Customer Reviews

American Experience: Truman

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, let me begin by saying, I would suggest that you get this and American Experience: FDR together and watch them in order with FDR first. Two great presidents, two great documentaries. By the time you finish them, you feel as though you know both men as well as you know your own family.

I've always liked Truman, he called it like he saw it, and he didn't take any guff from anyone. Watching both videos, it made me shake my head, and fear the future of our nation. We will never see men like Truman and FDR again.

The documentary covered Truman from birth to the end of his presidency, and brought up a fact about the Marshall Plan that I never knew. It was packed with his personal life and his public life, and put a human face on a simple farmboy, his struggles in life and his ability to overcome.

It showed what made Truman, TRUMAN.

To echo a previous reviewer, there has been and will forever be only one President Harry S. Truman. Hisorians rate him among the 10 greatest Presidents in our history, a fact that makes it seem inconceivable that he left office branded as a Commie (thanks to the McCarthy maniacs) and unpopular because of the lingering Korean War. Fortunately, that unpopularity didn't last. What makes this PBS biography indispensible, aside from the fascinating subject, is its presentation. Just as there have been few leaders of Truman's quality (especially recently), so there have been few commentators and writers like David McCullough. The narrative itself has to be one of the finest examples of broadcast journalism, a profession dismally absent from today's media. As for Truman, here's a guy who stood so far above the ideology and partisanship of his day and ours that he puts our own era to shame. For those who don't know Truman, this presentation will introduce you to a humble man who had it tough his whole life but kept right on going, living and acting on basic moral principles that have all but disappeared. I recall a hit record during the Watergate era from the rock group Chicago titled simply "Harry Truman". As you meet Harry through this video you'll be saying to yourself some of the words from that song: "America needs you, Harry Truman. Harry, could you please come home?"

What a knockout documentary, with Robards' fine narrative style not intruding on the dandy old film and newsreels and with Mc Cullough doing his usual fine commentary job. At last, we see Truman and his world from the start to the near-finish, and it is indeed a documentary, which should most certainly be preceded by the just as fine FDR one, that school children should study and write essays about. They need to learn FDR's and Truman's times as well as their Presidencies, and these two together show us both. They had some monumentally tough situations to deal with as Presidents, and while their performances weren't flawless, they were remarkably appropriate to their times.

This was a critical time in 20th century American history from the Depression thru the first years of the Cold War, and I can't imagine any other two Presidents doing anything close to the good jobs they did.

What really grabs one who is already familiar with the history, tho, about this Truman documentary, is the man. If there's one sentence in this 4.5 hours of film that stands out in my mind, it's his refusal to drop any more but the first two atomic bombs on Japan - "I don't want to kill any more kids."

That simple probably unrehearsed sentence says it all about him. Duty-bound in his own view to order those first two bombings to save what could have been hundreds of thousands of Japanese and American lives in a continuation of the traditional war and defending his decision to his death, he still knew what he had done, and he cared. And I believe that he was privately bothered about those kids in particular until he died.

And the presentation of that segment of the documentary, which pulled few punches with its imagery, was beautifully "neutral" in tone and style. It simply told the story of what he believed was needed and of what that led to.

Bravo, PBS. :)

Before his death, Harry Truman collaborated on a book called "Plain Speaking." That was intended to record Harry's views and philosophies for posterity's sake.

Given the sheer historical magnitude of his decisions (such as deciding to bomb Hiroshima), he was nevertheless overshadowed by the political and intellectual horsepower of his predecessor, FDR.

In Plain Speaking, he share his hardheaded, simplistic views of life and politics. Unintentionally self-revealing, he actually comes across more than a little like Babbitt. He was not ashamed to play the political game as he saw it necessary, "getting in bed with" whoever he had to to gain favor and power.

That stands in sharp contrast to his legendary stubborn willingness to do what he thought was right, once he attained power. However, when he is idolized by advocates of social or economic liberalism, the irony is cast in Truman's documented political willngness to cater to segregationists, to bow down to "big labor" and to overlook rank corruption with the greatest of ease.

He was far from the smartest president of the twentieth century - that honor has to rest with FDR or maybe Bill Clinton. And the wisdom of some of his decisions will be questioned by history for a long time to come. But he did come to stand for American character.

Intransigence - sometimes there is just no substitute for sheer cussedness!

As have been so many of our prior Presidents, Mr. Truman would be un-electable today. We live in an atmosphere of sound bites and spin on our national political arena, fueled by television and 24-hour 'fair and balanced' news. Mr. Truman had absolutely no television charisma. His flat Missouri accent, particularly coming after Mr. Roosevelt, would never stir souls. Other than his flamboyant leisure shirts, he had no star appeal. His shirts came from JC Penney, and he washed his own underwear. To his death, he had no illusions about his abilities. We have never had another man in the Presidency who so respected the office and its responsibilities. He had to learn the hard way that, once he had served as President, he would never be able to retire to relative anonymity. He was probably the most poorly-prepared man to assume the Presidency in a century, and he overcame that handicap through sheer work and the desire to learn the job. And isn't it amazing that he accomplished what he did with a White House staff a fraction the size of today's, and no chief of staff?

How different than the grinning, primped and prepped candidates we are facing on both sides of the aisle this election year!

I have studied Mr. Truman and his times since college in the 70's. The romantic notion that the man was simple has long since been disproved. Though he was not college educated, he had an intellect and curiosity that has been sadly lacking for the past several years in the White House.

This will prove an entertaining introduction to Mr. Truman for those who don't know much about him--as with other American Experience episodes, the documentary footage is invaluable.

I doubt these documentaries are shown in American schools, and more's the shame. This series brings history to life, with dignity.

Several years ago, I happened upon this documentary on my local PBS station while channel surfing. It was presented as part of the wonderful American Experience series. I was mesmerized and had to watch it to the end. Soon after, I read David McCullough's book, "Truman." I knew I had to buy the DVD so I could combine the two presentations. This DVD and McCullough's book work very well together.

Jason Robards does a wonderful job in narration. The commentators, especially McCullough, are concise and thoughtful. I discovered a wonderful insight into this man and his presidency. I continue to be amazed as to how a president can find himself so very unpopular at the time he left office only now to find himself routinely rated as one of the ten best presidents this country has seen.

For those of us who call ourselves American history buffs, this DVD is a must have.

A number of things become evident in seeing the American Experience: Truman. Everything in life came late to him. He failed at everything in life except the presidency and finding the woman he loved. He ascended to the presidency without ever wanting it. He was never a wealthy man, and he spoke plainly--to everyone. He didn't even have public relations people to tell him what to say, how to act, or what to wear, and it showed. We would never see a president like him ever again.

The man who would take us through some of the most tumultuous times in our history came from a modest background. In school he met the love of his life, Bess and would spend his early years trying to earn a comfortable living to win her hand. He invested in drilling for oil but went broke just a couple of hundred feet before he would have struck it rich. War intervened and blind as a bat he entered the army by memorizing the eye chart. His men elected him captain. After the war, he went into the haberdashery business only to fail in four years. It took him 15 years to pay off his debts. The head of the Missouri political machine was Tom Pendergast who suggested that Harry run for U.S. Senator after he got him elected as a judge. With Pendergast's ability to deliver the vote, Truman was elected. He joined the FDR ticket in 1944, becoming vice president. He would hold that job for only 83 days.

As president, Truman would drop the atom bomb, oversee the victory of World War II, settle labor strikes, integrate the armed forces, be the first president to address the NAACP, champion civil rights, sponsor the first universal healthcare program, institute the Marshall Plan, order the Berlin Airlift, challenge the Soviet Union, relieve a popular general of his command, and get the UN to contain communism in a limited war in Korea.

His center of gravity through this was his beloved Bess. She rejected his marriage proposal but his persitence paid off and they were married in 1919. Hating life in Washington, Bess spent most of her time back in Independence. Truman's letters to her reveal how much he pined for her and the loneliness he felt in the White House without her.

The 33rd President left the White House in 1953 with poll numbers so low they wouldn't be "topped" for 55 years. He retired on a pension of $115.00 a month, and went back to Independence to live in the home of his mother-in-law, the woman who always felt that he wasn't good enough for her daughter, and always let him know it by addressing him as Mr. Truman. The rest of the country would remember him as one of the greatest presidents of our time, and as the man who was never afraid to give'em hell.

With an excellent narration by Jason Robards and interviews with author, David McCullough, the American Experience presents a story of the man that is touching. They present Truman as a man who adored his family, spoke plainly, spoke honestly, and took responsibility for his actions

Experience the American Experience: Truman. See why we remember him as

Give'em hell, Harry.

Also recommended:

Truman

Truman

Harry S. Truman, I believe, was a great president, and the video depicts his life and role in history with objectivity. Although he unfortunately allied himself with a shady political boss in his early years, an alliance used against him during campaigns, he himself was a man of integrity who faced innumerable international and domestic crises
Truman, more or less, was forced into the vice presidency by President Franklin Roosevelt, who knew he would not live to finish his last term. With Roosevelt's death, Truman became a war-time president left to decide America's course in ending the war with Japan and later to responding to Russia's seizure of post-war European territory. Truman would also send American troops into South Korea to hold off the North Korean invasion, an international crisis still unfinished.
On the domestic front, Truman faced railroad and steel strikes, a White House literally caving in and an election which everyone except Truman gave to his opponent. "Give 'em hell Harry" showed his critics what a Missouri-born man with no college education could do with hard work and determination.
I admire Truman, and the video only strengthened that admiration. It's a wonderful way to review history.

This is a 2 DVD 4 hour special from American Experience. Truman is a very interesting character. Few people achieve so little before becoming the President of the United States. And boy what a job he had - ending World War 2, negotiating the peace talks afterwards, saving Berlin from blockades, post-war adjustments, the Korean War, etc. If you don't know much about Harry the Haberdasher from Missouri, you will enjoy getting to know him in this 4 hour overview of his life. I divided it up over several nights and greatly enjoyed it. Well done documentary.

I just finished reading "Truman" by David McCullough - which is incredibly well-written - and wanted to see the "man" in action. I remember seeing this on PBS years ago and enjoying it. David Grubin, the director, is solid, if not groundbreaking, so I knew the quality of the film would hold up. I watched it, and have to say that while it's still captivating, it's definitely aged in terms of production quality and techniques. It's an old-school doc. Still a great story, though, and worth watching if you're a fan of one of our most under-rated Presidents. It's from PBS, so I trust the research and authenticity of the content...unlike most of the other "networks" these days.