Another book looking back at President Truman. I find it interesting that after all of these years how presumption of him has changed over the years. Some of it is good and some negative. Yet the man before him FDR who is proven gave him no information on any of the talks he had with Churchill or Stalin, he was totally left out so when FDR passed he was thrust into office which I am sure now thought would happen on the day of the election. Now tasked with so many items he took each one and like most Presidents did what he thought was best. As far as dropping the two A-Bomds yes the destruction and loss of life were horrific but so was all of the bombing in Germany and then in Japan prior to these two bombs. As well as, my father had fought in Europe with the 82nd and after two air drops then fought in the Buldge and then went back to Hill 400 which was the Hurtgen Forest after these and other small battles he along with hundreds of other paratroopers were preparing to board planes to fly to Japan to begin the assault, only to be told to stand down. He always told me he was glad he was tired of fighting having lied about his age going in at 17 and now he was looking at 20, so yes I am happy but can feel empathy for the people. He had many more decisions that were just as difficult and I thought the author has done a good job with the writing, a very good book.

Harry S. Truman is one of the presidents about who I knew the least of all. When the opportunity to find out more about him popped up, I grabbed it.

The Trials of Harry S. Truman is divided into 27 chapters, a hefty prologue to get his backstory out of the way, and 30+% of endpapers, this is a study that, for the most part, confines itself to the years of Truman's presidency, 1945 - 1953. Even with that narrow period, this is a robust read with many stories to tell, not the least of which are years in which some of the most world-shattering decisions for this planet were made, and by whom.

Jeffrey Frank does a neat and tidy job of telling those stories - anticipating readers like me by answering the questions not even asked yet (but surely coming) as the events unroll in this president's unintentional role in life. I was surprised by how unexpected his situation was, and yet, how he greeted these astonishing moments with an everyday kind of logic and steadiness that I remember in my older male family members. There was an aspect of him that feels familiar to this kid born in the 50's - echoed in my uncles, grandfathers and elder community members. . . the kind that is - for better or worse - less and less present in our national context.

Now that I know more about Mr. Truman, I'm pretty sure he would not have gotten my vote. But, who knows? It was a different time, with a different national point of view and focus. It was helpful that the author kept reminding the reader of the journalistic POVs, the governmental objectives, and the cultural climates that varied from one region of the US to another and the influences and outcomes resulting from those incongruities.

I am impressed by the writing, the thoroughness with which the topic has been deftly dealt, and will be checking out other works by this author.

A Sincere Thank You to Jeffrey Frank, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

I thought The Trials of Harry S. Truman: The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953 to be a great read by Jeffrey Frank. It was fascinating to read about this man in history. Five stars.

This is a fresh look at Harry Truman. Pulling information from many archives, all over the world, this book shows a broader view of Truman. From his deep loyalties to family and friends, to his gut reactions to things that need to be done, this is a great new look and definitely a book to pick up and enjoy!

Mr. Frank in this new biography of President Truman paints a very human portrait of the only man in human history to make the decision to use atomic weapons. Truman is all too human with great facility to love, hate, try, fail, and above all be decisive for good or for ill. In today's world of indecision and information paralysis, Truman and his legacy stand out. Truman is seen for what he was besides being the President. He was an unrepentant Mommas boy, lover of music and the piano. He had been a soldier at war leading men and seeing the consequences of decisions he had made in the death of the enemy. Lover of Bess and his daughter Margaret. He was also an anti-communist as well as the man responsible for integrating the United States Military, but above all he was an American.

I love reading about President Harry Truman…a simple yet dynamic man who became President so quick,y he was probably. It ready…but then he was…this book on Kindle was sent to me by. Netgalley for review. Although I prefer more about his family life, this book reads just as it states it well…his years as president…the writer is good at the craft of writing about professional figures…I enjoyed this book…don’t miss it if you like history…