history of Truman's first four month's as President. I liked that the author kept the chapters relatively short. I think this helped to keep me engaged with all the details and kept my interest high. In the author's "Notes," he writes that he used "primary sources and direct perspectives from many participants" that were not available to previous historians and biographers. I think this is why the author presents a fresh and invigorating account of the beginning of the Cold War's nuclear arms race and of the challenges confronted by & the decisions made by Truman during his first four months of his administration. It seems to me that the author successfully supports his contention that Truman "was a far greater agency of change during these four months than other writers have suggested."
October 16, 2017
Right Man, Right Time
Harry S Truman has been one of the most forgotten presidents of the 20th Century. Standing in the shadow of FDR, it's easy to see why. But my cynicism of FDR is well founded, especially when in his 4th term the events of his hapless arrogance threw this nobody from Independence, MO. into what under his leadership became the most powerful position in the wold.
To think that it was Truman who led America into the position as the greatest superpower the world has ever seen should be something to consider.
Many say that FDR got us through the war; but I think it was the media that did, whose agenda FDR carefully adhered to.
It was Truman as a senator who really prepared America for entry into a war where their participation dealt the final blow to the Axis powers.
The investigations that Truman launched revealed staggering corruption and theft. We begin to see that FDR was not a man who could make tough unpopular choices but rather followed his political nose.
The trouble with the Soviets was Truman's first confrontation over a lackadaisical former presidency that let Stalin trample agreements which would cost millions blood and treasure. Truman's confrontation with Molotov was classic (no spoilers) and my already growing admiration for Truman went sky high.
The later decisions that Truman had to make based on just a few weeks of briefings reveal a man able to assimilate complex international situations and distill their most important elements while rapidly making critical decisions.
I was amazed at how sound his judgement was.
And the press loved him (mostly). His straight shooting, no nonsense, everyman way was a welcome breath of fresh air. His ability to answer questions immediately and clearly outstripped anything FDR was capable of, and everyone knew it.
The bulk of the book is spent covering the deteriorating relationship between the US and USSR. It is totally obvious to us today that Stalin's spies had infiltrated the US in areas we're still finding out about, but most important was our top secret military research. The race for the atomic bomb became more important than winning the war against Japan since it was obvious that the USSR was nearing the end of their A-bomb development. We also were completely aware that a thug like Stalin would not hesitate to use it without discretion.
That was where a Truman presidency, accidental or not, was what kept the US on the right side of history.
Truman's home life is lightly covered since Bess was very shy of any attention. One gains an immediate sympathy for a woman whose modesty was assaulted by an ever growing public curiosity.
Neither Harry or Bess ever expected this, but thank god he was there.
Harry S Truman has been one of the most forgotten presidents of the 20th Century. Standing in the shadow of FDR, it's easy to see why. But my cynicism of FDR is well founded, especially when in his 4th term the events of his hapless arrogance threw this nobody from Independence, MO. into what under his leadership became the most powerful position in the wold.
To think that it was Truman who led America into the position as the greatest superpower the world has ever seen should be something to consider.
Many say that FDR got us through the war; but I think it was the media that did, whose agenda FDR carefully adhered to.
It was Truman as a senator who really prepared America for entry into a war where their participation dealt the final blow to the Axis powers.
The investigations that Truman launched revealed staggering corruption and theft. We begin to see that FDR was not a man who could make tough unpopular choices but rather followed his political nose.
The trouble with the Soviets was Truman's first confrontation over a lackadaisical former presidency that let Stalin trample agreements which would cost millions blood and treasure. Truman's confrontation with Molotov was classic (no spoilers) and my already growing admiration for Truman went sky high.
The later decisions that Truman had to make based on just a few weeks of briefings reveal a man able to assimilate complex international situations and distill their most important elements while rapidly making critical decisions.
I was amazed at how sound his judgement was.
And the press loved him (mostly). His straight shooting, no nonsense, everyman way was a welcome breath of fresh air. His ability to answer questions immediately and clearly outstripped anything FDR was capable of, and everyone knew it.
The bulk of the book is spent covering the deteriorating relationship between the US and USSR. It is totally obvious to us today that Stalin's spies had infiltrated the US in areas we're still finding out about, but most important was our top secret military research. The race for the atomic bomb became more important than winning the war against Japan since it was obvious that the USSR was nearing the end of their A-bomb development. We also were completely aware that a thug like Stalin would not hesitate to use it without discretion.
That was where a Truman presidency, accidental or not, was what kept the US on the right side of history.
Truman's home life is lightly covered since Bess was very shy of any attention. One gains an immediate sympathy for a woman whose modesty was assaulted by an ever growing public curiosity.
Neither Harry or Bess ever expected this, but thank god he was there.
July 29, 2022
Apparently this was the second time I read this book, back in December 2019 and now again, July 2022. To be honest I didn't even realize this so it didn't make that much of an impression. Perhaps the reason for this is that this is not a full biography, only the 4 months between the death of Roosevelt and the surrender of Japan. However, the lack of contextual details and the portrayal of the other 'characters' is scant or nearly non-existing.
August 26, 2018
This surprisingly good book was published only last year (October 2017). Harry Truman served as a Democrat president for 7 years. But the context of this book focuses only on the first four months of his presidency, until Japan's surrender during WWII.
Truman was a southerner from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1945 he was the vice president of America's arguably the most admired president, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). Till today, FDR is remembered by many Americans for the current US social security system. FDR was elected as the president of the USA for an astounding four times, he was in the Whitehouse for twelve years. FDR died on April 12, 1945, due to a health problem. This was the occasion when the unknown Truman become the president, the accidental president of the USA during the most critical point of modern world history.
Even before the death of FDR, the fate of WWII was almost certain, and the looming shadow of the cold war unwinding itself. The ingenuity of Truman during his first four months tenure was how decisively he executed FDR's plan.
It is always refreshing to have a new perspective of an old, well-understood history. Such revision usually brings forth possible consequences not so evident from a standard narration. Here are two such significant perspectives:
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What is the United Nation good for?
-----------------------------
Many scholars view the UN as a gigantic dysfunctional international institute. This accusation indeed has some valid ground. The UN frequently fails in extinguishing armed conflicts, wars, ethnic cleansing across the globe. In most case, it played a role of a massive humanitarian relief organisation. So, what significant achievement this enormous institute has in its deposal? We all know the answer, but sometimes it is not so apparent.
The most significant thing that The UN has accomplished is that it prevented the WWIII. You can bet on this, as long as the UN exist there will be no WWIII.
Even before the end of the WWII, when Martial Stalin started engulfing Balkan states under USSR and imposing puppet regimes, some of the high officials in US government warned about upcoming armed confrontation, potential with nuclear weapons with Soviets. But, thanks to the UN, an emerging nuclear armageddon seems defused as a cold war.
Many argue that the veto power of the permanent security members is undemocratic. Interestingly this undemocratic practice was proposed by Soviet diplomat Molotov.
--------------------------
Did Japan deserve atomic bomb?
--------------------------
In 2018 Russian world cup football, Japan won the fair play rule and went into the quarterfinal. Japan was defeated by Belgium, but the Japanese team won the heart and mind of football enthusiast all over the world. Such an attitude only reflects the hight of the enlightenment of the Japanese nation. Historically, the Japanese are a disciplined nation. But the "discipline" and the "civility" are conceptually different things.
The horror committed by the Japanese during the WWII would easily outdo the Nazi. Japanese atrocity during that period was incomprehensible by any human standard. It was the Japan who drag the USA into the war by raiding Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Technically, the Pacific theatre was fought between the USA and Japan only.
The battle of Okinawa is known to be the deadliest in the history of WW2. Japanese fought like savages. While Berlin fall in May-June 1945, the Japanese were still fighting like fanatics. While the US airforce pounding tons of napalm on Tokyo and other Japanese cities, incinerating thousands of civilian and military establishment, instead of surrendering, Japanese become suicidal, they started swarms of suicide airstrike on the US Pacific fleet.
The US was planning for a ground invasion on Japan by November 1, 1945. An expert in Japan warned the planning committee that the Japanese hold their empire and country as God and Holyland respectively, if the Allied force enters the mainland, the Janapness will fight with religious zeal till their last man stands. They estimated death of half a million allied troops in this DJ-day, the proposed Japan D-day.
Historian still argues whether Truman was morally correct on saving approximately 400K Americans by killing 150K Japanese zealots. But, here is an unobvious fact:
The USA allowed the Japanese Hitler, the empire Hirohito to stay in the monarch. This is because, even after digesting two nuclear bombs, the Japanese denied to surrender unconditionally. Instead, they proposed to surrender unconditionally while Hirohito stays as their empire. In one sense it is like accepting Nazi's unconditional surrender while Hilter stays alive as German leader. The USA could have brought Japanese into their knees, treating empire Hirohito like Hitler, but that would require dropping third, or fourth, or even more atomic bombs on Japan.
But, Truman decided not to do so. Empire Hirohito lived a long life, importantly unpunished. I think, instead of villanizing Trueman for dropping two atomic bombs, we should give him an honest credit NOT to drop the third, the fourth, or more nuclear bombs, which he could've done with acceptable justification.
Truman was a southerner from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1945 he was the vice president of America's arguably the most admired president, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). Till today, FDR is remembered by many Americans for the current US social security system. FDR was elected as the president of the USA for an astounding four times, he was in the Whitehouse for twelve years. FDR died on April 12, 1945, due to a health problem. This was the occasion when the unknown Truman become the president, the accidental president of the USA during the most critical point of modern world history.
Even before the death of FDR, the fate of WWII was almost certain, and the looming shadow of the cold war unwinding itself. The ingenuity of Truman during his first four months tenure was how decisively he executed FDR's plan.
It is always refreshing to have a new perspective of an old, well-understood history. Such revision usually brings forth possible consequences not so evident from a standard narration. Here are two such significant perspectives:
-----------------------------
What is the United Nation good for?
-----------------------------
Many scholars view the UN as a gigantic dysfunctional international institute. This accusation indeed has some valid ground. The UN frequently fails in extinguishing armed conflicts, wars, ethnic cleansing across the globe. In most case, it played a role of a massive humanitarian relief organisation. So, what significant achievement this enormous institute has in its deposal? We all know the answer, but sometimes it is not so apparent.
The most significant thing that The UN has accomplished is that it prevented the WWIII. You can bet on this, as long as the UN exist there will be no WWIII.
Even before the end of the WWII, when Martial Stalin started engulfing Balkan states under USSR and imposing puppet regimes, some of the high officials in US government warned about upcoming armed confrontation, potential with nuclear weapons with Soviets. But, thanks to the UN, an emerging nuclear armageddon seems defused as a cold war.
Many argue that the veto power of the permanent security members is undemocratic. Interestingly this undemocratic practice was proposed by Soviet diplomat Molotov.
--------------------------
Did Japan deserve atomic bomb?
--------------------------
In 2018 Russian world cup football, Japan won the fair play rule and went into the quarterfinal. Japan was defeated by Belgium, but the Japanese team won the heart and mind of football enthusiast all over the world. Such an attitude only reflects the hight of the enlightenment of the Japanese nation. Historically, the Japanese are a disciplined nation. But the "discipline" and the "civility" are conceptually different things.
The horror committed by the Japanese during the WWII would easily outdo the Nazi. Japanese atrocity during that period was incomprehensible by any human standard. It was the Japan who drag the USA into the war by raiding Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Technically, the Pacific theatre was fought between the USA and Japan only.
The battle of Okinawa is known to be the deadliest in the history of WW2. Japanese fought like savages. While Berlin fall in May-June 1945, the Japanese were still fighting like fanatics. While the US airforce pounding tons of napalm on Tokyo and other Japanese cities, incinerating thousands of civilian and military establishment, instead of surrendering, Japanese become suicidal, they started swarms of suicide airstrike on the US Pacific fleet.
The US was planning for a ground invasion on Japan by November 1, 1945. An expert in Japan warned the planning committee that the Japanese hold their empire and country as God and Holyland respectively, if the Allied force enters the mainland, the Janapness will fight with religious zeal till their last man stands. They estimated death of half a million allied troops in this DJ-day, the proposed Japan D-day.
Historian still argues whether Truman was morally correct on saving approximately 400K Americans by killing 150K Japanese zealots. But, here is an unobvious fact:
The USA allowed the Japanese Hitler, the empire Hirohito to stay in the monarch. This is because, even after digesting two nuclear bombs, the Japanese denied to surrender unconditionally. Instead, they proposed to surrender unconditionally while Hirohito stays as their empire. In one sense it is like accepting Nazi's unconditional surrender while Hilter stays alive as German leader. The USA could have brought Japanese into their knees, treating empire Hirohito like Hitler, but that would require dropping third, or fourth, or even more atomic bombs on Japan.
But, Truman decided not to do so. Empire Hirohito lived a long life, importantly unpunished. I think, instead of villanizing Trueman for dropping two atomic bombs, we should give him an honest credit NOT to drop the third, the fourth, or more nuclear bombs, which he could've done with acceptable justification.
January 12, 2018
Very well written and researched, with vivid scenes and one detail about the bomb that was new to me. (Hard to do...I've read quite a bit about it)
Considering who is president as I write this, it's a bit depressing, but that's not the author's fault!
Considering who is president as I write this, it's a bit depressing, but that's not the author's fault!
April 8, 2018
Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
This was a brilliant biography of Truman, concerning the first four months of his presidency. It briefly covers a few months prior to Roosevelt’s death, so we understand how Truman came to make the decisions he did, and goes into depth concerning the war with Germany and the war with Japan, the Manhattan Project, the formation of the United Nations, Europe’s struggle to feed its peoples and refugees and the burgeoning problem of Russia.
This was well researched and well written. Baime is a journalist and this comes across in the writing style. He makes you feel for Truman and humanises him very well. I liked Truman before reading this book, but I like him more having read this.
This was a brilliant biography of Truman, concerning the first four months of his presidency. It briefly covers a few months prior to Roosevelt’s death, so we understand how Truman came to make the decisions he did, and goes into depth concerning the war with Germany and the war with Japan, the Manhattan Project, the formation of the United Nations, Europe’s struggle to feed its peoples and refugees and the burgeoning problem of Russia.
This was well researched and well written. Baime is a journalist and this comes across in the writing style. He makes you feel for Truman and humanises him very well. I liked Truman before reading this book, but I like him more having read this.
July 3, 2019
Outstanding! An amazing snap-shot in history. The first four months of the Truman presidency had enough history for four years. Get this!
February 7, 2021
This is a fascinating book to be sure. Perhaps no US president in history has dropped into the presidential seat of power at a more challenging and consequential time. And seemingly without much preparation. A former farmer, local politician, and small town merchant from Missouri, Truman did rise to US Senator, but served largely unnoticed and without distinction.
Upon a single reading it remains unclear to me how, in fact, he became the vice presidential candidate. Certainly it had to do with politics as FDR interpreted them at the time. But given the nature of the times and FDR’s failing health it seems there had to be an equally expedient political alternative who would have been more obviously qualified.
The author does pay homage to Truman’s reputation as the humble farmer who never really wanted to be president. That, too, however, is a bit difficult to swallow literally, given that Truman himself comments before the election on how frail FDR appeared and shares, albeit privately, his conviction that FDR would not serve out his term. (He also accepted the nomination clearly against the adamant desires of his wife who steadfastly maintained until her death that she had no desire to be the First Lady and who conducted herself accordingly.)
Nonetheless, Truman’s story is of immense historical significance and raises two overwhelming questions:
1. Could Truman have handled Stalin in a way that averted the subsequent Cold War?
2. Was Truman correct in his decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan, the only nuclear weapons ever used?
At this distance, of course, we can only conjecture, and subjectively only then. We weren’t there and context is always a richly woven tapestry within which all indisputable truth is ultimately defined.
Regarding the Cold War it is hard to second-guess Truman’s behavior only because Stalin’s agenda seems so obvious, even from this distance, and seasoned politicians like Churchill, to our knowledge, never really disagreed with Truman’s decisions or behavior.
The second question, I think, is far more problematic. For Truman it seems to have been a strictly transactional decision. ‘The Japanese will never surrender until every last one of them is dead and by dropping the bomb I can save thousands of lives by shortening the war.’ And it would seem few around him ever raised the idea of using the bomb as anything but a foregone conclusion. (Some of the scientists involved in its development did ultimately express their doubts but the train was largely out of the shed by the time they did.)
Personally, I am more alarmed at the assumption than the decision. It is always a mistake and, of course, demeaning, if not bigoted, to assume that any group of people defined by race, ethnicity, or culture will behave in a monolithic way. To assume that every Japanese would be willing to sacrifice the entire race (mothers reportedly jumped off the cliffs of Saipan with their babies in arms once the Japanese defeat was inevitable) is both illogical and, frankly, insulting.
And it certainly does not align with my firsthand experiences from the many times I have visited Japan in the last several decades. At many levels they are as diverse as any group of people are, including families of every nation. For cultural reasons they may be more reserved in expressing their differences and I have no doubt that many in the American political and military hierarchy shared the monolithic opinion, but I find it very hard to believe that some significant portion of the Japanese population would not have ultimately realized that the war was lost and that further bloodshed (of their own sons and husbands, as well as ours) served no purpose.
Transactional thinking seldom has a constructive role to play in true leadership of any kind. That is the territory of the administrators, managers, diplomats, and advisors. And that, perhaps, is the true lesson of Truman’s atomic decision.
In the end, however, it seems that Truman did largely lead by principle, one of which was to honor precedent above transactional assessment, or in this case the previous decisions made by FDR and Churchill. And that, in the end, is what may have saved the country and his legacy.
Upon a single reading it remains unclear to me how, in fact, he became the vice presidential candidate. Certainly it had to do with politics as FDR interpreted them at the time. But given the nature of the times and FDR’s failing health it seems there had to be an equally expedient political alternative who would have been more obviously qualified.
The author does pay homage to Truman’s reputation as the humble farmer who never really wanted to be president. That, too, however, is a bit difficult to swallow literally, given that Truman himself comments before the election on how frail FDR appeared and shares, albeit privately, his conviction that FDR would not serve out his term. (He also accepted the nomination clearly against the adamant desires of his wife who steadfastly maintained until her death that she had no desire to be the First Lady and who conducted herself accordingly.)
Nonetheless, Truman’s story is of immense historical significance and raises two overwhelming questions:
1. Could Truman have handled Stalin in a way that averted the subsequent Cold War?
2. Was Truman correct in his decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan, the only nuclear weapons ever used?
At this distance, of course, we can only conjecture, and subjectively only then. We weren’t there and context is always a richly woven tapestry within which all indisputable truth is ultimately defined.
Regarding the Cold War it is hard to second-guess Truman’s behavior only because Stalin’s agenda seems so obvious, even from this distance, and seasoned politicians like Churchill, to our knowledge, never really disagreed with Truman’s decisions or behavior.
The second question, I think, is far more problematic. For Truman it seems to have been a strictly transactional decision. ‘The Japanese will never surrender until every last one of them is dead and by dropping the bomb I can save thousands of lives by shortening the war.’ And it would seem few around him ever raised the idea of using the bomb as anything but a foregone conclusion. (Some of the scientists involved in its development did ultimately express their doubts but the train was largely out of the shed by the time they did.)
Personally, I am more alarmed at the assumption than the decision. It is always a mistake and, of course, demeaning, if not bigoted, to assume that any group of people defined by race, ethnicity, or culture will behave in a monolithic way. To assume that every Japanese would be willing to sacrifice the entire race (mothers reportedly jumped off the cliffs of Saipan with their babies in arms once the Japanese defeat was inevitable) is both illogical and, frankly, insulting.
And it certainly does not align with my firsthand experiences from the many times I have visited Japan in the last several decades. At many levels they are as diverse as any group of people are, including families of every nation. For cultural reasons they may be more reserved in expressing their differences and I have no doubt that many in the American political and military hierarchy shared the monolithic opinion, but I find it very hard to believe that some significant portion of the Japanese population would not have ultimately realized that the war was lost and that further bloodshed (of their own sons and husbands, as well as ours) served no purpose.
Transactional thinking seldom has a constructive role to play in true leadership of any kind. That is the territory of the administrators, managers, diplomats, and advisors. And that, perhaps, is the true lesson of Truman’s atomic decision.
In the end, however, it seems that Truman did largely lead by principle, one of which was to honor precedent above transactional assessment, or in this case the previous decisions made by FDR and Churchill. And that, in the end, is what may have saved the country and his legacy.
October 17, 2022
Having read a fair bit about how good this book is, it has been one on the list since reading Truman, by McCullough.
The reputation of the book is spot on - AJ Baime has written a riveting account of President Truman’s first four months in office after the death of FDR. Indeed, Baime has a whole chapter on 12 April alone (the day of FDR’s death and Truman’s swearing in).
It is extremely well written, moves really well in chronological order and is easy to read with relatively small chapters. Having an enormous amount of world-changing affairs going on doesn’t hurt either.
Will definitely read his other highly regarded Truman book, “Dewey Defeats Truman” soon.
The reputation of the book is spot on - AJ Baime has written a riveting account of President Truman’s first four months in office after the death of FDR. Indeed, Baime has a whole chapter on 12 April alone (the day of FDR’s death and Truman’s swearing in).
It is extremely well written, moves really well in chronological order and is easy to read with relatively small chapters. Having an enormous amount of world-changing affairs going on doesn’t hurt either.
Will definitely read his other highly regarded Truman book, “Dewey Defeats Truman” soon.
February 10, 2018
It was not until April 25, 1945 (or page 167 of A.J. Baime's "The Accidental President"), that newly inaugurated president Harry Truman was told about the US development of the atomic bomb. That was nearly two weeks after Truman succeeded Franklin Roosevelt, who had died on April 12th. (I'm not exactly sure, but I think the Soviets may have known about the bomb before Truman did because of the spying done at Los Alamos.) Why hadn't Truman, who had been Vice-President since January 20, 1945, been let into the loop?
A.J. Baime covers this and lots more in his book, "The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World". It's a book that concentrates on a short time in history, but gives the reader the full story of how that period of time relates to the periods that came before and after. He writes a short bio of Truman and his family before moving into his nomination as Vice-President (the voting was actually done on the floor of the Democratic convention, different from today when the Presidential candidate selects his running mate and a perfunctory floor vote is taken). Truman was considered a dark horse and underestimated by those who didn't know him - like Franklin Roosevelt - but he was much respected by his peers in the Senate. His formation in 1941 of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program boosted his national profile a bit, but he was still an unknown quantity by the American public, shocked and saddened after Roosevelt's sudden death.
Baime covers the Allied meeting at Potsdam, the decision to drop the two atomic bombs, and the early formation of the United Nations, among other topics. But most of all, Baime examines Harry Truman, the man and the statesman and how the challenges of his "accidental presidency" were met and exceeded.
A.J. Baime's book is one of the best history books I've read. He's an easy writer and his words seem to flow on the page.
A.J. Baime covers this and lots more in his book, "The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World". It's a book that concentrates on a short time in history, but gives the reader the full story of how that period of time relates to the periods that came before and after. He writes a short bio of Truman and his family before moving into his nomination as Vice-President (the voting was actually done on the floor of the Democratic convention, different from today when the Presidential candidate selects his running mate and a perfunctory floor vote is taken). Truman was considered a dark horse and underestimated by those who didn't know him - like Franklin Roosevelt - but he was much respected by his peers in the Senate. His formation in 1941 of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program boosted his national profile a bit, but he was still an unknown quantity by the American public, shocked and saddened after Roosevelt's sudden death.
Baime covers the Allied meeting at Potsdam, the decision to drop the two atomic bombs, and the early formation of the United Nations, among other topics. But most of all, Baime examines Harry Truman, the man and the statesman and how the challenges of his "accidental presidency" were met and exceeded.
A.J. Baime's book is one of the best history books I've read. He's an easy writer and his words seem to flow on the page.
August 12, 2022
The author researched info at the Truman Library,
The Library of Congress, diaries, documents, official
cables sent/ received, letters, personal papers, oral
histories, interviews. I gave this 3.5 stars.
Harry Truman worked as a farmer, a county judge (like a
county commissioner), a haberdasher, US Senator, etc.
President FDR was chosen for his 4th term w/ Truman
as his V. President. FDR kept Truman 'out of the loop' RE
his policies. Truman became President 04/12/1945, the day
that President Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia.
He thought the warm springs good for his polio, which
FDR kept secret from the public.
Truman felt overwhelmed as President. FDR was a hard
act to follow. Truman graduated HS, served in WW1, took
some law classes, but had no college degree. Wife Bess
hated the spotlight & politics and only dtr Margaret
attended college. His family stayed in their apt, then
Blair House, then the White House (once Eleanor moved
out).
FDR attended the Yalta meeting w/ Churchill of the UK &
Stalin of the Russia, trying to end WW2. Truman met in
Potsdam (after VE-Day) w/ these same leaders, + Attlee,
Churchill's possible successor. Japan insisted on keeping
their emperor + declined an unconditional surrender. Their
military included kamikaze pilots, sailors and swimmers.
Truman told General Eisenhower he should run for
POTUS in 1948. Was he joking? The General replied no,
he liked his current assignment.
Truman learned of the Manhattan Project's A-bomb,
which needed tested in N.M. before the US used it.
The A-bomb was used on 2 Japanese cities. Scientists
estimate 100K per city died after the bomb hit or after
victims developed cancer. Truman said no to using a
3rd such bomb. Truman let Japan save face & surrender
with the condition their emperor could stay but would
answer to the Supreme Allied Commander, General
Douglas MacArthur. Japan agreed.
This studied the 1st 4 months of the Truman Presidency.
Truman was a good, honest man who studied issues
(one document had 1000 pages!) and made up his mind
fairly quickly. He seemed more popular at the beginning
of his Presidency. He had no qualms about standing up to
or questioning world leaders.
The Library of Congress, diaries, documents, official
cables sent/ received, letters, personal papers, oral
histories, interviews. I gave this 3.5 stars.
Harry Truman worked as a farmer, a county judge (like a
county commissioner), a haberdasher, US Senator, etc.
President FDR was chosen for his 4th term w/ Truman
as his V. President. FDR kept Truman 'out of the loop' RE
his policies. Truman became President 04/12/1945, the day
that President Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia.
He thought the warm springs good for his polio, which
FDR kept secret from the public.
Truman felt overwhelmed as President. FDR was a hard
act to follow. Truman graduated HS, served in WW1, took
some law classes, but had no college degree. Wife Bess
hated the spotlight & politics and only dtr Margaret
attended college. His family stayed in their apt, then
Blair House, then the White House (once Eleanor moved
out).
FDR attended the Yalta meeting w/ Churchill of the UK &
Stalin of the Russia, trying to end WW2. Truman met in
Potsdam (after VE-Day) w/ these same leaders, + Attlee,
Churchill's possible successor. Japan insisted on keeping
their emperor + declined an unconditional surrender. Their
military included kamikaze pilots, sailors and swimmers.
Truman told General Eisenhower he should run for
POTUS in 1948. Was he joking? The General replied no,
he liked his current assignment.
Truman learned of the Manhattan Project's A-bomb,
which needed tested in N.M. before the US used it.
The A-bomb was used on 2 Japanese cities. Scientists
estimate 100K per city died after the bomb hit or after
victims developed cancer. Truman said no to using a
3rd such bomb. Truman let Japan save face & surrender
with the condition their emperor could stay but would
answer to the Supreme Allied Commander, General
Douglas MacArthur. Japan agreed.
This studied the 1st 4 months of the Truman Presidency.
Truman was a good, honest man who studied issues
(one document had 1000 pages!) and made up his mind
fairly quickly. He seemed more popular at the beginning
of his Presidency. He had no qualms about standing up to
or questioning world leaders.
November 9, 2017
I like Harry. This is a great story focusing primarily on the four months between his ascendency to the presidency and the end of the war. His earlier life is covered, though, with particular attention to his brief tenure as vice president. He knew when he met with the obviously ailing FDR that he would not remain the vice president for long.
Truman’s style is contrasted with FDR’s. He came into the presidency totally unprepared, but I suspect he did a better job than Roosevelt would have. Roosevelt was too willing to acquiesce to Stalin, whereas Truman stood firm.
One huge difference between Truman and his predecessor was how they dealt with their cabinets. Roosevelt enjoyed causing discord among the cabinet members and watching them bicker. How can you efficiently run a government that way? Truman surrounded himself with a team that would work together. He didn’t ramble on at meetings as FDR had, but got to the point and moved on, to the astonishment of the cabinet members.
Truman didn’t have the formal education expected of a president, but he was widely read, and his very ordinariness is what made him great.
August 5, 2018
An eloquently written non fiction history of the momentous first four months of the Truman presidency. Truman met with FDR only twice and knew he would be president at some point due to FDR's visible declining health. He had to learn on the job but worked hard to become informed. The book reads like a moderately paced thriller because of the events that occurred between April and August 1945. The defeat of the Nazis, the Potsdam Conference, the fear of another world war due to Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe, the fear of economic chaos as thousands upon thousands of our soldiers came home from the war and looking for work and of course the dropping of the atomic bombs. The author presents the views of those who opposed the bombs use (Eisenhower was one of them), but concludes that Truman was justified. Even if you disagree with his conclusions, don't deprive yourself of this thoughtfully written historical "thriller". I felt as if I was present and experienced the events portrayed. That is what is called a "Great Read".
July 18, 2019
Fascinating read about the most modest President.
Fascinating read about the most modest President. This book is well researched and packed with some of the most eventful moments that defined the 20th century. Blaime lets the reader decide if Harry was a good or bad President. His journey to the office is certainly lucky or misfortune the depending on whom you ask.
Fascinating read about the most modest President. This book is well researched and packed with some of the most eventful moments that defined the 20th century. Blaime lets the reader decide if Harry was a good or bad President. His journey to the office is certainly lucky or misfortune the depending on whom you ask.
August 29, 2021
An excellent book on the detailed history of the first four months of Truman's presidency. So much happened in that short time. If you have ever thought Truman was wrong in authorizing dropping the A- bombs on Japan, you should read this book. Either way you think, it gives a clear perspective on the historical issue.
May 28, 2019
This is an excellent account of the early life and presidency of Truman! It was very dense (historically) and I had to rely on Google at times to aid my understanding of the political climate of the time. Even though, it’s still a great read for anyone with even a passing interest in this era!
April 17, 2023
I read this author’s book about the election of Truman over Dewey in 1948 and loved it. When this one came up in my rotation, I knew I’d enjoy it, and that initial instinct proved valid indeed.
This isn’t a Truman biography. It covers the four months between the day Roosevelt died and the days the two atomic bombs fell on Japan. The author successfully argues that those were among the most tumultuous four months in history, and that the events of those four months have echoes we’re still hearing.
Baime focuses on Truman’s reluctance to take the job. It was mostly a fluke that he found himself on the ticket with Roosevelt in 1944. When Roosevelt died, no one was less prepared or eager to take on the trappings of the presidency than Truman. He catapulted to the top with no idea what was really happening in the nation because of Roosevelt’s creepy secrecy.
This was a four-month period when:
• The United Nations charter needed signing.
• Restiveness in the Middle East was decidedly on the rise.
• The war in Europe ended, and Americans liberated Nazi death camps.
• Distance between the U.S. and Soviet Union grew because Stalin refused to allow free and fair elections in Poland.
• U.S. scientists were testing the atomic bomb.
• The Potsdam conference came and went without anything useful or decisive implemented.
• Significant numbers of the Roosevelt cabinet resigned.
• Atomic bombs killed more than a hundred thousand Japanese in Truman’s fourth month in office.
These are just a few examples of things that happened during that time that will make this book a pleasure to read. You’ll learn things you never knew, and the interaction between Truman and his wife is a fascinating study by itself.
This isn’t a Truman biography. It covers the four months between the day Roosevelt died and the days the two atomic bombs fell on Japan. The author successfully argues that those were among the most tumultuous four months in history, and that the events of those four months have echoes we’re still hearing.
Baime focuses on Truman’s reluctance to take the job. It was mostly a fluke that he found himself on the ticket with Roosevelt in 1944. When Roosevelt died, no one was less prepared or eager to take on the trappings of the presidency than Truman. He catapulted to the top with no idea what was really happening in the nation because of Roosevelt’s creepy secrecy.
This was a four-month period when:
• The United Nations charter needed signing.
• Restiveness in the Middle East was decidedly on the rise.
• The war in Europe ended, and Americans liberated Nazi death camps.
• Distance between the U.S. and Soviet Union grew because Stalin refused to allow free and fair elections in Poland.
• U.S. scientists were testing the atomic bomb.
• The Potsdam conference came and went without anything useful or decisive implemented.
• Significant numbers of the Roosevelt cabinet resigned.
• Atomic bombs killed more than a hundred thousand Japanese in Truman’s fourth month in office.
These are just a few examples of things that happened during that time that will make this book a pleasure to read. You’ll learn things you never knew, and the interaction between Truman and his wife is a fascinating study by itself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,028 reviews