The Soldier from Independence - by D M Giangreco (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Revealing the little-known facts of Harry Truman's remarkable military performance, as a soldier and as a politician, The Soldier from Independence adds a whole new dimension to the already fascinating character of the thirty-third president of the United States. D. M. Giangreco shows how, as a field artillery battery commander in World War I, Truman was already making the hard decisions that he knew to be right, regardless of personal consequences.

Truman oversaw the conclusion of the Second World War, stood up to Stalin, and met the test of North Korea's invasion of the South. He also had the fortitude to defy Gen. Douglas MacArthur, one of America's most revered wartime leaders, and ultimately fired the Far East commander, often characterized as the American Caesar. Filling in the details behind these world-changing events, this military biography supplies a heretofore missing--and critical--chapter in the story of one of the nation's most important presidents. The Soldier from Independence recounts the World War I military adventure that would mark a turning point in the life of a humble man who would go on to become commander in chief.

Review Quotes

"Giangreco's work is an excellent piece of scholarship. Unit histories, oral interviews, Truman's papers, and archival materials at the National Archives as well as the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum form the backbone of the work."--Justin Prince, Chronicles of Oklahoma

"Giangreco not only gives us a look at one of the millions of ordinary Americans who served in the Great War, giving us a soldier's-eye view of the AEF and the trenches as well as a brief treatment of the army's mismanagement of the National Guard, but also discusses how Truman's time in uniform shaped his business and political life."--A. A. Nofi, Center for Naval Analysis, Naval War College, and senior editor of StrategyPage.com-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Giangreco's military biography of Truman is a study in command and proper and successful employment of authority."--David O. Whitten, On Point -- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Giangreco's study fills a vacuum in the literature on Truman. There are many biographies of him, but they deal only briefly with his life before the end of World War I. Giangreco provides thorough coverage of Truman's career in the military, both as a citizen soldier and then later after the U.S. government federalized his National Guard unit."--James Matray, Strategy Bridge-- (3/20/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"Going into combat in the Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918, Captain Truman's actions as recounted by Giangreco will engage readers drawn to the formative experiences of future presidents."--Gilbert Taylor, Booklist-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Harry S. Truman was commander in chief at one of the critical moments in American--and global--military history: when the decision had to be made to drop the atomic bomb. As to his military credentials, however, Truman is often dismissed as little more than a National Guard hack and a Kansas City haberdasher with no real military acumen. Yet nothing could be further from the truth, as D. M. Giangreco makes clear in The Soldier from Independence."--Military Book Club-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Reading Truman's account of events is very powerful, and Giangreco has skillfully constructed a narrative with these sources that makes it possible for readers to experience the war as if they were on the battlefield with Harry Truman and Battery D."--Jon E. Taylor, Missouri Historical Review-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"The style and clarity in which this book is written make it an easy, compelling read for anyone who has served in combat or is interested in Harry Truman, World War I, the Army National Guard, or, frankly, just a fast-moving adventure story. The Soldier from Independence provides serious insight into a man who would become one of the most effective presidents of the United States."--Douglas V. Johnson II, Parameters -- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"With his customary thoroughness, D. M. Giangreco has given us a splendid account of Harry Truman's military career."--Alonzo L. Hamby, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at Ohio University-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

D. M. Giangreco is a former editor of Military Review at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is the award-winning author of fourteen books on military and sociopolitical subjects, including Hell to Pay: Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945-1947 and United States Army: The Definitive Illustrated History. Alonzo L. Hamby is a distinguished professor emeritus of history at Ohio University. He is the recipient of a Harry S. Truman Library Institute Senior Fellowship and the Ohio Academy of History Distinguished Service Award.