The Upset That Wasn't: Harry S. Truman and the Crucial Election of 1948

by Harold I. Gullan

In this persuasive reappraisal of Truman's 1948 victory, Harold Gullan argues that it was neither the "greatest upset in American political history" (as popular mythology would have it) nor merely a successful extension of the coalition built by Franklin Roosevelt (as many historians contend). Aided by so many fortuitous circumstances, Gullan declares, Truman should have won by an even larger margin. Despite the near unanimous opinion of polls, pundits,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566632064
• ISBN13: 9781566632065
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
• Length: 255 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A gripping read

I grew up listening to my parents talk about Harry Truman and the 1948 election. No one thought Truman had a chance and everyone went to bed believing Tom Dewey would be the next President. But everyone was wrong, from the reporters who covered the campaign, to H.V. Kaltenborn, the famous radio announcer of that era, to the new political pollsters. All were left with egg on their faces when Truman won over 300 electoral votes and swept to victory.This book demonstrate the importance of the farm vote switching mightily to Truman as the campaign wore on, and how Dewey was impossibly arrogant and stopped active campaigning on mid-October, thinking he had the election sewn up! Most of all, this is a tribute to the plucky Harry Trumam, who never conceded, never doubted he would win, and throughout his famous whistle-stop tour, gave 'em hell. A stirring account of a great campaign.

Makes American Political History Readable!

Books about American Political History are usually fairly dense. Not this book! Gullan managed to create a work that appeals to casual readers, junkies and professors alike. It has scholarly value, yet is written in an engaging and readable manner. A must read!

An excellent and enlightening historical reminiscence.

A fascinating and concise view into a politcal upset that has long been forgotten. Gullan is able to capture the reader's attention, and hold onto it. A must-read for anyone who has any interest in Harry Truman. I enjoyed this book immensly! Highly recommend!