Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman Summary and Reviews

Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman
by Merle Miller

Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman
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Book Summary Information

Author: Merle Miller
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-04
ISBN: 1579124372
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers

Book Reviews of Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman

Book Review: An excellent biography and a great read
Summary: 4 Stars

I can't believe no one else has reviewed this book! I was exposed to it as a boy, read it first as a teenager, and have found myself re-reading it every few years since. It's not perfect -- what book is? -- but I think it's excellent.

Harry Truman was the sort of man that was rare in his own day, and perhaps rarer these days -- a man of integrity and discipline, a man uninterested in lying about anything for any reason, a man determined to do what was right even if not a single person on Earth agreed with him. For various reasons, though, many of the biographies of him fall short.

Merle Miller, by his own account, was no particular fan of Truman when he first met him. But he conducted many hours of taped interviews, in the interests of producing a never-aired television show about the Truman years, and seems to have gradually learned to appreciate the man.

The result is a book of interviews, mostly with Truman but also with friends, relatives, and associates (Dean Acheson among them), painting a bright and warm picture of a much-misunderstood President.

Miller acknowledges Truman's gaffes and faux pas when they arise, and does his best to put them in context. (He acknowledges Truman's casual racism by today's standards, typical of the day, for example -- but he also points out that it was Truman who took the bold step of integrating the U.S. armed forces. Truman even had the guts to do it in an election year!)

In addition to all else, I found this book an easy read, suitable for cuddling up with a blanket and a fire in the fireplace. Highly recommended.

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