1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America

by David Pietrusza

Overview

The wild, combative inside story of the most stunning upset in the history of presidential elections—Harry Truman's victory over Tom Dewey: “Outstanding.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

In this lively account, award-winning historian David Pietrusza unpacks the most ingloriously iconic headline in the history of presidential elections—DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN—to reveal the 1948 campaign's backstage events and recount the down-to-the-wire brawl fought against the background of an erupting Cold War, the Berlin Airlift, the birth of Israel, and a post-war America facing exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism.

“Coherent, compelling…A skillful, authoritative investigation.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A terrific book…a must-read.”—Ron Faucheux, former editor-in-chief, Campaigns & Elections magazine

“Brilliantly portrays President Harry Truman's successful efforts to stave off the challenge of New York Gov. Tom Dewey, who was making a repeat bid as the Republican nominee.”—David Mark, author of Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning

“Sweeping…compelling.”—Library Journal 
 
“Gripping detail.”—The New York Journal of Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635764475
Publisher:	Diversion Books
Publication date:	04/30/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	562
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

David Pietrusza’s books include 1920: The Year of Six Presidents; Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series; 1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America's Role in the World; 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies; and 1932: The Rise of Hitler and FDR?Two Tales of Politics, Betrayal, and Unlikely Destiny. Rothstein was a finalist for an Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, and 1920 was honored by Kirkus Reviews as among their "Books of the Year." Pietrusza has appeared on Good Morning America, Morning Joe, The Voice of America, The History Channel, ESPN, NPR, AMC, and C-SPAN. He has spoken at The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the Harry S Truman library and Museum, and various universities and festivals. He lives in Scotia, New York. Visit davidpietrusza.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for 1960--LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies:

“[A] winning and provocative chronicle … highly recommended.”--Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW]

"[A] colorful, character-driven narrative.... A lively look at the underside of a campaign."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

A careful dissection of Harry S. Truman's improbable presidential win reveals just how far behind the eight ball "Give ‘em Hell Harry" really was. Today, the 33rd president of the United States is popularly known as the irrepressible, silver-haired scrapper who dropped the atomic bomb on Japan and proclaimed, "The Buck Stops Here." But as Pietrusza meticulously illustrates, that wasn't necessarily the case in 1948. Quite the contrary, back then many viewed Truman as a profoundly flawed individual who was too weak and unqualified for the White House. He had ties to corrupt party bosses, was weaned on Jim Crow racism and couldn't give a decent speech if his life depended on it. The famously false Chicago Tribune headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" indeed said it all—the little seat-warmer from Missouri who had inherited the White House following FDR's death was not supposed to win in 1948. While rogue Democrats undercut him, nervous rank-and-file members sought his ouster. Rival Republicans circled for blood, and not one but two World War II heroes—Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower—loomed in the pack. The author fields each of these competing components deftly, building one on top of the other to weave a coherent, compelling narrative that illuminates the time while also raising implications for today's political climate (as noted here, 1948 was the first time that television became a factor in politics). Much of the intrigue and brinkmanship involved in those party conventions of old has transformed, but the political considerations and closed-door dealing shaping potential nominees remain salient as ever. What the reader learns here is that the long-term veneer that often sticks to political figures always clouds the reality. And understanding what actually transpired is not only more important, but also far more intriguing. A skillful, authoritative investigation into one of the most famous presidential elections in U.S. history.

Kirkus Reviews