The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World

The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World – by A. J. Baime

Looking at the cover of this book, you can easily miss the subtitle which includes “…and the Four Months That Change the World…”. This is important because this is not a complete biography of Harry S. Truman.  This is a book highlighting how one of the most unlikely persons in history ended up as Commander in Chief of the U.S.A. during the most perilous, tumultuous time in the country’s history.  The four months that this book details lays a solid argument that the events that happened truly did change the world, and how fortunate Americans should be that Harry S. Truman went from basically being a Nobody to a President who was able to bring the ghastly second world war to an end. He was also able to do this at least one year before most experts thought possible.

Although, again, not a biography, author A.J. Baime does give us enough of Truman’s background to paint a picture of this rather odd duck.  Harry Truman was never anything spectacular.  When one looks at his portrait, it’s safe to say that his personality matches his image. A small, quiet, unassuming introvert, his only skill as a young man is as a struggling farmer in his rural Missouri. He tries several business ventures, but those are all doomed to failure as well. Curiously, there’s one event in young Truman’s life that history shows us that the man had some sort of potential. He becomes a captain and commander of an infantry brigade during World War I, and quickly earns the support of his subordinates as he leads them through war-stricken France without a single casualty inflicted on his unit during combat.

Upon return, his heroics are brought to the attention of Kansas City Political “boss” Tom Pendergrast. Before you know it, Truman is serving as a county judge in his Missouri hometown. Then, with political connections, it seems that he’s quickly vaulted as an unlikely choice for United States senate. Such things don’t happen without help from somewhat dubious political connections.

The story gets stranger when FDR chooses Truman for his VP running mate in 1944. One wishes they could be a fly on the wall during the Democratic Convention as this decision was being made.  Most people rightly assumed that Roosevelt was already dying, and that whomever the VP would be, would be promoted to the head role sooner rather than later. Again, this makes you wonder if those in power really thought this through.  Sure, Truman was probably the safest bet to share the ticket with FDR (his popularity wasn’t undisputed in 1944, and there wasn’t a staunch guarantee he would be elected for a fourth term), but the fact that everyone in political power knew FDR was at death’s door still seems to make one raise their eyebrows of the eventual choice. Truman?

So less than four months after Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth term, he dies. Truman is overwhelmed at the thought of his new job; as is everyone else.  He quickly becomes a student of world affairs out of necessity. These are not ordinary times. Although victory over Germany is basically guaranteed within a matter of weeks, the situation in Japan is not quite as clear.  Most feel that the U.S. will eventually prevail, but not without many more deaths and many more years of fighting.  Add to the fact that the U.S.’s new ‘ally’ Joseph Stalin is also a tyrant, isn’t going to make anything easier.  The allies are victors in Europe, but Stalin and Truman (along with Churchill) have much different ideas as to what to do with conquered Europe.

The bulk of this book seems to focus on the “Big 3” during their Potsdam conference in 1945. Truman shows he may be the new kid on the block, but he’s no pushover and won’t cave to this bully of a tyrant.  Also, Truman knows about the secret “Manhattan Project” that is essentially his ace up the sleeve during the conference.  We read an awful lot about the atomic bomb in these pages, and author Baime does a great job telling the story of the testing, preparation, and eventual deployment of the bomb.

It should be noted that these two events – the Potsdam Conference and the atomic bomb, really did go hand in hand. Without Truman’s weapon, the conference could have very possibly have gone in a completely different direction. As the subtitle of this book states, the events really did “change the world”.  Baime also spends a fair amount of time talking about the moral issue of using such a weapon. Like most historians, the author comes to the conclusion that as evil as the atomic bomb was, it was the lesser of two evils when contrasted against the alternative of a full force invasion of Japan that would have prolonged the war for at least an additional year.  (One statistic in the book that stood out: Some estimates stated that the U.S. would lose twice as many lives during the last, hypothetical, year of the war as they had lost during the entire conflict from 1941-1945).

The author adds a nice epilogue to the book as well. Since we don’t get the whole Truman story here, author Baime briefly mentions other monumental events during Truman’s latter years as president including the Berlin Airlift, the surprising 1948 presidential election, Korea, and the eventual sacking of Douglas MacArthur.  The Douglas MacArthur event deserves an entire book, though, of its own (I would recommend H.W. Brands “The General and the President).

So, no, not an exhaustive biography of the man nor his presidency, but an excellent account of how such an ordinary unassuming fellow surprised many and eventually brought the most horrific war in history to a close while minimizing the damage for his countrymen.  Very easy to read and digest as well.

FDR

FDR - by Jean Edward Smith

Amazon lists this book at 880 pages. You would think 880 pages would be plenty when telling a biography about anybody. However, when one considers that William Manchester’s wonderful account of Winston Churchill took a total of 3 volumes totaling over 3000 pages, one can start to see that 880 pages covering such a massive historical figure as FDR might be cutting it a tad thin.  After reading this book, those were my exact sentiments.  A very well written book, but there simply should have been more. I still give this book 5 stars though, because I think it’s fair to review a book on what it is as opposed to what it is not.

Although there are lot of people that don’t or didn’t like Franklin Roosevelt, this book clearly shows us that the man was a brilliant orator and a master politician.  The best leaders are ones that inspire; they lift us up when times are bad and show us that despite the travails of the country and the individual, we can and will persevere as a nation. FDR was the commander in chief during the two most calamitous times in history during the 20^th century; the Great Depression and World War II.  I find it somewhat interesting that the former didn’t end until the latter happened, but people stood by their leader with the depression a decade old because he made them feel good about themselves. This is the complete opposite of Roosevelt’s predecessor, Herbert Hoover.  Many historians have correctly stated that Roosevelt’s plans and policies weren’t any more effective than Hoover’s, but the two presidents were night and day when it came to talking to an audience.

Roosevelt was born into prestige and gobs of old New York money.  This, plus the fact that he was handsome and charming was the main reason why he was elevated to the top of local politics. The book seems to suggest that it’s only when Roosevelt succumbs to becoming a paraplegic due to the crippling disease polio, does his heart change for the common man. It’s also quite interesting to read about his hot and cold relationship with the somewhat crooked Tammany Hall political machine in New York City during the 1910s and 1920s.

Since I’ve read other books about FDR, as well as many books about FDR’s political counterparts, it’s impossible for me to read this book without making comparisons to other narratives I’ve read.  For example, I thought this book was the best biography when covering his early years up to the first half of his presidency.  To contrast, the book on FDR by James MacGregor Burns “The Lion and the Fox” (which covered FDR until 1940) was one of the most lifeless, drab books that I have ever read. I wish I had read this one and never bothered with the Burns volume.  Ironically, the volume 2 of FDR by Burns, which covered the years 1940-1945, is actually much better than this particular bio.  I think that was my main gripe about this book; the war years just weren’t covered in as much detail as they should have been.  If I recall, Jean Edward Smith only devotes the last three chapters of this biography to the war years. As I’ve stated, 880 pages really isn’t enough to get the complete picture.

Speaking of book comparisons, my favorite compendium of FDR is Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “No Ordinary Time”.  That book was more of a co-biography on FDR and wife Eleanor.  That book focused on the war years as well, and really did an excellent job paying homage to Eleanor and the great things that she did for her country; mostly in different circles.  FDR and Eleanor had a very strange marital relationship, and most of their latter years they seemed more akin as business partners than a married couple happy in love.  Again, Jean Edward Smith only scratches the surface when discussing Eleanor as compared to the Doris Kearns Goodwin book.

I will say that the only thing about this book that left me feeling a bit cheated was the end.  Yes, FDR died in office shortly after his fourth term began in April 1945, but it feels as though the author puts on the breaks to the story too fast.  It’s possible that I felt this way since there was a lot of drama that occurred within the six months after FDR’s death; mostly the conclusion of World War II and how the U.S. got where they did. It feels as though there really should have been a coda that talked a bit about things such as Harry Truman, VE Day, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Yes, Roosevelt had left us by that point, but he did set the wheels in motion for all of those events to occur, and it would have made a better ending than the abrupt conclusion Smith gives us in this book.

I really enjoyed this book. FDR was such a well-known president, though, that I can’t help but recommend to the serious reader that they use this book as a starting point and continue their education with the many other volumes out there to get a more full picture of the times and the places where FDR was at center stage during such a tumultuous time in the nation’s history.

Hoover – An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times

Hoover – An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times – Kenneth Whyte

“Twenty million people are starving. Whatever their politics, they shall be fed.”   Herbert Hoover, 1921

I have now read at least one biography of every deceased president of the U.S. Not only was this biography one of the best, but it was one where I learned an awful lot about the man and his achievements of what he did outside the presidency. Sadly, history remembers presidents based on what they accomplished inside the walls of the White House (with the exception of a Grant or Eisenhower), whereas the rest of their achievements, past or future, tend to be relegated to footnotes.  Hebert Hoover did an awful lot of great things a decade before he ever entered politics, and this book spends an adequate amount of time detailing these accomplishments.  Even once Hoover becomes president, the author is a staunch apologist for his efforts and claims history has been unfair and unkind.  More on that later.

The first half of this book (about 300 pages) rarely, if ever, mentions politics. This is rare in presidential bios. For a person to reach the goal of being president, they must start the journey quite early. Hoover is the opposite. It’s his achievements as a private citizen that makes him a household name and catapults him into contention for the highest office in the land.  I’m tempted to use Donald Trump as an example. But let’s not go there.

Orphaned as a nine-year-old and shuffled to live with various relatives, Hoover eventually becomes a self-made millionaire as a geologist and mining engineer.  The book gives a fair amount of detail in this area, but it’s when Hoover is living in England in the outbreak of World War I that his story really becomes interesting.  This is where Hoover becomes a true hero.  He starts by managing to chair an evacuation effort to the thousands of Americans abroad in Europe back to their homeland. Whether they’re living there temporarily or on vacation, such a cataclysmic event provides no easy way for the nervous travelers to get back home to safety. Hoover sees a need, formulates a plan, and manages to bring the boys, girls, etc. back home.

Once accomplished, Hoover sees more he can do.  For Germany to attack France, there’s no other way to get there other than through neutral Belgium. Once Germany goes through the Belgian border, the country is ransacked, the food is pillaged, the women are raped, and many citizens are basically forced into slave labor.  Hoover sees all this and cries ‘foul’.  Although the U.S. couldn’t do much initially (they wouldn’t enter the war until after the 3^rd of the 4 years), he sees the Belgian population suffering and spends ample efforts putting together a relief effort that manages to at least feed the starving natives during the German occupation.

Once that catastrophe is averted, he ends up being a sort of food czar once the U.S. enters the war.  It’s crucial that all people, at home and abroad, conserve food if the allies are going to win the war.  His planning and efforts are highly noticed, and this self-made millionaire shows his heart is bigger than his wallet.  History also tells us that he assisted Russia during the 1920s when the country was starving as well, yet this book barely mentions this effort at all. 

So such a man is easily recognized and then selected as part of Calvin Coolidge’s cabinet as Secretary of Commerce during the 1920s.  It’s at this point where Hoover gets the presidential bug. He claims he’ll only be considered if the people truly want him, but those who know things know better.  It’s not surprising that Hoover wins the nomination in the election of 1928.  To be brutally honest, his troubles start before the great depression sinks the country a year later.

It seems that Hoover is a bit of a tough guy to figure out. Although his feats show he’s incredibly philanthropic, his mannerisms are quite confusing to those around him. He seems gruff, blunt, and not exactly a friendly guy.  Since he had gobs of money and got (good) things done, this really shouldn’t matter. But we’re talking about a President here.  A president needs to be political, needs to work with congress, and needs to compromise. Such things are a bit unfamiliar with this man. The fact that he’s never had to compromise with others to get anything done shows his Achilles Heel.

Then the depression hits.  Now, history tells us that Herbert Hoover should shoulder most of the blame since he apparently didn’t do enough neither before nor during this time, but author Kenneth Whyte spends a considerable amount of time defending the man and deflecting these criticisms. When one pays close attention to history, it is the consensus that the cause of the depression really can’t be pinned down, and the many methods that were implemented to counter the disaster had to be tested and tried. Some worked, many did not.  There was even a well-publicized event when thousands of World War I veterans stormed the capital to demand their war pensions several years early. Again, Whyte dismisses this as minor and makes the event out to be less consequential than other historical reflections.

With the country still mired in economic hardship as the next presidential election approaches, it’s common for the masses to blame the commander in chief for the dire consequences, so Hoover is voted out of office after one term.   The author, again, makes the claim that new President Franklin Roosevelt really doesn’t do much better in aiding to end the depression, but Roosevelt is political. He knows how to talk to voters. He knows how to inspire. He knows how to make a speech without putting his audience to sleep. He is loved by many and goes on to be elected an unrivaled four terms.  Roosevelt spends quite a lot of time in office bashing Hoover for the mess the country is in.  Hoover can never quite understand why he is being treated so unfairly by this man. Again, Hoover simply doesn’t understand politics.

So in conclusion, the author led me to believe that Hoover was a brilliant man, but a lousy politician. His biggest crime is not being able to lead the way leaders lead, nor can he inspire when the chips are down. In a roundabout way, the author shows us that charisma and personality can go a long way when leading a country, and one cannot simply be rich and/or brilliant.  In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about this book was that the author quoted from Hoover’s speeches quite often, and most of these quotations were quite dull.  Rich and brilliant? Definitely.  Inspirational? Hardly.

It’s a shame that many don’t know the real Herbert Hoover. Time is beginning to shed light in the dark spaces, and Kenneth Whyte does an excellent job showing us the real man. Yes, Hoover had a lot of warts, but he did some great things.  I can’t help thinking that Netflix or someone should do a series on Hoover’s World War I accomplishments. It truly would be an eye opener.