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Robert H. Ferrell

Harry S. Truman

Dear Bess: The Letters from Harry to Bess Truman, 1910-1959 (Give ‘em Hell Harry) Paperback – Illustrated, August 3, 1998

by Robert H. Ferrell (Editor)

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Once again available is the critically acclaimed Dear Bess, a collection of more than 600 letters that Harry S. Truman wrote to his beloved wife, Bess, from 1910 to 1959. Selected from 1,268 letters discovered in Bess's house after her death in 1982, this extraordinary collection provides an inside look at Truman's life, his thoughts, and his dreams.

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Dear Harry, Love Bess: Bess Truman's Letters to Harry Truman, 1919-1943 by Clifton Truman Daniel Paperback $19.95
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

First published in 1983, this installation in Missouri's "Give 'Em Hell Harry" series offers Truman's letters to his wife, Bess, from 1910 to 1949. The letters are divided into chronological sections, each with a biographical/historical introduction to the period plus photographs.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Dear Bess is at once a love story, an astonishing record of what one industrious man managed to accomplish, and an intimate look into the heart and mind of the 33d President of the United States. . . . Truman's letters confirm what his friends and enemies alike always said about him: He was precisely what he seemed, no less, no more. What is startling is how little he seems to have changed over nearly 50 years. The voice of the young farmer of 1910 is almost identical with that of the President he became."—New York Times Book Review

"Theirs was a great American love affair, as practically every one of these 600-plus letters from Harry to Bess attests. . . . But this volume is more than the portrait of a perfect marriage. It's also a dramatic and sometimes hilarious account of how Truman's devotion to self-improvement gradually moved him away from farming and small-town haberdashery and ultimately propelled him into the White House. . . . There has rarely been such a comprehensive record of how a modern statesman thought."—Newsweek

"There are glimpses here of a forgotten America, when the phone was a novelty and the horse still king. . . . [Ferrell] has done an admirable job putting the letters into perspective. Best of all there are passages in these letters that give an idea of the way Truman's mind worked."—Christian Science Monitor

"This is a fascinating collection, reflecting [Truman's] devotion to his wife. His prejudices, financial worries, political tactics, and insight into the events and leaders of his time create a vivid portrait of a remarkable man. . . . Ferrell's editing is superb, and he has included a good collection of photographs from the Trumans' pre-presidential years."—Library Journal

Publisher : University of Missouri; Reprint edition (August 3, 1998)
Language : English
Paperback : 608 pages
ISBN-10 : 0826212034
ISBN-13 : 978-0826212030
Item Weight : 2.1 pounds
Dimensions : 6.13 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #388,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,537 in US Presidents
- #20,576 in United States History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
11 ratings

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Celeste Leitch

Romance with a lot of history

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020

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I loved this collection of letters. You could tell how much in love they were, how morally outstanding they were and how much they loved our country.

One person found this helpful

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Tarr

Finding lost Treasures @ Amazon.

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2018

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My husband asked for this book, found it on Amazon and surprised to find it there as it was written many years ago. My hubby very pleased to get it and enjoyed immensely !!,

One person found this helpful

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Karen Porter

Dear Bess

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is a great book. I ordered a copy for my student's graduation. She writes to her fiance every day who is in the Army. I thought she could appreciate how Harry Truman kept his marriage alive while in the whitehouse. Bess refused to move from Hanibal Missouri and they wrote to eachother every day. What an excellent way to pay attention to your relationship. Perhaps who live in the same house don't communicate as well. Great story, great history!

2 people found this helpful

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MikeD

Slow read.

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2017

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I am half way through my reading. It is a slow moving book because all you get is Harry Truman writing to Bess. It would have been a better read if you could read what Bess wrote back to Harry. However, it is History of President Truman and that part is a good read because you get to know the human side of the President.

One person found this helpful

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Sheila Renee

Nice book, easy read and hard to put down!

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2013

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I have just begun reading this book and I am having a hard time putting it down! It is an easy read and sure to be loaded with interesting historical facts.

One person found this helpful

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Bob Wilson

A very good read

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013

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It gives a very interesting insight into the evolution of Harry Truman from farm boy to President of the US, and his relationship with the love of his life, Bess.

One person found this helpful

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Frank H. Straus

Love in old Missouri

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2000

First of all, the potential buyer of this book should know that it will throw you back to the years when Harry, the lower-middle-class farmer's boy from outer Jackson County, was courting Bess Wallace, a moderately rich girl and young woman (albeit from a very dysfunctional family) from prosperous Independence. In the 1910s this was done, as it is done in every generation, but only with great difficulty and some soul-searching on both sides.
So buy and read this book if you want to read about young Harry's epic quest. Bess' letters to Harry are lost, but Harry Truman's letters are so vivid that their contents can be partly reconstucted. The two were real soul mates in the end - in the true sense of this most over-used phrase. They could actually converse by letter. How many of us are so lucky?
Buy and read this book if you want to see these two attractive people in the vanished world of 1910s Missouri. If you're looking for President Harry Truman, you won't find much of him here. By 1945 this pair had been married and living together for 25 years and were no longer writing daily letters to each other. But if you are one of those people who think that Truman was one of our greatest Presidents because he never forgot who he was and where he came from, you may want to know where he came from. He came from here, in this book.

16 people found this helpful

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K.A.Goldberg

Revealing look at a Future President

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2006

This very personal look at young Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) should be of interest to history buffs and fans of our 33rd President. The book is primarily a collection of letters that Truman sent to his girlfriend (and later wife) Bess Wallace (Truman), the letters being found in her home shortly after she passed away at age 97 in 1982. Most of these letters were written by young suitor Harry Truman prior to the First World War, when he was a struggling farmer and she a desirable beau from a prosperous (if dysfunctional) city family. Sadly, Harry didn't save Bess' letters to him, and those are lost to history. In these letters Truman comes across as decent, honest, and intelligent - if slightly prejudiced against immigrant workers in Kansas City. If his presidential talent isn't evident in these letters, his sturdy Missouri roots clearly are.

3 people found this helpful

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J'adore ce live - non dispo en France

Reviewed in France on March 24, 2016

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Ce livre m'a été expédie depuis les USA sans aucun problème pour un cout très resonable. C' est merveilleux de pouvoir faire ca

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