Harry S. Truman (Great American Presidents)

Grade 7-10-Foley opens with a biographical chapter examining his subject's successes and failures before concluding that Truman was a "hardworking, dedicated, decent American." He then looks at the enormity of the challenges the nation faced upon Roosevelt's death, and provides chapter-long discussions of Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb, his difficulties in managing the conversion to a peacetime economy, his 1948 election triumph, his Fair Deal proposals, and the rise of McCarthyism. The treatment is objective, admiring the president's honesty and industriousness, but also pointing out his inadequate preparation for the office and the missteps and gaffes that affected his popularity with the American electorate. Average-quality, black-and-white photos and quotes from Truman supplement the text, and sidebars provide additional information. This book provides adequate, if somewhat dry, discussions of Truman's life and presidential decisions, but Jeffrey B. Morris's The Truman Way (Lerner, 1994; o.p.) offers more background information in a more readable writing style and is a better choice for this audience. Laura K. Egendorf's Harry S. Truman (Greenhaven, 2001), which provides both biographical information and an opposing-viewpoints-style discussion and analysis, is another solid purchase.
Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
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