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Truman Audiobook
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(4.50) - 24 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Harry S. Truman, whose presidency included momentous events from the atomic bombing of Japan to the outbreak of the Cold War and the Korean War, told by America’s beloved and distinguished historian.
The life of Harry S. Truman is one of the greatest of American stories, filled with vivid characters—Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Wallace Truman, George Marshall, Joe McCarthy, and Dean Acheson—and dramatic events. In this riveting biography, acclaimed historian David McCullough not only captures the man—a more complex, informed, and determined man than ever before imagined—but also the turbulent times in which he rose, boldly, to meet unprecedented challenges. The last president to serve as a living link between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, Truman’s story spans the raw world of the Missouri frontier, World War I, the powerful Pendergast machine of Kansas City, the legendary Whistle-Stop Campaign of 1948, and the decisions to drop the atomic bomb, confront Stalin at Potsdam, send troops to Korea, and fire General MacArthur. Drawing on newly discovered archival material and extensive interviews with Truman’s own family, friends, and Washington colleagues, McCullough tells the deeply moving story of the seemingly ordinary “man from Missouri” who was perhaps the most courageous president in our history.
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"The only trouble I had with Truman was the length. I enjoyed the story more because I was more familiar with the settings than say Adams and WWI and WWII - nuclear war etc. was just more interesting to me. You also don't usualy hear much about Truman so I think that kept me interested as well. "
— Cameron (4 out of 5 stars)
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“McCullough is a master storyteller whose considerable narrative skills have been put to exquisite use in recreating the life and times of America’s thirty-third president.”
— Los Angeles Times Book Review -
“Perhaps the highest tribute one can pay a biographer is to say that through him one comes to know his subject almost as though in person. In fostering the reader’s acquaintance with Harry Truman, not once does McCullough get in the way. This is in every respect a splendid work.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“Exemplary and riveting…The book is like a comfortable Victorian three-decker novel. There are two plots, a hero and heroine, and a glittering cast of characters ranging from Dean Acheson, Churchill and General Marshall to the Pendergasts and General MacArthur, as well as a splendid collection of Shakespearean clowns…McCullough’s book will stand for a long time as the outstanding analysis of an extremely important subject: the greatness of Truman, and its role as an exogenous ‘cause’ in the history of his time.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London) -
“McCullough’s marvelous feel for history is based on an appreciation of colorful tales and an insight into personalities. In this compelling saga of America’s greatest common-man president, McCullough adds luster to an old-fashioned historical approach...[A] sweeping narrative.”
— Time -
“Truman is biography as good as it gets, as absorbing and readable as it is voluminous. McCullough writes like a novelist, digs like a zealous reporter, and puts things in perspective like the superb historian he is.”
— People -
“This warm biography of Harry Truman is both an historical evaluation of his presidency and a paean to the man’s rock-solid American values...In this winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize, McCullough argues that history has validated most of Truman’s wartime and Cold War decisions.”
— Amazon.com editorial review -
“The book is an impressive tribute to a man whose brisk cheerfulness and self-confidence were combined with a God-fearing humility; a great and good man who, in McCullough’s opinion, was a great president.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“For detailed treatment of policy, scholars will often need a specialized monograph. Yet McCullough’s Truman is not quite a saint, and his own scholarship is exhaustive in portraying Truman the man. No biography approaches the richness, depth, or grace of this one.”
— Library Journal -
“A gargantuan but surprisingly agile and spellbinding biography of the plain-speaking, plain-dealing Man from Missouri... Rich in detail, enthralling, and moving: a classic presidential biography.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Biography/Autobiography
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An ALA Notable Book Finalist for Nonfiction
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Winner of the 1993 Parkman Prize
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A 1992 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
Truman Listener Reviews
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" One of my all-time favorites. Love David McCullough. At the end of the book I felt like I had lost a good friend. "
— Ian, 6/30/2011 -
" Written and read by David McCullough, a very interesting Audio CD; good alternative to reading the complete book. "
— Carolyn, 6/2/2011 -
" Exceptional and thorough documentary; McCullough does an amazing job telling the story of Harry Truman. He's a master of history and biography, and this book is compelling and well worth the read. "
— William, 5/27/2011 -
" And now I have a favourite president. Thanks, Mr. McCullough. "
— Mahria, 5/26/2011 -
" Long, detailed book, but a wonderful read for anyone who loves well-written non-fiction. "
— Ginny, 5/22/2011 -
" Fascinating look at Truman's life and presidency. He was a reflection of the country at its best- plain spoken and integrity. Crucial time in history and he made all the hard decisions. Hiroshima, Korea, MacArthur. "
— Liz, 5/19/2011 -
" An amazingly detailed historical account of a man so many people in Independence have a story about. He seemed to dazzle the McCullough as much as he did my great-grandfather so many years ago. "
— Colette, 5/19/2011 -
" misunderstood and way more interesting than expected "
— David, 4/25/2011 -
" David McCullough has done a great job of gathering facts and telling a story. It is very long but has remained interesting. "
— Darren, 4/21/2011 -
" I can't say enough about David McCullough, who truly brings history to life. Harry S. Truman was a President about which I didn't know much, and this fascinating biography filled in all of the gaps. Really, really interesting, did not feel at all like a 1000 page book. "
— Carla, 4/18/2011 -
" McCullough's book fills in the details of the rich and charmed life of President Truman. Another big book, but captivating and an easy read. "
— Bernard, 4/5/2011
About David McCullough
David McCullough (1933-2022), acclaimed historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author, twice won the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books are 1776, Brave Companions, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Greater Journey, and The Wright Brothers. He was awarded numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and more than forty honorary degrees. In 1995, the National Book Foundation conferred on him its lifetime Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
About Nelson Runger
Nelson Runger’s voice has been recorded in dozens of audio productions and won him two AudioFile Earphones Awards. His ability to convey difficult, scholarly material with eloquence and ease has earned him critical acclaim, including an AudioFile Best Voice in Biography & History for his reading of Nixon and Kissinger.