The Chicago Tribune headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" remains
infamously wrong about the outcome of the 1948 presidential
election. But, as Andrew Busch reveals, there is much more to this
story than the well-worn image of a victorious and beaming
President Harry Truman parading the newspaper's erroneously
headlined front page for all to see.
Primarily a contest between Truman and challenger Thomas Dewey,
the 1948 presidential race offered something for everyone,
including two third-party candidates (Strom Thurmond and Henry
Wallace), triumphant grit, tragic hubris, dangerous naivete,
accidents of fate, accusations of betrayal, foreign crises, the
birth of Israel in the Middle East, a dramatic special session of
Congress, internecine battles among unions and liberals, spies,
extremists galore (including Ku Klux Klansmen and Communists), the
first televised convention, wayward polls, and, of course, a final
result that surprised many.
Amid a small library of books on the topic, Busch's stands out
by offering the best scholarly study available--and the most
readable. His fresh account goes beyond previous work by examining
more closely the nomination season, key congressional elections,
and the state of public opinion. He also digs into splits in both
parties--the Democrats seeing Southern segregationists and the far
left run their own candidates and the Republicans facing a division
between philosophical wings representing the 80th Congress and the
presidential ticket--and tells why the Republican schism proved
more damaging. He concludes that the election was especially
significant as an affirmation of the New Deal, of anti-Communist
containment, and of gradual progress in civil rights-all of which
established the political baseline for postwar America.
Even readers knowledgeable about Truman's 1948 victory will
discover new findings in this fresh and revealing account of that
dramatic race. "Truman's Triumphs" recalls a contest with more
twists and turns--and a different outcome--than most contemporaries
anticipated, and makes engaging reading for scholar and history
buff alike.
"
General
Imprint: |
University Press of Kansas
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
October 2012 |
First published: |
October 2012 |
Authors: |
Andrew E. Busch
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 25mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards
|
Pages: |
272 |
Edition: |
New |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-7006-1866-8 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-7006-1866-X |
Barcode: |
9780700618668 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!