Truman, a centenary remembrance Book

The idea of writing a review of this book is daunting - I had to set it down for two months while I took a class, and it so informationally dense, that I'm certain I didn't retain enough to do it justice. So let me instead make some remarks which may prove useful.

This is a warts-and-all depiction of pre-presidential Truman. Being myself from Independence, I'd grown up with the standard image of the smiling, outgoing, little dynamo. Miller's depiction adds new dimension to our popular impression of Truman - his ethical, financial, functional, and philosophical constants and inconsistencies, while plumbing his personality and circumstances to show how he made it work for himself, his allies, and the citizens he served.

I'd suggest keeping notes while reading this: there is a vast array of names and organizations, and it's tricky keeping track of how they fit into the big picture. There is an index which may be sufficient if one's willing to keep referring to it.

The extensive footnotes and citations take up pages 402 to 515.

Two Americans: Truman, Eisenhower, and a Dangerous World makes reference to this book a number of times.