I received an advanced reader’s copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinions
Quite by random I discovered Mathew Alego’s books and through them a love for Harry Truman. A few years ago I came across Harry Truman’s excellent adventure, and I was hooked (super pumped that it’s being re released this year too!) I was also fortunate enough to be able to get it in audio and kindle version (which is my preferred way to read things because I can switch versions when the need arises ).
So obviously I knew that there was a President Truman, but I didn’t really know much about him before excellent adventure and then I wanted to read all the things about him and visit his presidential plane at the air force museum. He’s in my top five of presidents to read about- and his after president years are some of my favorite. He just wants to be this normal guy, sure he should be able to do ordinary things- and then surprised to find out he can’t .
I loved this work as well- (and have to admit I don’t think of Harry and Pablo occupying the same space and time!) the book leap frogs so you start out with some modern art history/ MA artist history/ history of MOMA, then Truman history, event history then into how this meeting all came together. And it was everything I could’ve imagined this meeting going. Each man a little set in their ways, flummoxed by each other. I especially loved the story about Truman’s interview on the way home to the USA and whether Pablo was going to return the visit here.
This book was well researched and presented, and the audio version was spot on

This eminently readable book is less about Picasso and Harry Truman than it is about the conservative politicians who worked assiduously to discourage exhibits of “ modern art” in America. It is a very enlightening story for those of us who did not live through the narrow-minded attitudes towards “ modernism.”

It was an interesting perspective and there were lots of “ tidbits” in the book that surprised and intrigued me. The writers style is quite colloquial and, although the book is well-researched, at no point does the reader feel bogged down with facts.