Description
When the first volume of Harry S. Truman's memoirs, Year of Decisions, which covered the first year of Truman's presidency, was published in 1955, some of the book's reviewers, while acknowledging the importance and even grandeur of its content, noted some of its failings-its "faltering literary quality," in one reviewer's words, its sometimes confusing arrangement, and, the most frequently voiced complaint, the incorporation into the text of too many lengthy historical documents and speeches. There were too many "dreary quotes", as one reviewer put it. Year of Decisions was an important and distinguished book, most reviewers agreed, but it was hard to read.
The purpose of this edited and abridged edition of Truman's memoirs is to find the essentially important story, told in the authentic voice of Harry S. Truman, that is tangled up with the above mentioned problems and failings in Year of Decisions and Years of Trial and Hope. To achieve this, Raymond H. Geselbracht cuts the original text by half, down to approximately the length originally called for in Truman's contract with his Publisher. His edition removes and summarizes most of the historical documents and speeches that too often halted the narrative and disheartened the reader. There are now chapter Titles and subheadings, and he clarifies the chronological and thematic organizations of the memoirs. His wish is for a new generation of readers to find this edition of Truman's memoirs readily approachable and enjoyable to read, and feel the thrill of hearing the unique and authentic voice of Harry S. Truman telling the story of his life, his presidency, and some of the most important years in American history.
About the Author
Raymond H. Geselbracht is a retired archivist for the Harry S. Truman Library located in Independence, Missouri. He lives in Bronxville, New York.
Reviews
The former president's original memoirs are bulky, poorly organized, and overly detailed in a way that too often is not enlightening. They make for poor reading. Raymond Geselbracht's abridged edition vastly improves the reading experience and brings coherence to the rather unwieldy original volumes." - Kari Frederickson, University of Alabama, author of Cold War Dixie: Militarization and Modernization in the American South
Book Information
ISBN 9780826221957
Author Raymond H. Geselbracht
Format Hardback
Page Count 512
Imprint University of Missouri Press
Publisher University of Missouri Press
Weight(grams) 1086g
The purpose of this edited and abridged edition of Truman's memoirs is to find the essentially important story, told in the authentic voice of Harry S. Truman, that is tangled up with the above mentioned problems and failings in Year of Decisions and Years of Trial and Hope. To achieve this, Raymond H. Geselbracht cuts the original text by half, down to approximately the length originally called for in Truman's contract with his Publisher. His edition removes and summarizes most of the historical documents and speeches that too often halted the narrative and disheartened the reader. There are now chapter Titles and subheadings, and he clarifies the chronological and thematic organizations of the memoirs. His wish is for a new generation of readers to find this edition of Truman's memoirs readily approachable and enjoyable to read, and feel the thrill of hearing the unique and authentic voice of Harry S. Truman telling the story of his life, his presidency, and some of the most important years in American history.
About the Author
Raymond H. Geselbracht is a retired archivist for the Harry S. Truman Library located in Independence, Missouri. He lives in Bronxville, New York.
Reviews
The former president's original memoirs are bulky, poorly organized, and overly detailed in a way that too often is not enlightening. They make for poor reading. Raymond Geselbracht's abridged edition vastly improves the reading experience and brings coherence to the rather unwieldy original volumes." - Kari Frederickson, University of Alabama, author of Cold War Dixie: Militarization and Modernization in the American South
Book Information
ISBN 9780826221957
Author Raymond H. Geselbracht
Format Hardback
Page Count 512
Imprint University of Missouri Press
Publisher University of Missouri Press
Weight(grams) 1086g
