I didn't know a lot about Harry Truman and I enjoyed this a lot.
It was great to also learn more about that time period and about traveling in that time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed the basis for this story - the time period and Harry and Bess Truman. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the narrator had been a male to coincide with the fact the story was being told by a man. Overall enjoyable.

This was charming and interesting and while I’m not especially into Americana or this particular period of history, it was a fun and intriguing toe-dip into both Truman’s legacy and American travel at the time.

I kind of wish there was something like this out there for every President. It’s a great way to learn a bit about the guys you don’t necessarily want a complete biography on, but would like to be better informed about in a simpler and more general sense. There’s some fun “life in America” sort of stuff in here too, ranging around from what it was like to travel at the time to what life after the presidency looked like then vs. now.

I came away from this liking both Truman and the author, and learned a few things along the way. Terrific in audio format if reading that way is available to you.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Truth be told I have read this book before (I think in 2016?), I loved it then and continue to love it this time around. I’ve read several books by Mathew Alego by now, but I sort of ran into this one originally quite by random. I love presidential history, but had yet to really read anything about Truman up to that point. Turns out he’s a lot of fun!
In the last couple of weeks I’ve also read about when Truman met Pablo, and when read back to back- it’s a little like the continuing adventures of your favorite retiree. This time he and Bess are going on across country road trip. It’s chocked full of tales of him speeding, Bess commenting on his driving, and stopping at roadside dinners. It was lovely!
Mathew retraces the trip Truman took, wherever possible stopping or staying where Truman did and talking to people Truman interacted with along the way. The former police officer assigned to body guard duty in one of the towns, the restaurant owner’s son…
I highly recommend this book, it’s a fun little read that brings Truman to life in an accessible way

I'm sure one of the reasons I enjoyed this book is because I grew up in Kansas City so I heard about Harry Truman during my childhood. I still remember the day when the man who lived next door to us came running over all excited because he had seen Harry Truman walking in Independence and he stopped and shook his hand. It was a highlight of his life.

The book does a good job of showing how down-to-earth Truman was - - -and how different the presidency was in those times. The idea of Harry and Bess driving unaccompanied across the country would be absolutely unheard of today. It must have been fun for people to feel their president was approachable and 'one of them'

I enjoyed the personal stories more than the political aspects, but overall it was a good book!

What a story! This is the author's retelling of Harry and Bess Truman's long car trip from their home in Missouri all the way back to Washington, D.C. They had no secret service and Harry drove all the way, to and from. The author completed his own road trip by following Harry's original route, staying in the same hotels and visiting the same restaurants. This is a delightful look at life in the 50's when there were few interstates and car travel anywhere was accomplished on a series of state highways. It's a picture of Harry, his thrifty, down to earth ways, his love for his family and his friends. He was quite a character. He had a Chrysler New Yorker and he knew how to drive it!

If you love non-fiction audiobooks, "Harry Trumen's Excellent Adventure" is a great choice! I received the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. I recommend it! My thanks to the author and publisher. Publication date was scheduled 11/7/23.

The publisher's parting shot, "By the end of the 2500-mile journey, you will have a new and heartfelt appreciation for America's last citizen-president," couldn't be truer in my case! I so enjoyed this read!

Filled with information about the period of time, providing context about Truman's presidency - starts, stops and a disconcerting comparative of all the bits and bobs presidents receive now, the likes of which the Trumans didn't even get a sniff! The author lines up what Harry and Bess walked away from and to where they went back. One day a president, the next, an ordinary citizen. Secret Service now hanging with Eisenhauer, the Trumans were now lone rangers, unsecured. With no money. No job. Unemployed. Still he was able to take out a loan to bridge the gap he was suffering for having served the people for 8 years, and they still had a wedding anniversary to celebrate. And so they went.

Harry drove all the way, Bess was the unheeded navigator, and while they weren't always recognized, they certainly weren't getting away with their great escape. Soon it made the news and the cat was out of the bag! All these years later Author Algeo took the time and did the research to track the route, the stops and even hunts down people, vendors, and sites visited (or their offspring) to get the whole story. The details make this read an absolute treat, and true through and through!

You like roadtrips? presidents? the 50's? Chryslers? cute seniors in love? Go on this one - it's a blast!

*A sincere thank you to Matthew Algeo, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #HarryTrumansExcellentAdventure #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Matthew Algeo wrote this first person non fiction account of his research into Harry and Bess’s driving trip from their Missouri home to the east coast after his Presidency. It was read by a woman, however, which was a bit disconcerting when she talked about “my wife.” It’s quite a long rambling book that seems to try to incorporate any scrap of information he uncovered, including what happened to the owner of a diner the couple stopped at in PA. If you are super interested in all things HST then this is the book for you. I found it tedious.

In 1953, Harry and Bess Truman went on a road trip. They hoped to travel incognito, but that was dashed from the beginning. It turned into a media frenzy of where are the Trumans?

I liked the story and learning more about the personal life of Harry Truman. I also liked the nostalgia of 1953, and how Truman was the last president to return to a post-presidential normal civilian life before the ex-presidency became its own money maker, like it is today.

Themes: 🚙🛣️🇺🇸📸📽️

My thoughts: 🙂🥸

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I listened to Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure on audiobook. It traces the road trip that President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess, took once they left the White House and the presidency. Author, Matthew Algeo, thoroughly researched the route the Truman's traveled and then traveled the route himself to write the book.

The book provides insight into how Harry and Bess wanted to blend in and return to a normal life in their home in Independence, MO. On the road trip, they were frequently recognized in restaurants, gas stations, and motels. Harry took the time to sign autographs and have his photo taken with anyone who asked.

The book provided an interesting snapshot into their road trip and the issues that were troubling America. For me, the pace and action moved slowly.

What a wonderful story! In June and July of 1953, former president Harry Truman was invited to give a speech on the East Coast for a reserve officers group he used to belong to. So Harry decided to take a road trip with his wife Bess to the engagement. Harry meticulously plotted his route, packed his bags, and was on his way. He was assuming he would be able to take the trip without being recognized. However, as he made his way from Independence, Missouri to Pennsylvania, people not only recognized him, but also came up to talk to him, shake his hand, and get his autograph. And remember, this was all done before a Secret Service detail was assigned to an ex-president!

Author Matthew Algeo recreates this trip in as much detail as possible. He drives the same roads, eats at the same places, and stays overnight at the same locations. Of course, there are a few snags such as one motel being turned into a prison or restaurants being closed. But the author still makes this a wonderful journey.

This book came out in 2009, so I think this was a new audiobook that I listened to. It was so entertaining.

P.S. I couldn't help but wish that the title would've been "Harry and Bess's (or Bess and Harry's) Excellent Adventure", but I think it wouldn't have been taken as seriously with the Bill and Ted-style title.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

When I requested this book from the publisher, I planned on reading it and then purchasing this book as a gift for my father-in-law, who is a huge President Harry S. Truman fan. I ended up finding this story about President Harry Truman extremely interesting.

In 1953, after President Truman was no longer president, he packed up his suitcase and with his wife, Bess, jumped in their Chrysler New Yorker and headed across the country on a road trip. This delightful book follows the Truman's as they travel from town to town, stopping at hotels, diners and gas stations along the way. What was fun about this book, was the eye-witness accounts of people he encountered in the small towns along the way and the hilarious comments that President Truman spoke to the onlookers. Another fascinating detail of the book was the news stories of the time and the current events that were happening that the author included. The background research about President Truman, plus the facts he included about other presidents and dignitaries was engrossing.

I listened to this book on audio. Since the author was a man and spoke in the first person throughout the book, I was confused why the publisher chose a woman to narrate this book. She did a great job, but the author spoke several times about researching and recreating the same path as the president and first lady's driving trip, I was able to get past that issue and enjoy the book, but I think this audiobook would have benefited from have a male narrator. I am a woman, so I am not being male chauvinistic, that is just my honest review. It was a strange choice for this book in particular.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Advanced Reader Copy. #NetGalley #HarryTrumansExcellentAdventur