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Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman
Plain Speaking An Oral Biography of Harry S Truman
Author: Merle Miller
The Washington columnist Mary McGrory once wrote, " Since Harry Truman left town almost nobody has spoken his mind. Mr. Truman took the tradition of plain speaking back to Missouri with him." — Fortunately for history, Merle Miller followed. In the early 1960s, as preparation for a ill-fated series of television series, Miller talked in...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781579124373
ISBN-10: 1579124372
Publication Date: 1/30/2005
Pages: 448
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1

4.5 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Black Dog Leventhal Publishers
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
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reviewed Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman on + 107 more book reviews
I haven't read the whole book yet, but what I have read so far I have enjoyed tremendously.

I owned this book in paperback once before, and discarded it because of a Truman quote on the back cover: "I fired General McArthur because he wouldn't respect the authority of the President. I didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch although he was, but that's not against the law for generals..."

At the time I was either about to retire from the military or was newly retired, and had already heard Truman quoted bashing the military/industrial complex. I had no time for someone who had so little regard for the military. Forty years have passed since "Plain Speaking" was originally published, and I still have a lot of respect for the military, but I'm older and wiser now, and have read enough military history that I can agree with most of Truman's views.

I picked up a paperback copy of this book a while back, and liked what I read so well that I ordered a hardcover copy from PBS. Have only read the first 40 pages (the Preface), but considering what we have in the White House now, I LONG for a president with HST's honesty and humility. Over the years since his death, admiration for HST has grown to where he is now considered one of the country's great leaders.

Sometimes you don't know what you've got till it's gone, to quote a popular song from twenty years ago, back when the lyrics made sense.
reviewed Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman on + 47 more book reviews
Subtitle: Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman.
bbromancelvr avatar reviewed Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman on + 64 more book reviews
A FABULOUS BIOGRAPHY OF A MUCH-LOVED, AND MUCH-RESPECTED PRESIDENT.


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