Ronald A. (rarendt) reviewed on 2/22/2014 + 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.

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