
Ascent to Power
How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt's Shadow and Remade the World
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Narrated by:
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Mark Bramhall
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By:
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David L. Roll
About this listen
**One of Foreign Affairs's Best Books of 2024**
From Franklin Roosevelt’s final days through Harry Truman’s extraordinary transformation, this is the enthralling story behind the most consequential presidential transition in US history.
When Roosevelt, in failing health, decided to run for a fourth term, he gave in to the big city Democratic bosses and reluctantly picked Senator Truman as his vice president, a man he barely knew. Upon FDR’s death in April 1945, Truman, after only 82 days as VP, was thrust into the presidency. Utterly unprepared, he faced the collapse of Germany, a Europe in ruins, the organization of the UN, a summit with Stalin and Churchill, and the question of whether atomic bombs would be ready for use against Japan. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union was growing increasingly hostile towards US power. Truman inherited FDR’s hope that peace could be maintained through cooperation with the Soviets, but he would soon learn that imitating his predecessor would lead only to missteps and controversy.
Spanning the years of transition, 1944 to 1948, Ascent to Power illuminates Truman’s struggles to emerge as president in his own right. Yet, from a relatively unknown Missouri senator to the most powerful man on Earth, Truman’s legacy transcends. With his come-from-behind campaign in the fall of 1948, his courageous civil rights advocacy, and his role in liberating millions from militarist governments and brutal occupations, Truman’s decisions during these pivotal years changed the course of the world in ways so significant we live with them today.
©2024 David L. Roll (P)2024 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“With a complete mastery of the sources, David Roll takes us on the gripping journey from Harry Truman’s election as vice-president in 1944 through to his death, rightly concentrating on the crucial years that ended in his stunning re-election as president in 1948. Roll has a fine sense of all the key figures around Truman, but it is his insights into the man himself that are so valuable. Well-researched, well-written and intensely readable, this book confirms Truman as a giant of American—indeed global—history.”—Andrew Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny
“The sudden death of Franklin Roosevelt shook the world; the recognition that power would pass to Harry Truman shook it even more. But the untested Truman turned out to be just what America and the world needed as World War II segued into the Cold War. No one has told this vital story more thoroughly or with greater verve and insight than David Roll does in this fine book.”—H. W. Brands, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The General vs. the President
“After winning World War II, America rebuilt the world—including its enemies. How that happened is one of the great stories of any age. Equally remarkable is how Harry Truman, a modest man of the people, took over from the great FDR to achieve this miracle. The author of brilliant biographies of Harry Hopkins and George C. Marshall, lawyer-turned-historian David Roll brings a clear and sharp eye for evidence and a deep human understanding to telling this tale. As the global order Truman built teeters at the brink, Ascent to Power could not be more relevant.”—Evan Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Road to Surrender
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Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
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An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
By: Scott Lewis
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George Marshall
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- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 27 hrs and 42 mins
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The extraordinary career of George Catlett Marshall - America’s most distinguished soldier - statesman since George Washington - whose selfless leadership and moral character influenced the course of two world wars and helped define the American century. Set against the backdrop of five major conflicts - two world wars, Palestine, Korea, and the Cold War - Marshall's education in military, diplomatic, and political power, replete with their nuances and ambiguities, runs parallel with America's emergence as a global superpower.
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There are better books about Marshall
- By JustinT on 09-24-19
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The Hopkins Touch
- By: David Roll
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
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The Hopkins Touch offers the first portrait in over two decades of the most powerful man in Roosevelt's administration. David Roll shows how Harry Hopkins, an Iowa-born social worker who had been an integral part of the New Deal's implementation, became the linchpin in FDR's - and America's - relationships with Churchill and Stalin, and spoke with an authority second only to the president's.
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Hopkins - the glue of the tripartite coalition
- By Chrissie on 05-19-13
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America First
- Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
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Bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands narrates the fierce debate over America's role in the world in the runup to World War II through its two most important figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated intervention, and his isolationist nemesis, aviator and popular hero Charles Lindbergh.
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Another American History Pearl from H.W. Brands
- By Paul W. Brazis on 10-05-24
By: H. W. Brands
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The Trials of Harry S. Truman
- The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953
- By: Jeffrey Frank
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The nearly eight years of Harry Truman’s presidency—among the most turbulent in American history—were marked by victory in the wars against Germany and Japan; the first use of an atomic bomb and the development of far deadlier weapons; the start of the Cold War and the creation of the NATO alliance; the Marshall Plan to rebuild the wreckage of postwar Europe; the Red Scare; and the fateful decision to commit troops to fight a costly “limited war” in Korea.
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Excellent illuminating work
- By Peter Hildebrandt on 06-30-22
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The Light of Battle
- Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower
- By: Michel Paradis
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins
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On June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed the thousands of American troops preparing to invade Normandy, exhorting them to embrace the “Great Crusade” they faced. Then, in a fleeting moment alone, he drafted a resignation letter in case the invasion failed. In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhower as he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance.
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Eisenhower Unveiled: Strategy & Leadership lessons
- By Michael on 07-12-24
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The Watchdog
- How the Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two
- By: Steve Drummond
- Narrated by: Steve Drummond
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
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Months before Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that the United States was on the verge of entering another world war for which it was dangerously ill prepared. The urgent times demanded a transformation of the economy, with the government bankrolling the unfathomably expensive task of enlisting millions of citizens while also producing the equipment necessary to successfully fight—all of which opened up opportunities for graft, fraud and corruption.
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When Harry First Gave-Em Hell
- By Donald on 05-13-23
By: Steve Drummond
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George Marshall
- Defender of the Republic
- By: David L. Roll
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 27 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
The extraordinary career of George Catlett Marshall - America’s most distinguished soldier - statesman since George Washington - whose selfless leadership and moral character influenced the course of two world wars and helped define the American century. Set against the backdrop of five major conflicts - two world wars, Palestine, Korea, and the Cold War - Marshall's education in military, diplomatic, and political power, replete with their nuances and ambiguities, runs parallel with America's emergence as a global superpower.
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There are better books about Marshall
- By JustinT on 09-24-19
By: David L. Roll
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The Hopkins Touch
- By: David Roll
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Hopkins Touch offers the first portrait in over two decades of the most powerful man in Roosevelt's administration. David Roll shows how Harry Hopkins, an Iowa-born social worker who had been an integral part of the New Deal's implementation, became the linchpin in FDR's - and America's - relationships with Churchill and Stalin, and spoke with an authority second only to the president's.
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Hopkins - the glue of the tripartite coalition
- By Chrissie on 05-19-13
By: David Roll
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America First
- Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
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Bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands narrates the fierce debate over America's role in the world in the runup to World War II through its two most important figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated intervention, and his isolationist nemesis, aviator and popular hero Charles Lindbergh.
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Another American History Pearl from H.W. Brands
- By Paul W. Brazis on 10-05-24
By: H. W. Brands
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The Trials of Harry S. Truman
- The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953
- By: Jeffrey Frank
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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The nearly eight years of Harry Truman’s presidency—among the most turbulent in American history—were marked by victory in the wars against Germany and Japan; the first use of an atomic bomb and the development of far deadlier weapons; the start of the Cold War and the creation of the NATO alliance; the Marshall Plan to rebuild the wreckage of postwar Europe; the Red Scare; and the fateful decision to commit troops to fight a costly “limited war” in Korea.
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Excellent illuminating work
- By Peter Hildebrandt on 06-30-22
By: Jeffrey Frank
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The Light of Battle
- Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower
- By: Michel Paradis
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed the thousands of American troops preparing to invade Normandy, exhorting them to embrace the “Great Crusade” they faced. Then, in a fleeting moment alone, he drafted a resignation letter in case the invasion failed. In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhower as he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance.
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Eisenhower Unveiled: Strategy & Leadership lessons
- By Michael on 07-12-24
By: Michel Paradis
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The Watchdog
- How the Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two
- By: Steve Drummond
- Narrated by: Steve Drummond
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
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Months before Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that the United States was on the verge of entering another world war for which it was dangerously ill prepared. The urgent times demanded a transformation of the economy, with the government bankrolling the unfathomably expensive task of enlisting millions of citizens while also producing the equipment necessary to successfully fight—all of which opened up opportunities for graft, fraud and corruption.
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When Harry First Gave-Em Hell
- By Donald on 05-13-23
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The Accidental President
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The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman's first four months in office, when this unlikely president had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
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Exceptional
- By Jean on 11-14-17
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A Nasty Little War
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Overlapping with and overshadowed by the First World War, the Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War was one of the most ambitious military ventures of the twentieth century. Launched in the summer of 1918, it drew in 180,000 troops from fifteen different countries in theaters ranging from the Caspian Sea to the Arctic, and from Poland to the Pacific. Though little remembered today, its consequences stoked global political turmoil for decades to come. In A Nasty Little War, top Russia historian Anna Reid offers a sweeping and deeply researched account of the conflict.
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Recommend!
- By Nicholas R. Anderson on 03-25-25
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The Court at War
- FDR, His Justices, and the World They Made
- By: Cliff Sloan
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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By the summer of 1941, in the ninth year of his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt had molded his Court. He had appointed seven of the nine justices—the most by any president except George Washington—and handpicked the chief justice. But the wartime Roosevelt Court had two faces. One was bold and progressive, the other supine and abject, cowed by the charisma of the revered president. The Court at War explores this pivotal period.
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Fascinating history
- By Richard on 03-14-24
By: Cliff Sloan
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Nimitz
- By: E. B. Potter
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 25 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Called a great book worthy of a great man, this definitive biography of the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet in World War II is considered the best book ever written about Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Highly respected by both the civilian and naval communities, Nimitz was sometimes overshadowed by more colorful warriors in the Pacific such as MacArthur and Halsey. Potter's lively and authoritative style fleshes out Admiral Nimitz's personality to help listeners appreciate the contributions he made as the principle architect of Japan's defeat.
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Spectacular Book
- By Darrell E. Fisher on 07-13-18
By: E. B. Potter
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Woodrow Wilson
- The Light Withdrawn
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- Unabridged
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More than a century after he dominated American politics, Woodrow Wilson still fascinates. With panoramic sweep, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn reassesses his life and his role in the movements for racial equality and women’s suffrage. The Wilson that emerges is a man superbly unsuited to the moment when he ascended to the presidency in 1912, as the struggle for women’s voting rights in America reached the tipping point.
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A very Detailed and Pedantic Biography
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The Supreme Commander
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- Unabridged
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In this classic portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower the soldier, best-selling historian Stephen E. Ambrose examines the Allied commander's leadership during World War II. Ambrose brings Eisenhower's experience of the Second World War to life, showing in vivid detail how the general's skill as a diplomat and a military strategist contributed to Allied successes in North Africa and in Europe and established him as one of the greatest military leaders in the world.
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Very Interesting of the politics of war
- By Timothy on 06-28-17
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American Civil Wars
- A Continental History, 1850-1873
- By: Alan Taylor
- Narrated by: Graham Winton
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The American Civil War stands at the center of the story, its military history and the drama of emancipation the highlights. Taylor relies on vivid characters to carry the story, from Joseph Hooker, whose timidity in crisis was exploited by Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in the Union defeat at Chancellorsville, to Martin Delany and Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Black abolitionists whose critical work in Canada and the United States advanced emancipation and the enrollment of Black soldiers in Union armies.
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fascinating!
- By Brandon Marken on 07-12-24
By: Alan Taylor
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Making the Presidency
- John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic
- By: Lindsay M. Chervinsky
- Narrated by: Lindsay M. Chervinsky
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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The United States of 1797 faced enormous challenges. The father of the new nation, George Washington, left his vice president, John Adams, with relatively little guidance and impossible expectations to meet. Adams was confronted with intense partisan divides, debates over citizenship, fears of political violence, potential for foreign conflict with France and Britain, and a nation unsure that the presidency could even work without Washington at the helm. Making the Presidency is an exploration of the second US presidency, a period critical to the survival of the American republic.
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A non-comprehensive deep cut on Adam's Presiency
- By DB1089 on 09-22-24
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Truman
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
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That Mousy Little Man From Missouri Revisited
- By Sara on 07-23-15
By: David McCullough
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Scorpions
- The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices
- By: Noah Feldman
- Narrated by: Cotter Smith
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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They began as close allies and friends of FDR, but the quest to shape a new Constitution led them to competition and sometimes outright warfare. Scorpions tells the story of four great justices: their relationship with Roosevelt, with each other, and with the turbulent world of the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. It also serves as a history of the modern Constitution itself.
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A MOST HONOURABLE SWANSONG
- By Dudley H. Williams on 05-27-12
By: Noah Feldman
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Awakening the Spirit of America
- FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindinbergh–and the Battle to Save Democracy
- By: Paul M. Sparrow
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Franklin Roosevelt awoke on September 1, 1939 to the news that Germany invaded Poland, signaling the start of World War II. The president warned for years that Hitler's fascist regime posed an existential threat to democracy, but the American public remained stubbornly isolationist as fascist sympathizing groups, egged on by right wing media stars promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, plotted to overthrow the president. The situation was dire, and Roosevelt found himself facing an unexpected adversary: Charles Lindbergh.
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An Amazing and Stirring History
- By scdemark on 03-23-25
By: Paul M. Sparrow
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Crusade in Europe
- A Personal Account of World War II
- By: Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 22 hrs
- Unabridged
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Five-star General Dwight D. Eisenhower was arguably the single most important military figure of World War II. Crusade in Europe tells the complete story of the war as he planned and executed it. Through Eisenhower's eyes the enormous scope and drama of the war—strategy, battles, moments of great decision—become fully illuminated in all their fateful glory. Penned before his Presidency, this account is deeply human and helped propel him to the highest office.
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Great audiobook, wonderful narration
- By Ed Pegg Jr on 09-19-23
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- sunao mind☯️ heart ❤️
- 01-30-25
Truman defeated Republican use of Dark Psychology
Excellent road map to defeat Republicans use of Dark Psychology of today and future. i hope the democratic party of today has the guts to do what Truman did. You have to counter Dark Psychology with truth, call out the lies, and blame them for what they have done and will do! Go All In!!! my suggestion is look up Dark Psychology and spread the word , republican use of Dark Psychology, most people don't realize they are being manipulated with Dark Psychology
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- Charles
- 07-21-24
Truman in historical context
This author presents Truman in a way that captures such an interesting time in history. he explains better than anyone else the order to integrate the army and the weaknesses of that order. Truman’s outrage at the brutal blinding of a World War II black soldier by racists is often forgotten among the many episodes occurring during this time. Truman recognized the country of Israel is counterpoint with his private almost traditional antisemitism.
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- L. Shapiro
- 06-14-24
OK, history about Truman
The book is good, but his anti-Semitic bias is quite heavy at the end and a lot of his facts at the end are just not the same thing as truth
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- Les
- 05-16-24
The integrity and honesty of a humble man
A well researched book that clearly exemplified that Truman was undoubtedly a highly successful president
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- Andy Toma
- 06-30-24
Truman’s courage is clear
This book is an excellent story of the transition. It’s clear from reading of Truman’s even though he wasn’t prepared for the Presidency.
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- Gregory
- 06-08-24
Interesting Story
Interesting story about Truman’s ascent to the Presidency, and the challenges of filling the shoes of a strong leader while creating one’s own legacy.
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- Edwin
- 07-19-24
When Character Mattered
An engrossing study of a presidential transition during the most stressful circumstances imaginable. The world was lucky that FDR was president during WW2 and even luckier that Harry Truman was capable of measuring up to an impossible task with humility and integrity. Mark Bramhall’s narration really informs the text with gravitas.
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- happybooker
- 08-28-24
Excellent new look at the time of the FDR - HST Presidential transition.
No dislikes. Good narration. This book targets the transition from the administration of FDR to that of HST and does it very well.
I have read many biographies of FDR but only one of HST. Because of its focus, this book has provided me with information I did not have.
Well done!
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- Anonymous User
- 10-18-24
Very good
Well done . Different insight into Truman about how he became one of our greatest presidents.
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- D.
- 10-08-24
Repeat of George Marshall
This book repeated many sections of George Marshall verbatim, so I bought much of the same book twice. The premise is that this book concerns the transition from FDR to Truman, but much of the book is generic to WWII and its aftermath and becomes a more general discussion just taken in large sections from the George Marshall book. The other book, which I recommend, covers Truman in some detail since Marshall was Truman’s Secret of State. Very disappointed in the lack of original content.
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