I knew very little about Harry S Truman going into this biography, other than his general quotability. If you like ambiguity in your reading, David McCullough has laid out a wonderful stall: a president of the very highest integrity who emerged from a dodgy political machine; a man of modest credentials who rose to the highest office; someone with a limited education who mastered the intricacies of very large systems; and finally, a very ordinary man who understood the significance of the presidency better than any other modern incumbent of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

His time in office (late 40s, early 50s) saw the first encounters with problems that still trouble us. For instance, his administration faced the challenge of managing science into new territory with the advent of nuclear weaponry; the question of whether one country should act as global policeman with the Korean War; and finally, the tension between military and political leadership of a country, as he recalled General MacArthur from command.

If you like a wry take on education, science and technology, or politics, this is a fun read and will repay the time and effort spent ploughing through a thousand pages of prose.

(ISBN 0-671-86920-5)

Five Aeroplane Books