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Best Historiography

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
A completely revised edition of James W. Loewen’s classic retelling of American history, based on six new textbooks and including an all-new chapter on the recent past Since its first publication in 1995, Lies My Teacher Told Me has gone on to win an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship, and has sold over a million copies in its various editions. To make learning more compelling, Loewen urges authors, publishers and teachers to highlight the drama inherent in history by presenting students with different viewpoints and stressing that history is an ongoing process, not merely a collection of—often misleading—factoids. To account for the deplorable situation, he offers this quasi-Marxist explanation: "Perhaps we are all dupes, manipulated by elite white male capitalists who orchestrate how history is written as part of their scheme to perpetuate their own power and privilege at the expense of the rest of us." Certainly students' appalling ignorance of history is troublesome, and broken families and excessive TV viewing are at least the equals of white male conspirators as the cause.
Reviews
"More to history than school books."
"If there's one book you read as a teenager... this should be it."
"just an all around great read."
"Interesting and refreshing read."
"So informative and unbiased."
"Great read!"
"This is an excellent reading of what is very wrong about the text books used in all public schools across America!"
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To America: Personal Reflections of an Historian
As always in his much acclaimed work, Ambrose brings alive the men and women, famous and not, who have peopled our history and made the United States a model for the world. Taking a few swings at today's political correctness, as well as his own early biases, Ambrose grapples with the country's historic sins of racism, its neglect and ill treatment of Native Americans, and its tragic errors (such as the war in Vietnam, which he ardently opposed on campus, where he was a professor). He describes the grueling journey that Lewis and Clark made to open up the country, and the building of the railroad that joined it and produced great riches for a few barons. In these pages, he touches on many of the subjects that he devoted his career to, including presidents Eisenhower and Nixon , the journey of Lewis and Clark , the building of the transcontinental railroad , and the citizen soldiers of World War II . In detailing a family camping trip to Wounded Knee (an outing which directly led to his dual biography of Crazy Horse and George Armstrong Custer ) or offering tips on vivid historical writing (keep your narration in chronological order; keep the reader guessing; and never use the passive voice), he shares what it is like to reflect upon the triumphs and mistakes of the past and why it is so important to pass those stories on to the next generation. Halfway through, he pauses to recount his development as a historian and writer, from his master's thesis and his biographies of Eisenhower and Nixon to his more recent, bestselling books Undaunted Courage, Nothing Like It in the World and numerous titles on WWII.
Reviews
"This book is a chronicle of how he evolved as a writer and how his views changed from what he was taught in college to a more informed and insightful perspective."
"I had been reading for a while and was thinking about how much historical terrain I had covered. These essays touch on many of the same topics Ambrose has written whole books about and give the reader a taste of the topic that may lead to further interest in the larger collection on each subject."
"If you have read other works by Stephen Ambrose you will find this book to be familiar."
"Ambrose wrote another great book, and much more personal than the others."
"Stephen Ambrose does a wonderful job at telling the history of America without putting a far left or far right spin on things."
"An addition to my Library of important historical work."
"GREAT BOOK!!!"
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Hemingway Didn't Say That: The Truth Behind Familiar Quotations
Using the massive expansion in online databases as well as old-fashioned gumshoe archival digging, O’Toole provides a fascinating study of our modern abilities to find and correct misinformation. “The book grew out of a wonderful website O’Toole has been conducting since 2010…[O’Toole] brings mad research skills and dogged determination to tracking down the real stories behind famous quotations.” — The Chronicle of Higher Education. Famous names whom we discover to be not quite as pithy or witty as we thought include Ms Marilyn Monroe, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and (probably one of the most misquoted men ever), Mr Mark Twain.” — Mr. Porter. This entertaining book is a must for librarians, professors, journalists, and others who cherish accurate, properly attributed information.” —David H. Rothman, editor-publisher of TeleRead.
Reviews
"Rarely do I see a non-fiction book as a Kindle First selection, even more rarely is it one that actually looks interesting to me."
"Heck, the only reason I don't have a tattoo right now is I finally settled on the exact one I wanted, a quote I'd seen attributed time and again to Robert Frost that would have been perfect. I was unable to find any verifiable source, other than collections of internet quotes. This reads like (heck, it might even be , but I'm so worn out from slogging through the whole thing to want to do any research of my own right now) a series of blog posts. It was all well researched and sources were perfectly cited, but... *yawn* It just was not a writing style that worked in book length for me. I'd probably have enjoyed these from time to time as a single article or blog post, but to read them all back-to-back (er, back-to-front if we're going to be technical) just became tedious."
"The obscure references got tedious quickly."
"Garson O'Toole breaks down the origins of the statement, the possible places in publication and rhetorical execution where the quote became changed or reattributed, and then presents the findings in a quick and perfectly referenced minimalist format."
"The textbook and classroom poster companies all need copies of this book."
"Garson O'Toole begins by telling us how e-books developed over time, and how it is possible to trace back through the extensive data bases of books and speeches, magazines and reviews available today to discover exactly who - and when - a quote was first created."
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Best Education Research

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
Part II provides an overview of citation practices with detailed information on the two main scholarly citation styles (notes-bibliography and author-date), an array of source types with contemporary examples, and detailed guidance on citing online resources. Wayne C. Booth (1921–2005) was the George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. Joseph M. Williams (1933–2008) was professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago and the author of Style: Toward Clarity and Grace .
Reviews
"Great Product at a great Price !"
"great for papers, need it a lot."
"love it alot, think its great."
"Good resource for College class."
"This book has been very helpful with formatting my bibliography, footnotes, title page, charts, and many other parts of my class project."
"Just as described...fast shipment!"
"Thorough and helpful for any student."
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Best Medieval Art

Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World
Noted authority Christopher de Hamel invites the reader into intimate conversations with these texts to explore what they tell us about nearly a thousand years of medieval history - and about the modern world, too. He traces the elaborate journeys that these exceptionally precious artifacts have made through time and shows us how they have been copied, how they have been embroiled in politics, how they have been regarded as objects of supreme beauty and as symbols of national identity, and who has owned them or lusted after them (and how we can tell). It’s a vanishingly rare pleasure, given the commercial constraints of modern publishing, to handle 600 smoothly weighty pages in which the printed text winds its way seamlessly among more than 200 glorious, often full-color illustrations. And in producing such a gorgeous object, Christopher de Hamel’s publisher has had the courage of his convictions, because its physical and visual delights mirror its commercially unlikely subject matter…[De Hamel] is voraciously completist, recording impressions of each journey, place, building and reading room, as well as every coverage detail of each manuscript’s creation, content and existence as a physical object through time and space… On this archival odyssey, I lost count of the things I learned…[ Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts ], like the volumes that are its subject, is a book of wonders.” - The New York Times Book Review “ Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is miles away from academic dry-as-dust scholarship. "An extraordinary book, a work of scholarship and history salted with the author's excitement...It is full of delights, as well as surprising reminders of the shifting ground of knowledge." When not awed by the sheer scope of his expertise or absorbed by his concerted efforts to decipher script or dissect scripture, we are diverted by his light flourishes and witty evaluations.” – Weekly Standard “Perhaps most important in discussing this magnificent work is to assure you that the overarching erudition is rendered clearly and with great kindness to you, his companion. I am a happier and fuller person because this fine man took me on his Grand Tour and told me so many marvelous things.” -- Helen Hazen, The American Scholar. [and] details each document’s idiosyncrasies while contextualizing its time and place of creation…De Hamel’s delightful book is bound to inspire a new set of medievalists.” – Publishers Weekly , starred review “Interested general readers will appreciate de Hamel’s lucid treatment of the themes and literary techniques that mark these manuscripts as cultural milestones…But they will marvel at the lavish reproductions of the masterful calligraphy and dazzling illuminations that have long made the manuscripts irresistible to collectors. De Hamel, the librarian of Corpus Christi, has spent a lifetime handling, cataloguing and interpreting these gorgeous objects....If I could walk you to your nearest bookshop, take £30 from your wallet, and place this wonderful book in your hands, I would." – Peter Thonemann, Sunday Times One of the cultural highlights of the autumn...Christopher de Hamel has turned a lifelong obsession with ancient literature into a book that critics are comparing to A History of the World in 100 Objects and the wonderful The Hare with Amber Eyes ." De Hamel writes in his introduction of his desire to communicate “the thrill of bringing a well-informed but non-specialist reader into intimate contact with major medieval manuscripts.” He does it brilliantly, and in full color.
Reviews
"Christopher de Hamel is a dear friend for over 30 years, and I am honored to know someone who combines erudition with accessibility in his many studies of manuscripts, creativity, and the obsessive pursuit of these treasures. We settle for photographs, high-priced facsimiles, or an exhibition in a darkened room with mere moments in front of an original manuscript. We learn to study the history, the construction, the meanings, and the variants as we explore the scribbles, the calligraphy, the painting, the binding... everything."
"If you enjoy looking at old manuscripts, love calligraphy or illustration, and aren't already a palaeographer, or if you are just looking for a really engaging romp through medieval European history, this book is a wonderful adventure."
"This text is a compact interesting book of many manuscripts and I am very pleased that I purchased this remarkable meetings book."
"After reading the e-book, I was going to get a hard copy for myself but first I ordered the hard copy from my local library as I wanted to have a good look at the illustrations of the manuscripts described in the book, so glad I did as I was very disappointed with the quality of printing of the illustrations, very mediocre, almost as if they were done in the early 1930’s and this was a first attempt colour book printing; or the print house was using their new mud lens to take the photos!"
"What is present in his writing, but even more so in his speaking is his unquenchable enthusiasm for this area of history, combined in a non-condescending way with his encyclopedic knowledge of art history, theology, currents of cultural influences, and above all his generous humility. As much as I looked forward to "Meetings" in print, this version really fulfills the fantasy of sitting with the expert while we figure out how to get into the Library, how to hold the object, how to obey the sometimes stringent rules, and how to seek genuine pleasure from the experience."
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Best Research Reference Books

National Geographic Atlas of the World, Tenth Edition
Marking the 100th anniversary of National Geographic cartography, this prestigious reference is the essential guide to understanding today's interconnected world. A portion of all National Geographic proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.
Reviews
"I previously bought the National Geographic "Family Reference Atlas of the World", which was big enough to impress people that you have a big atlas on the coffee table, but not big enough to actually FIND any historical locations you are interested in."
"This was a gift, and I am thrilled how fabulous this NG Atlas actually is."
"I have compared, the map for Suriname is even less detailed than my micro pocket atlas which costs only 0.8 USD."
"I picked this as a Christmas gift for my nieces and nephews."
"I could not be more pleased!"
"Absolutely stunning book!"
"I bought this book for my mom and she loves it."
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Best Historical Essays

The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For
A New York Times Bestseller A timely collection of speeches by David McCullough, the most honored historian in the United States—winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many others—that reminds us of fundamental American principles. Insightful and inspirational, it summons a vexed and divided nation to remember - and cherish - our unifying ideas and ideals.” (Jay Strafford Richmond Times Dispatch). "McCullough's passion for history and his profound belief in America, or at least his vision of America . He is, whether at his desk or a lectern, a consummate storyteller.”. (Danny Heitman Christian Science Monitor). “Very few among us possess the encompassing and informed perspective on America’s past and present that historian and best-selling author McCullough has gained over decades of research. McCullough’s legions of fans will flock to this edifying collection.” (Booklist). “A carefully crafted, well-reasoned, heartfelt testament to what this nation can be — past, present, and we must believe — future.”. (Barbara Hall The Providence Journal). “Acclaimed historian David McCullough’s The American Spirit is as inspirational as it is brilliant, as simple as it is sophisticated. He sees his nation with all its warts, beginning with its indelible birthmark of slavery and continuing through to today’s government dysfunction and political polarization. Yet he remains confident and upbeat.” (Edward Cuddihy Buffalo News) David McCullough has twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback . His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood , TheGreat Bridge , Brave Companions , 1776,The Greater Journey , and The Wright Brothers .
Reviews
"Most of them are college commencement addresses - in Boston, Ohio, Missouri and Pittsburgh - and a few mark the anniversary of important monuments (the White House) or events (the Kennedy assassination). He is not bashful about taking this 'Great Man' view of history, since many of the characters he picks exemplify well the essential qualities of this country. In speeches intended to commemorate buildings, McCullough also lovingly describes the rich history of monuments like the White House and Capitol Hill and cities like Pittsburgh and Boston. Throughout the book, McCullough emphasizes many of the qualities that exemplified this country's history: "the fundamental decency, the tolerance and insistence on truth and the good-heartedness of the American people". There is also bravery here, exemplified by the Founding Fathers' decision to defy the King of England under threat of execution, by abolitionists' denunciation of slavery and by the ceaseless optimism of scores of politicians and common Americans who wanted to change the direction of this country for the better. There was Margaret Smith who stood up against Joseph McCarthy and said that she did not want "to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the four horsemen of calumny - fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear". There was physician Benjamin Rush who emphasized "candor, gentleness, and a disposition to speak with civility and to listen with attention to everybody". McCullough tells us how many of the most important Founding Fathers and presidents put learning and books front and center, not just in their own evolution but in their vision for America."
", "The American Spirit" which is a compilation of 18 or so speeches written & delivered by this excellent author at a variety of special occasions (e.g university commencement addresses, naturalization of U.S. citizens at Monticello, joint session of Congress, etc.). M's message was tailored to his specific audience with engaging histories of key people who exemplify certain characteristics that ring true of the American Experience and how we came to be the country we are today."
"I love Mr. McCullogh's works and I found it fascinating to read what synopsis of history he would choose to share in his speeches."
"The voice of David McCullough is familiar to all Americans."
"His love of our country shines through on every word of his speeches."
"A great book very enlightening!"
"David McCullough does it again."
"This collection beautifully ties together the theme of The American Spirit and brilliantly touches on all his major works."
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Best Historical Study Reference

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures and religions. For Frankopan, the brutish West owes its more enlightened traditions to the lands east of Italy and west of China, which were, for centuries, 'the centre of the world'… Frankopan marshals diverse examples to demonstrate the interconnectedness of cultures, showing in vivid detail the economic and social impact of the silk and the slave trades, the Black Death, and the Buddhist influence on Christianity.”. — The New Yorker “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR “This is deeply researched popular history at its most invigorating, primed to dislodge routine preconceptions and to pour in other light. “One of Mr. Frankopan’s gifts as a storyteller is his ability to draw unusual connections across his vast canvas… [he] packs his tale with fascinating trivia… Frankopan has written a rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world.”. —Sadanand Dhume, The Wall Street Journal “Frankopan casts his net widely in this work of dizzying breadth and ambition… Those opening to any page will find fascinating insights that illuminate elusive connections across time and place… Frankopan approaches his craft with an acerbic wit, and his epochal perspective throws the foibles of the modern age into sharp relief”. — Publishers Weekly (starred review). “A glorious read. “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR. “Superb… Peter Frankopan is an exceptional storyteller… The lands of the Silk Roads are of renewed importance, and Frankopan’s book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to make sense of this union of past and present.”. —Philip Seib, The Dallas Morning News. “This is, to put it mildly, an ambitious book… By spinning all these stories into a single thread, Peter Frankopan attempts something bold: A history of the world that shunts the centre of gravity eastward… Mr. Frankopan writes with clarity and memorable detail… Where other histories put the Mediterranean at the centre of the story, under Mr. Frankopan it is important as the western end of a transcontinental trade with Asia in silks, spices, slaves—and ideas.”. — The Economist. “It’s time we recognized the importance of the East to our history, insists this magnificent study… The breadth and ambition of this swashbuckling history by Peter Frankopan should come as no surprise… A book that roves as widely as the geography it describes, encompassing worlds as far removed as those of Herodotus and Saddam Hussein, Hammurabi and Hitler… It is a tribute to Frankopan’s scholarship and mastery of sources in multiple languages that he is as sure-footed on the ancient world as he is on the medieval and modern… Deftly constructed… The Silk Roads is a powerful corrective to parochialism.”. —Justin Marozzi, The Sunday Times (U.K.). Frankopan upends the usual world-history narrative oriented around ancient Rome and Greece and the irrepressible rise of Europe… In a series of brisk chapters—The Road of Faiths, The Road of Furs and so on—studded with state-of-the-art research that is sourced from at least a dozen languages, the author brings wondrous history to vivid life… In The Silk Roads, Peter Frankopan has provided a bracing wake up call.”. —Matthew Price, The National (AE).
Reviews
"Schools teach its students of the Roman Empire, the subsequent Dark Ages, the Norman conquest in 1066, Henry VIII and the Tudors, the American War of Independence, the Industrial Revolution and the First and Second World Wars. As the author states: “For centuries before the early modern era, the intellectual centres of excellence of the world, the Oxfords ad Cambridges, the Harvards and Yales, were not located in Europe or the west, but in Baghdad, and Balkh, Bukhara and Samarkand”. We are seeing the signs of the world’s centre of gravity shifting – back to where it lay for millennia”."
"The author's depth of knowledge and resource access, coupled with his polyglot skills, weave a centuries long tale of intrigue across a region of the world little known or travelled today. The story of the European debacle of the same time is repeatedly narrated, engrossing the reader in its internecine religious wars. Piles of skulls and cities entirely wiped off the face of the earth are ignored in favor of the administrative advantages of Mongol rule. Information is 'quickly transmitted' across the sands, mountains and rivers - this when 30 miles a day was the fastest a horse or man could travel. Other books in the vein of Central Asia would include The Poison King, Balthazar's Odyssey, The Ornament of the World, The Emergence of Modern Islam, Chasing the Sea, The Shied of Achilles and best, Millennium by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. The ridicule of Western advances coupled to dictatorial domination and horrific tortures could just as easily describe Islamic, Indian, Chinese or Russian worlds. As for his Palestinian views, well, they are biased, leave it at that... Can't wait to enjoy My Fair Lady, his Mediterranean yacht for charter..."
"I had assumed we would be learning about the history of the silk roads and the many dynasties that rose and fell along the route - the Songdians, the cities of the Tamir Basin for example. I thought this would be an Asian centric book showing the silk roads impact on Han Dynasty China and the steps that had to be taken to keep the route secure. Or perhaps how the silk road brought Buddhism to the west and mixed the artistic sense of the descendants of Alexander's army with the Central Asian Buddhist cave dwellers."
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Best Social History eBooks

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens , returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. While Sapiens looked back at our evolutionary development, this new book examines where we might be headed ( Homo Deus is subtitled “A Brief History of Tomorrow”). His innovative new book blends science, history and philosophy to explore the future of humanity in the face of artificial intelligence and examine whether our species will be rendered completely redundant.” – Cambridge Network “Spellbinding. “ It’s a chilling prospect, but the AI we’ve created could transform human nature, argues this spellbinding new book by the author of Sapiens .” – The Guardian. “Nominally a historian, Harari is in fact an intellectual magpie who has plucked theories and data from many disciplines — including philosophy, theology, computer science and biology — to produce a brilliantly original, thought-provoking and important study of where mankind is heading.” – Evening Standard. He’s opened a portal for us to contemplate on what kind of relationships we are forming with our data-crunching machines and whether ‘right’ must be determined by empirical evidence or good old ‘gut instinct.’” – The Hindu “[Harari’s] propositions are well-developed, drawing upon a combination of science, philosophy and history. While the book offers a rather pessimistic and even nihilistic view of man’s future, it is written with wit and style and makes compelling reading.” – iNews.
Reviews
"Yuval Noah Harari's "Homo Deus" continues the tradition introduced in his previous book "Sapiens": clever, clear and humorous writing, intelligent analogies and a remarkable sweep through human history, culture, intellect and technology. He starts with exploring the three main causes of human misery through the ages - disease, starvation and war - and talks extensively about how improved technological development, liberal political and cultural institutions and economic freedom have led to very significant declines in each of these maladies. Continuing his theme from "Sapiens", a major part of the discussion is devoted to shared zeitgeists like religion and other forms of belief that, notwithstanding some of their pernicious effects, can unify a remarkably large number of people across the world in striving together for humanity's betterment. As in "Sapiens", Mr. Harari enlivens his discussion with popular analogies from current culture ranging from McDonald's and modern marriage to American politics and pop music. Mr. Harari's basic take is that science and technology combined with a shared sense of morality have created a solid liberal framework around the world that puts individual rights front and center. Ranging from dating to medical diagnosis, from the care of the elderly to household work, entire industries now stand to both benefit and be complemented or even superseded by the march of the machines. For reading more about these aspects, I would recommend books like Nick Bostrom's "Superintelligence", Pedro Domingos's "The Master Algorithm" and John Markoff's "Machines of Loving Grace". As a proficient prognosticator Mr. Harari's crystal ball remains murky, but as a surveyor of past human accomplishments his robust and unique abilities are still impressive and worth admiring."
"And he claims that humanism believes that individuals always know best about their own needs (when in fact, many have emphasized the importance of education in our development--he does not even reference John Dewey). For most of the book, Harari appears to be adopting a materialistic perspective, and one which is also extremely unsentimental and discounts the significance of human morale and character. He also discusses how animals and people have consciousness and subjective experiences, and presumes that artificial intelligence will remain unconscious (the "weak AI" hypothesis of John Searle). And on the very last page, he makes us wonder if his hardcore materialistic perspective has just been a long, extended ruse: he asks us to question a worldview that would deny the significance of consciousness. So it seems likely that in a future book he will focus on the nature of consciousness, and argue for non-theistic Buddhism (an understated agenda in Harari's writing--perhaps he thinks that this is the way for humanity to avoid the grim fate predicted here?). The comment begins with "Harari indeed believes that developing an understanding of consciousness, a science of mind, or however else one wishes to phrase it is the best and perhaps the only way to avert the grim fate that threatens humanity in this century."
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Best Study & Teaching of History

Truman
The Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Harry S. Truman, whose presidency included momentous events from the atomic bombing of Japan to the outbreak of the Cold War and the Korean War, told by America’s beloved and distinguished historian. His presidency was dominated by enormously controversial issues: he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, established anti-Communism as the bedrock of American foreign policy, and sent U.S. troops into the Korean War. It was Harry S. Truman who ordered the atomic bomb dropped, halted Communists in Turkey and Greece, initiated the Marshall Plan, NATO and the Berlin Airlift, ordered desegregation of the armed forces, established the CIA and the Defense Department, committed U.S. forces to Korea and upheld the principle of civilian control over the military by firing Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The book's re-creation of the 1948 presidential campaign, during which Newsweek 's poll of 50 political writers predicted that the incumbent would lose the election to Thomas Dewey, is the most complete account of that surprise victory to date.
Reviews
"If you have a love of history you will enjoy this book from beginning to end and don't let the length of it discourage you from starting it because it just flies by."
"Compared to his daughter's adoring biography of HST, David McCullough has really unearthed some remarkable stories and anecdotes about the KC Pendergast machine, the reformer Lloyd Stark of apple growing fame, and the generally honorable way HST conducted himself as a county commissioner, supervisor and senator."
"His description of Joseph McCarthy and the "fake news" is very similar to what is happening today ("I have a list of 81 members of the Communist Party that are working in the State Department!"
"As a child born during his last year in office I only knew of him as a former president with no real experience to understand who and what he was."
"As always David McCullough comes trough with a great story about a fascinating man."
"The life of Truman is especially pertinent given today's rancorous politics - and Trump could learn a lot from this president who had extremely low ratings as president but has left a lasting legacy for the US and the world."
"This book is fascinating - full of details about this extraordinary president and his life."
"One reason why I purchased David McCullough's biography "TRUMAN" is to find out some of the things he said over his life. He takes you into their own thoughts and feelings and allows you to view the individual as if you were right there with them, living out the actual experiences; because McCullough goes back to their own personal diary notes, letters, quotations recorded by others; woven in a context of actual life, as recorded by the person themselves and other relatives, friends, business associates, and here, political connections. I'd like to write more, but the house is quiet now and I am drawn to my lazy boy recliner where I can pick up and read more of David McCullough's TRUMAN."
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