Former politicians can be enlivening and insightful historians. That's my takeaway from Saving Freedom, Joe Scarborough's book about President Truman's leadership in a post-WWII world. I've been a fan of President Truman since I wrote to him as an eleven year old girl and got a personal letter and autographed picture in return. So I've read a lot about him over the years.
What distinguished Mr. Scarborough's book from the other works I've read about Truman is the education it gave me about the nitty gritty of the political process, how big a lift it was for Truman to convince a relatively isolationist Republican majority in Congress to buy into the Marshall Plan and how skillful a politician he was in accomplishing that task. Mr. Scarborough tells this important story in an entertaining way, with simple, but compelling prose that reads like a novel. I highly recommend it.

In "Saving Freedom," Joe Scarborough focuses on President Harry Truman's foreign policy achievements. After FDR's death in 1945, Truman inherited an office that, at first, he felt unprepared to occupy. Quite a few Americans were weary of conflict and preferred to concentrate on domestic matters. However, President Truman was concerned that Stalin was sowing seeds that could result in the Soviet domination of Europe. Since Truman needed broad cooperation to implement his plans, he and his brilliant advisers concentrated on convincing Congress to prop up the economy of Greece, which was in ruins. In 1947, after numerous meetings and negotiations, Truman won over enough legislators to achieve his goal of assisting Greece. The mission of the Truman Doctrine was to promote democracy and contain the spread of Communism.

Scarborough's writing style is refreshingly concise, lucid, and fast-paced. He humanizes the individuals who played important roles in Truman's administration. In addition, the author draws on solid primary and secondary sources to trace the origins of the Cold War and describe Truman's foreign policy initiatives. Furthermore, Scarborough provides enough background information about Truman to enlighten those may not be familiar with his military service, limited formal education, failed attempt at running a business, and early forays into politics.

This a timely and enlightening look at how government can work when skillful and patriotic individuals are at the helm. Truman was clever enough to know when the time was right to promote his agenda. He refused to bow to outside pressure when he felt morally obligated to make certain decisions, and remained humble yet resolute throughout his tenure. Truman had his share of flaws. He was not a great orator and many believe that America's participation in the Korean War was misguided and costly. Although Truman left the White House with a ridiculously low approval rating, prominent historians have praised the former haberdasher from Missouri for his vision, integrity, and ability to work across the aisle. Scarborough convincingly makes the case that Truman's actions helped shape America's leadership in the world for much of the twentieth century.