Dewey Defeats Truman : The 1948 Election and the Battle for America’s Soul

Dewey Defeats Truman
Author(s): A. J. Baime

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Accidental President comes the thrilling storyof the 1948 presidential election, one of the greatest election stories of all time, as Truman mounted a history-making comeback and staked a claim for a new course for America.

On the eve of the 1948 election, America was a fractured country. Racism was rampant, foreign relations were fraught, and political parties were more divided than ever. Americans were certain that President Harry S. Trumans political career was over. The ballots havent been counted, noted political columnist Fred Othman, but there seems to be no further need for holding up an affectional farewell to Harry Truman. Trumans own staff did not believe he could win. Nor did his wife, Bess. The only man in the world confident that Truman would win was Mr. Truman himself. And win he did.

1948 was a fight for the soul of a nation. In Dewey Defeats Truman, A. J. Baime sheds light on one of the most action-packed six months in American history, as Truman not only triumphs, but oversees watershed eventsthe passing of the Marshall plan, the acknowledgement of Israel as a new state, the careful attention to the origins of the Cold War, and the first desegregation of the military.

Not only did Truman win the election, he succeeded in guiding his country forward at a critical time with high stakes and haunting parallels to the modern day.

Review(s):
Few elections have been more dramatic and decisive than Truman vs. Dewey in 1948. And few have found a more able historian than A. J. Baime, who recounts this crucial moment with compelling verve and subtle insight.H. W. Brands, New York Times best-selling author of Dreams of El Dorado and Heirs of the Founders A. J. Baime has written an illuminating book about one of our most mystifying presidential elections. Hes written an enchanting book, with his trademark riveting storytelling. And hes written a hopeful book at a moment when thats needed, showing that facts can matter and the good guy sometimes wins.Larry Tye, New York Times best-selling author of Bobby The 20th centurys most exciting presidential campaign finally gets its due, and with it, A. J. Baime ascends to the pinnacle of Truman biographers.One knows how the story will end from the moment reading begins, yet Baimes ability to paint an historical canvas shows in new and vivid details why this greatest election surprise in our nations history still captivates, resonating today with new insights into our own political divisions.This is the way history should be written.Jeffrey Engel, author of When the World Seemed New Intimate, propulsive and eye-opening. A. J. Baimes account of Harry Trumans battle for the White House sweeps you up in its impeccably researched drama. A thrilling read.Stephan Talty, author of The Black Hand and The Good Assassin An absorbing chronicle of the months leading up to the extraordinary 1948 presidential election . . . Insightful . . .Even readers familiar with Trumans presidency will be engaged by the story of the campaign that came before.Kirkus Reviews “A spirited rundown of Trumans come-from-behind 1948 victory over Republican challenger Thomas Dewey to win his first full term in office . . . Readers looking for parallels to the current political climate will find plenty . . . Political history buffs will enjoy this colorful treatment.”Publishers Weekly “In this presidential election year, historian and journalist A.J. Baime has given America a winner.”St. Louis Post-Dispatch The 1948 presidential campaign is like a great opera. The themes, characters and scenes are so compelling that they resonate again and again . . . Remarkably, many of the issues stoking this years febrile presidential campaign were already in play seven decades ago when radio and newspapers ruled the media and candidates courted voters from the rear platforms of railcars. There was even talk that the Russians were trying to interfere in the election . . . [Baime] brings the epic [campaign] back on stage with ‘Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for Americas Soul,’ a straightforward narrative studded with evocative detail and surprising factoids.Wall Street Journal “Well-paced . . . Baime skillfully leads readers to conclude what he surely had in mind from the outset: In an election, substance matters, as does courage and decency, and Truman displayed them all in 1948.”Boston GlobeDewey DefeatsTruman, A. J. Baimes lively and insightful account of the second-most shocking president

ISBN:9781328585066