1948 - by David Pietrusza (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Review Quotes

"Outstanding. . . . by far the best yet about the fateful [1948] election." -Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Reads like a movie thriller waiting to be filmed." -Washington Times

"Coherent, compelling. . . . A skillful, authoritative investigation." -Kirkus Reviews

"Pietrusza is the undisputed champion of chronicling American Presidential campaigns." -Dead Presidents blog

"Sweeping . . . compelling." -Library Journal

"A masterpiece!" -Roger Stone

"In 1948 David Pietrusza brings to light some of the forgotten but important figures in American political history. There's Glen Taylor, the singing senator from Idaho and running mate of Henry Wallace on perhaps the most left-wing national ticket of the past century. Mississippi Fielding Wright also makes a memorable appearance as understudy for segregationist South Carolina Gov. Strom Thurmond, a reminder of just how solid the South was for Democrats at one time. Pietrusza 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. Though Dewey lost, readers will come to see him as a surprisingly civil libertarian-minded candidate, opposing the banning of the Communist Party, despite its promotion of a noxious ideology." -David Mark, Senior Editor, POLITICO

"A terrific book. . . . a must-read." -Ron Faucheux, editor-in-chief, Campaigns & Elections magazine

"If you think [2012] is wild, this is really wild-Harry Truman and Henry Wallace and Strom Thurmond and Tom Dewey." -Tom Brokaw

Praise for Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series

Finalist for the Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime

"Pietrusza does a terrific job of capturing Rothstein's colorful career and sheds new light on [his] role in fixing the World Series, disputing the standard history." -New York Times Book Review

"An engaging biography. . . . Puts real flesh on the story of how the new machinery of mass entertainment-the yellow press, movies, radio, the recording industry-created and brought together the culture of celebrity, politics, big-time sports, stock market fortunes and organized crime in the 1920s." -Washington Post Book World

Praise for 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents

"Broad, fluid brush strokes. . . . a brisk narrative." -The Wall Street Journal (rated one of the Top Five Books on Presidential Campaigns)

"David Pietrusza has a gift for making the past both real and dramatically gripping, and in 1920 he has an extraordinary cast of characters with which to work his magic. ... one helluva historical dinner party. An unforgettable group portrait of America on the brink of modernity." -Richard Norton Smith

"More than just a story of six men who either already had been president or would be, this is the story of America as it moved into the modern age." -Denver Post

"A rousing chronicle. . . . Pietrusza . . . adds color and dimension with smart discussions of Prohibition, women's suffrage, immigration, civil rights, the League of Nations and labor strife, and he offers animated portraits.... A hugely fascinating episode in American history, told with insight and great humor, by an author in command of his subject." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Absorbing. . . . a broad, satisfying political and social history, in the style of Doris Kearns Goodwin." -Publishers Weekly

"Fascinating and compelling. . . . Highly recommended.