The Accidental President is a fascinating look at Harry S. Truman’s first four months as President of the United States. Thrown reluctantly into the role following the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Truman oversaw major world events including the end of World War II and the beginning of the nuclear arms race.

I read The Accidental President as part of the 2023 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. June’s challenge was to read a memoir or biography of a famous dad in honor of Father’s Day. With The Accidental President, I’m happy to say I picked a good one.

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I’ve always wanted to learn more about Truman, a fellow Missourian, but presidential biographies can be so long! I appreciated the scope of The Accidental President because it not only covers the first four months of Truman’s presidency, but it also provides a lot of information about the years leading up to the White House, and at a reasonable page count.

Truman was, indeed, an unlikely President, and the fact that “The Man from Missouri” ascended to the position of the most powerful man in the world is pretty astounding.

Truman was born to a farming family in Lamar, MO, a small town near Kansas City. His background was very different from aristocratic FDR’s – Truman worked on his family farm for 12 years, co-owned a failed haberdashery, and went broke from some risky business ventures. And, unlike Ivy Leaguer FDR, Truman never went to college. BUT he was a voracious reader of history and a student of past great leaders, which served him well during his presidency.

While serving as an army officer during World War I, Truman met Jim Pendergast, nephew of notorious Kansas City political boss, Tom Pendergast. Pendergast encouraged Truman to run for his first political office – Jackson County “judge,” a county administrative position. Truman eventually ran for US Senate, and was serving his second term when, out of the blue, FDR (virtually a stranger to Truman), chose him to be his running mate for the 1944 election.

It’s important to note that although Truman was associated with the corrupt Pendergast, an association that would taint some of Truman’s accomplishments, Truman appeared to keep his hands clean.

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Needless to say, the FDR / Truman ticket won the election and a confounded Truman found himself a heartbeat away from becoming the president. That day came on April 12, 1945, when Roosevelt suffered a massive stroke and died at the most pivotal moment of World War II. Too bad FDR hadn’t kept his Vice President in the loop.

The author of The Accidental President lists the momentous events Truman had to deal with in his first few months as President of the United States:

• The collapse of Nazi Germany
• The founding of the United Nations
• Firebombing of Japanese cities
• The liberation of Nazi death camps
• The suicide of Adolf Hitler
• The execution of Mussolini
• The fall of Berlin
• Victory in Okinawa
• The Potsdam Conference
• The nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• The dawn of the Cold War

Dang! That’s a lot for an “ordinary” man to handle. Fortunately, Truman was up to the task!

Source: Truman Presidential Library

Okay, I’m done geeking out about history. Now let’s talk about the quality of the book.

As I said before, I like this approach to biographies, where a small but critical time period is covered. It reminded me of The Splendid and the Vile, which covered an important year in Winston Churchill’s role as the British Prime Minister. To me, this format is more digestible, and I still got a good feel for the man and the times, as well as the complexities Truman faced as he was plucked out of obscurity and dropped into a hotbed of historic moments.

I also have a deep appreciation for the amount of detailed research the author did in order to make the man and the time period come alive. Through sources such as official documents, journal entries, newspaper stories, meeting notes, and personal correspondence, A. J. Baime was able to craft a compelling and nuanced story. The author also appeared to remain objective, even when writing about complex topics such as the dropping of atom bombs on Japan. He presents the context in fine detail so that readers can understand what Truman was facing when he made his decision.

Overall, I give The Accidental President an enthusiastic thumbs up. I think history buffs will enjoy it, especially those interested in the World War II era. Aside from historical content, it’s also an absorbing character study of one of America’s most prominent presidents.

And while we’re talking about Truman, I want to put in a good word for the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO. It’s a well-designed glimpse into the man and his presidency. I’m sure the author of The Accidental President spent many hours there!

Did anyone else read a biography of a famous father last month? Please share!

**Reminder: July’s challenge is to read a book about or set in Scotland. For some good options, check out 15 Novels Set in Scotland.