Harry and Arthur - by Lawrence J Haas (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

With Franklin Roosevelt's death in April of 1945, Vice President Harry Truman and Senator Arthur Vandenberg, the Republican leader on foreign policy, inherited a world in turmoil. With Europe flattened and the Soviets emerging as America's new adversary, Truman and Vandenberg built a tight, bipartisan partnership at a bitterly partisan time to craft a dramatic new foreign policy through which the United States stepped boldly onto the world stage to protect its friends, confront its enemies, and promote freedom. These two men transformed America from a reluctant global giant to a self-confident leader; from a nation that traditionally turned inward after war to one that remained engaged to shape the postwar landscape; and from a nation with no real military establishment to one that now spends more on defense than the next dozen nations combined.

Lawrence J. Haas, an award-winning journalist, reveals how, through the close collaboration of Truman and Vandenberg, the United States created the United Nations to replace the League of Nations, pursued the Truman Doctrine to defend freedom from communist threat, launched the Marshall Plan to rescue Western Europe's economy from the devastation of war, and established NATO to defend Western Europe.

Review Quotes

"Members of Congress--donkeys and elephants alike--take note: Bipartisan cooperation is possible. That is the central message of this well-conceived and well-written book."--Aaron Leibel, Washington Jewish Week

-- (3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Harry & Arthur serves as a timely reminder of the power of bi-partisanship."--David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express-- (8/30/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"A well-forged thesis builds a strong argument for the ongoing significance of this foreign policy."--Kirkus starred review

"A well-written, timely and thoroughly researched book."--Taylor Dibbert, Huffington Post-- (3/7/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"An important, well-written, well-researched, authoritative, and fascinating look at a crucial four years in American and world history."--Shoshana Bryen, InFOCUS Quarterly

"Enlightening."--Kevin Canfield, Kansas City Star-- (4/2/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Mr. Haas, a former communications director for Vice President Al Gore, writes with an admirable lightness of touch and a command of detail that is enhanced by his insider knowledge of how Congress and the White House operate. This is a first-class story, well told, of professional politicians working in tandem during a world crisis in the best interests of the republic."--Richard Aldous, Wall Street Journal-- (4/13/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Nowhere has this remarkable story of American leadership been so well researched and recorded as in Haas's masterpiece, Harry and Arthur. Its special value lies in its timeliness. Not since 1945 have we faced such complex and dangerous threats. Haas frames the question perfectly: can we do it again?"--Robert McFarlane, national security advisor to President Reagan
-- (9/14/2015 12:00:00 AM)

"Original and meticulously researched . . . . Informative and highly readable."--Ruth King, Family Security Matters

"Well researched and engaging. The author's writing style makes it read more like a fast paced novel than a piece of history."--Casey Wheeler, History Book Reviews-- (2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Lawrence J. Haas is a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and former communications director for Vice President Al Gore. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, and many other outlets. He has published five other books, including The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America's Empire (Potomac, 2021).