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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Patron Book Review: Conflict and Crisis


Posted by guest blogger and Edwardsville Patron Irv S.

Conflict and Crisis: The Presidency of Harry s. Truman, 1945-1948 by L.A.Times Washington correspondent Robert J. Donovan is well researched, well written, and well documented. 430 pages (plus extensive endnotes of 18 pages and a comprehensive index) is a lot of writing/reading to cover three and one half years. The period was critical, the decisions crucial, the characters fascinating.
I grew up admiring Pres. Truman during a period when his approval and popularity fell to very low levels. I'm not sure that one who is not a "Trumanphile" will find it as satisfying as I did. Donovan gives a "warts and all" description of a politician who assumed the office of president vastly unprepared but who grew into an effective leader,commander-in-chief, and statesman. James MacGregor Byrnes, a fine biographer himself describes the book as "...a masterly account...pungent, plain-spoken, unvarnished...a fair-minded...account of a remarkable presidency." Mr. Burnes was right on!

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