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When I downloaded the audio book, the 54 hour run time seemed insane to me. But it flew by, feeling like I was listening to a fast-paced action story. What an incredible life, from his WWI heroism, dramatic come from behind election wins, and of course all the tumultuous world events he was at the center of.

I never really appreciated all the important changes that happened during his presidency, and Truman’s hand in guiding that course. The endearing story of his courtship with Bess was also a highlight of the book.

I am tempted to list all the great stories I learned in the book, but I will just talk about one: the story of Truman’s pick as VP in 1944. It came down to 3 very different men: Jimmy Byrnes, the conservative southern segregationist, Henry Wallace, the nerdy left-wing progressive, and Truman. The decision happened at the Democratic National Convention over the course of a few days and was ultimately decided by the actions of a small number of power brokers and some lucky bounces that landed Truman’s way. Everyone knew that the VP choice would likely be President, as FDR was in poor health, but the decisions were based more on electoral considerations than anything else. There was a lot of crazy drama and things could have easily ended up in a different direction. Who knows how history would have unfolded if it was Byrnes or Wallace that got the nod instead.

I cannot resist mentioning one other thing that was wild to me. In 1948, as Truman’s popularity was in decline, many Democrats wanted Eisenhower to take Truman’s place as the Democratic nominee. Truman himself even entertained this. Never mind that they did not know what Eisenhower’s political beliefs were, as in fact he was a Republican. Or that he did not even want the job. The widespread clamor for him to be the Democratic nominee was just weird.

While the political drama was very entertaining, at its heart, the book is a study of character. Truman’s character was tested in some of the most extreme ways imaginable: war, politics, personal attacks, opportunities for personal gain in morally questionable ways. And he sometimes failed, as he is flawed like all of us. But overall, he has a record to be proud of. From Truman’s personal letters, which fortunately have been preserved, we can get a lot of insight into his thoughts as he faced these challenges. What was striking to me is how deeply and how often, starting from an early age, he thought about history, philosophy, and what kind of person he wanted to be. It felt to me that this prepared him for the moral challenges he would later face.