Truman
By David McCullough


In this book, you sense the author's admiration for his subject. Self-made and henpecked, yes, but Truman, it turns out, was also a natural leader, starting with his days in the army in World War I. McCullough shows that although Truman was the product of a corrupt political machine, he was nonetheless a man of strong character, integrity and great intelligence. If only his contemporaries had been able to read McCullough's portrait of the 33rd president, they would not have underestimated him. He might even have run for another term—and been elected.