truman. [ applause ] >> thank you, everybody. can you hear me okay? i want to start by saying this is a special night for me. this is my fourth book. i traveled around standing on stages like this, and there's no place in america, no place, that has so much affection for a hometown hero. so just to play a smallest part of that celebration is awesome. i can remember a couple of times speaking to more people than this, but maybe only one or two. it's so much fun to get up on stage and talk to crowds of people and i remember earlier in my career just packed houses of empty seats everywhere. and it's been a long road to get here. alex touched on something just now, another reason this is a special night is because this book is dedicated to my father. he's supposed to be sitting right here or right there, wherever. he couldn't make it tonight. i had this whole -- there's something i wanted to say and i was kind of let down. but it turns out we have some tv cameras, so i can say it anyway, and he c

truman. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you, everybody. can you hear me okay? i want to start by saying, this is a really special night for me. this is my fourth book and i traveled around the country quite a bit standing on stages like this and i've never -- there is no place in america, no place that has so much affection for a hometown hero, so just to play even the smallest part of that celebration is a blessing. another reason why this is a very special night is because there are a lot of people here which another reason why this is a very special night is because there are a lot of people here, which is another why it is a special night, because i can remember a couple of times speaking to more than than, but maybe only one or two. it's so much fun to get up on stage and talk to crowds of people and i remember earlier in my career just packed houses of empty seats everywhere. and it's been a long road to get here. alex touched on something just now, another reason this is a special nig

truman." and when i think he said "liked," you can't like a president like that unless you respect him, right? so where does this respect come from? one point i want to make is that the press, as a member of the press, the press was a very different animal at the time. think about the way the press treated roosevelt. it was a tacit understanding that nobody would photograph roosevelt in his wheelchair. and reporters would not write anything about roosevelt's disability. can you imagine that happening [laughter] today everybody -- half the press would be writing about his disability to show him as weak, and the other half would be saying that his disability was a hoax and fake news. [laughter] that's what would happen today. i, as a member of the press, i can say it. now, truman got along with the press for two reasons. one is he understood the critical role the press plays in democracy or is supposed to play, right? the press is supposed to be part of our checks and balances. a press controlle

truman, president of the united states. distinguished senator from the state of missouri for ten years and vice president since the last national election, mr. truman brings to his new high office an understanding of the gigantic american war effort, second only to that of the late president roosevelt. climaxing a long record of senatorial leadership as chief of the famous truman committee on war, his work was a vital factor in the vast allied war effort. at last summer's national democratic convention, harry truman was chosen as candidate for vice president with president roosevelt. his brilliant record hailed at the convention included leadership in legislation for the reciprocal tariff, for the selective service act, land lease and the repeal of the neutrality act. in 1935, he had voted for the world court. and he had consistently given support to the progressive social program of the roosevelt administration. returning to washington with mr. roosevelt, harry truman was now the vice president-elect. in his first speech a

truman says she had been shot?>> so after a ten-month investigation the orem pd and the d.a.'s office arrested conrad truman and charged him with the murder. >> my mom called me and i fell to the ground crying and so happy that he was finally behind bars. >> going to trial, what did you think? >> i felt we had a strong circumstantial case. >> at trial the prosecution argued domestic violence ending in homicide. the defense, self inflicted gunshot wound. the jury sided with the state, conrad truman was convicted of heidi's murder. >> it was like, finally got him. finally got him. >> as far as you knew, that was it? >> that was it. >> did you think that was it? >> i did. >> but if you think that was it, well, then you haven't been watching enough "dateline." >>> coming up, heidi's heart break. >> she did not know her dad and she had always wanted that. that really bothered her. >> and conrad truman's hope. >> this is going to work out. it has to, because i didn't do this. >> when "dateline" continues. protect your pe

truman becomes president. to assume the office under similar circumstances. president truman takes over his duties. he announces that the san francisco conference will go ahead and scheduled and immediately receives the nation's military leaders. war secretary simpson, army chief of staff marshall, and admiral king. james f. burns high roosevelt aid, who took part in the crimea conference, secretary of state british foreign alexandre secretary ayden and the ambassador also visited the president. president truman receives thunderous applause. he pledges to carry forward the work of franklin roosevelt. >> with great humility, i call upon all americans to help me keep our nation united in defense of those ideals which have been so eloquently proclaimed by franklin roosevelt. [applause] >> i want, in turn to assure my fellow americans and all of those who love peace and liberty throughout the world that i will support and defend those ideals with all my strength and all my heart. [applause] >> so that there can be

truman, president of the united states.ator from the state of missouri for ten years, and vice president since the last national election, mr. truman brings to his new high office an understanding of the gigantic american war effort second only to that of the late president roosevelt. a long record of senatorial leadership, his work was a vital factor in the vast allied war effort. and last summer's democratic national convention, harry truman was chosen as candidate for vice president with president roosevelt. his brilliant record included leadership for the reciprocal act and the appeal of the neutrality act. he had consistently given support to the progressive social program of the roosevelt administration. returning to washington with mr. roosevelt, harry truman was nouz the vice president elect. in the first speech after his inauguration, he said peace loving nations must band together for the preservation of human progress. this expressed the american program. roosevelt born to wealth and harry truman one-time farm bo

and then out stepped president truman, former president truman, i was just astonished. and i remember thinking, my god he is in color. because we only had black-and-white television, black-and-white newspapers. and i think the fact he had very high color he radiated good health. made him seem very vital but a person. he certainly did not seemed like a little man to me. to me at that moment he was 6-foot eight. i never spoke to him, i never met him. i've often thought would it have been interesting if i could go back in time and it would be able to reach out and touch him on the shoulder in 1956, that fall nights compensate mr. president, i am going to write your biography someday. >> host: knowing what you know about it when you think he'd think about this? >> guest: i'm sure there are some of it he would not like because this is after all, an honest attempt to see the complete man with his flaws and faults two. i would hope in some, he would think i understood him better than other people have. he was a much, much more complicated, complex keenly intelligent. he was th

former president truman. i was astonished i remember thinking he is in color. because we only had black and white television. black and white newspapers. and i think the fact he had very high color he radiated good health made him seem a person. he certainly didn't seem like a little man to me. he was 6-foot eight but i never spoke to him or met him. i often have thought went up be interesting if you could go back in time and i could reach out and touch them on the shoulder and say mr. president i will write your biography some day. >>cspan: knowing what you know about him what would he think? >> i'm sure there is some of it he would like because after all it is an honest attempt to see the complete man. but i would hope that he would think i understood him better than other people have. he was a much more complicated and complex and keenly intelligent and thoughtful and considerate man than the stereotype implies. and playing give him hell harry just like that down home missouri will rogers. and all the peop

truman was publicly noncommittal.e denied, however implausibly, any knowledge of what churchill was going to say. he was president of the united states, but on that day he was supporting player to the most famous statesman on earth. alastair cook thought the truman resonant to churchill's call to action. one can only wonder, but there ithistorical symmetry that was roughly one euro later the president would announce his own vision for confronting the new scourge of communist tyranny. churchill would return to downing street as prime minister in 1951 and focus on most all of his remaining energy on brokering a piece with the russians. but he and his country would play only a supporting role in the drama to come. without either of them being fully aware of it, the baton of world leadership was being passed from churchill to truman on the dusty plains of missouri. the united states would take up -- formerlyormally borne by britain as the guarantor of abuse. packs for 10 you would become pax americana. the british empire

, former president truman. and i was just astonished. and i remember thinking oh my god he is in color because we only had black and white television and newspapers. so the fact he had high color radiated good health that made him seem vital. and did not seem like a little man like he was 6-foot 8 inches. i never spoke to him or met him i also thought wouldn't that be interesting if we could go back in time to reach out and touch them on the shoulder and say mr. president , i will write your biography some day. >> what would he think about this? >> i am sure there is some of that he would not like because this is after an honest attempt to see the complete man for all of his flaws. and then to understood him better. and to be much more complicated and keenly intelligent and thoughtful and considerate man and the stereotype that is james whitmore he just as in a down home will rogers all the people i have interviewed him that knew him and worked with him in the white house, they all say please understand this ma

so for truman it is civilian control in the military. what he a lot one - - let this very popular general or the president who was the commander in chief and to get a sense of what the general is up to. but then mcarthur started to make the very aggressive comments and truman fired him when he was the offending the cost support but he always defended it and those who write the history books and i was a tremendous gamble for truman for what this president did in retrospective and president eisenhower i want to be respectful of your time and had to terms and then return to normalcy and eisenhower deliver that. and then to get along well with nikita khrushchev but he was worried during the cold war about what the soviets were up to those spy planes over the soviet union and then to shoot them down until they improve the technology with the international conference of 1960 with germany and france and the uk. and three weeks before this is supposed to happened so it is a tremendous blow to the prestige we look like the warmongers and presiden

harry truman becomes president. truman had a lotto prove. a lot of people didn't think he was up to thejob. a lot of people felt we had president roosevelt for 4 terms, he was elected to a fourth term before he died and how are we going to survive without franklin roosevelt so during the truman. we had the korean war, this was an example of what those soldiers had to go through . very terrible conditions , initially the war did not go well and then the war started to get better partly because we had a general who so many americans admired from world war ii in the pacific, douglas macarthur so what i suggested to illustrate harry truman was firing general macarthur. obviously a lot of historians will do defining moments of presidents in terms of military confidence or war and peace but our president had to deal with so many things that i've chosen to illustrate this with examples that are not just war and peace but are otherthings that were defining moments for the president and this was firing macarthur . this took a great deal of political

at the time it was a tremendous gamble for truman. this is an example of a political military related defining moment that i think this president did in the retrospective did very well. president eisenhower again we have to go rapidly here because i want to be respectful of your time. president eisenhower is considered not just a popular president but a successful one. he had to terms people felt they wanted to return to normalcy and eisenhower gave that. he initially got along well with the russian leader but he was still worried during the cold war with the soviets were up to so he authorized spy planes over the soviet union. these planes split tremendously high altitudes beyond soviet technology being able to shoot them down until the soviets improve their technology, and then he authorized several of these spy flights before international conference in 1960 which sheet that would be the capstone of his presidency and in a cold war is to me with the leaders of germany, france, the uk and so on in paris. once the spy mission about t

to make sure as president truman did, senator truman did at the time, to put a spotlight on the factories doing the work they are supposed to be doing. we have a tall order in terms of vaccines and therapies and the rest. we want to be sure that if there is, god willing, a vaccine soon, or a cure even sooner than that, that we will be able to have the resources available in the place where they need to be up in the real time to be able to advance that. led by majority whip mr. clyburn, select committee. i'm very proud, mr. clyburn, i had the privilege of naming him then to oversee what was happening in response to katrina. he just was magnificent in his precision of thought and objectivity. isn't about assigning blame. it's about taking responsibility and be able to answer tore what we have put forth. -- and to's for what we have put forth. so the committee will ensure historic investment of taxpayer dollars are being used wisely and efficiently and nobody is ripping us off. where there's big money, we know this, people will come up ith a scam of some kind. whip clyburn's leadership is es

during the truman. we had the korean war this is an example of what those soldiers had to go through during the korean war very terrible conditions initially the war did not go well then the war started to get better, partly because we had a general who so many americans admired, from world war ii, douglas macarthur. when i suggest to illustrate harry truman was firing general macarthur. a lot of historians will do defining moments of presidents in terms of military conflicts are war and peace they have to deal so many things now i've chosen to illustrate this book with examples that are not just war and peace but other things that were defining moments for the president this was firing macarthur. this took a great deal of political courage to fire mccarthy he was one of the most popular people in the country during the pacific he said he would return to the philippines he became the supreme leader of japan he launched a brilliant move to do an invasion of the north, very risky but successful operation

truman, it's about about truman and the decision-making he is going through. the flight crew is getting competitive people jockeying for the final fight. they are still alive, the 86 years old. it is about all of the different aspects of the story. but one of the things that impressed me was harry truman's decision. it had been kind of a backbench to senator for 10 years. he was not expected to be on the ticket. in 1944on he was picked was literally the democratic party said, who is out there who would hurt the ticket least? not help, but hurt us the least and they figured this kind of nonentity harry truman. inhe becomes vice president january and he had spoken to truman privately. he had spoken to him privately twice in the months he had been vice president. in other words, he was basically more prepared to be president. president, a guy said he needed to talk to him privately he takes him in and says there is a program you know nothing about and which we have developed the most fearsome, terrifying weapon of all time. that was the first time harry truman ha

what i'm saying is what president truman said. we should be acting before the fact to prevent fraud and abuse. that is not just from the federal government. we are looking at how the private sector react to the funds they receive as well. i want to go back to the need for another bill. we talked about some of the issues that relate to state and local government. democratic and republican governors and mayors own statements call for more funding. it is so important. hospitals and healthcare systems are crying out for assistance. i can further answer your questions about that if you wish. the regulation that we tried to three.o 1, 2, and it is more necessary and obvious that we need to protect our workers. medical leave, it needs to be clear who can take advantage of that opportunity. that we is something agreed to, even the president leader mcconnell said we will do it in another bill. here is another bill. snape, we did not get all that we wanted in terms of food, nutrition, etc. in the previous bill. needve more needs, so we more

unlike the earlier proposals, truman's was universal and it would have covered everyone. polls show initially majority of the public, up to 75%, supported the idea of health insurance for all via the social security system. this was also -- there is nobody there. this was also the start of the cold war. so when hearings began, senate leaders called truman's plan the most socialistic measure that this congress has ever had before it. and this kind of attack was familiar from three decades earlier but something new was at the american medical association ran a multimillion dollar campaign telling the public to fear this socialized medicine and this was the first pr campaign of its kind and it may have been the most successful also because after just three years, public support went down to around 20% and truman's plan for national insurance never made it to a vote. and, again, the reaction to this battle changed the health care system. congress agreed to just one part of truman's larger program, federal funding for hospital construction. this was the hill-burton act of 1946

after fdr, harry truman would have to do it. with macarthur. in the second world war, fdr had to do it several times, as i explained, with his chiefs of staff over premature decisions to launch d-day in 1942 and 1943 before american forces, not just the forces, but the combat commanders had shown that they could beat the wehrmacht in open battle. and we have one of our experts on the wehrmacht right here. tough, tough enemy. so i would say that fdr's great contribution to military command is his willingness, where he felt necessary, to step in to save lives. i think that is what a president often has to do, he has to think of the human equation, not just whether his military advisers should be allowed to go their own way. but once having made his strategic decisions, fdr was truly remarkable in getting his team get on with the business. and the support that he gave to eisenhower, once the d-day decision was reached at cairo and tehran was really exemplary. and is in direct contrast, as you pointed out, to the way that abdeladolf hitler tended t

during the truman period we had the korean war. this is an example of what the soldiers went through, very terrible, difficult conditions. initially the war did not go well. and then the war started to get better, partly because we had a general who so many americans admired from world war ii in the pacific, douglas macarthur, i suggested to illustrate harry truman was firing general macarthur. a lot of historians will do define moments of presidents in terms of military conflict but presidents have to teal with so many things now i've chosen to illustrate this book with examples that are not just war and pastless but other things that were -- war and peace and other things that were defining moments and this one was firing mccar thunder. took a -- macarthur. he was one of the most popular people in the country. dulling the pacific he promised to return to the philippines and became the seem command -- supreme commander of japan and launch evidence brilliant move to do an invasion of the north at a place called en chan, very risky

when we do some of this, we should try to follow the truman model which i have established. in world war i, there was a concern of how money was spent. senate truman says following world war i, there were one 115 investigative committee investigating the spending of world war i. it is better to have at least one right now while we are making sure we do not have price gouching. that's what we want to have in the community. it is not geared to the president. it is geared to how the program is implemented and where there is money. >> we make sure we spend to benefit the livelihood of the american people. >> the president is talking about that being a witch hunt in his words. in this new relief package, are you go i thi going to push for t home for tr the upcoming election? >> that was the package that mnuchin suggesting. yes, we want the resources to be there and no obstacles to that voting to take place. it is about our democracy. it is about our democracy in a time even a physical challenge to vote so we want to have more sources to vote by mail or states sending ballots to t

what i loved about what harry truman said is that as they looked at spending the rest, he said, later when he was president, he said every $0.10 that was spent for those work relief projects, every dime that was looked into, and somebody was always against spending a nickel that would help poor people and give jobs to the men who did not have any. but the minute they start spending money on defense money, the sky was the limit, the economy boys, no questions asked. now, we want to have all our resources needed to bring our economy back, but we do not want all of the excessive attention to, well, wait and see how the states do before we do more for the states, like harry truman said. but that is not what today is. today, for the purpose, that was captured by soon to be president of the united states, we formed a special bipartisan oversight panel on the coronavirus. this committee will prevent waste fraud, and abuse. and it will be focused on making sure that the federal response -- and it will be focused on making sure that the federal response is based on the best science and guided

harry truman's excellent adventure traced the road trip harry and best truman took in summer of 53 after they left the white house, this was before ex presidents had pensions or secret service protection. they got in their chrysler and drove from independence, missouri to the east coast, daughter margaret drove back again. kind of a sweet book, harry and best just staying in motels and speaks to a bygone era. ex-presidents now are midsized corporations unto themselves but when truman left office he was the last president return to something resembling a normal life. it was fun to do that story. the president is a sick man about the secret operation on grover cleveland to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth. how are these not bestsellers? pedestrian is, the history of competitor walking in the 1880s, america's most specular sport was a 6-day walking race, okay. a but and fido was acknowledged as the greatest biography ever written of lincoln's dog and lincoln's dog, come on, what do i have to do? we will see about this marvelous potential and how that fits into the scheme of things. t

my favorite part of the book is this guy named harry truman. and at the beginning of the war, couldn't get the president's secretaries to return his phone calls. in the middle of the book, he had a committee call the truman committee and they come in, said what is going on here? it was the most famous factory in the arsenal, truman goes through the assembly - the capacity they have, it is too optimistic. by the time truman becomes president, they achieved their goal, 66,000 at one an hour. >> it was interesting to think about the problems we had. one of their product is charles lindbergh, a great anecdote where they take these big bombers up and can you tell us a little bit about that? >> guest: you called it the worst piece of aircraft construction i have ever phone and that is a quote. that is 1942 when the first bombers are coming off the assembly line. they had to fix this thing and figure out how to do it. one of my favorite things about lindbergh, there's a lot of interpersonal drama between the characters. lindbergh's vision for me and h

of course roosevelt dies april 45 harry truman becomes president he had a lot to prove a lot of people didn't think he would is up to the job he was elected to a fourth term just before he died so during the truman. one early example of what those soldiers have to go through and initially it did not go well and then the war started to get better partly because we have a general so many americans admired, macarthur so when i suggested to illustrate harry truman was to fire general macarthur. a lot of historians will do defining moments of presidents with military conflicts or war and peace but there are so many things now i have chosen to illustrate this book with examples not just warm piece but others that were defining moments for the president this took a great deal of political courage for truman to fire macarthur what are the most popular in the country in the pacific he went to the philippines and became the supreme leader of japan as the general with the occupied forces and he launched a brilliant move with a successful and risky operation so he started off the war was going bad

harry truman's excellent adventure retraced the road trip harry and this truman took in summer of 53fter they left the white house, pensions and secret service protection. harry and best got in the chrysler and drove from independence missouri to the east coast to visit their daughter margaret who lived in new york and the second time. it is a sweet book, eating at diners, speaks to a bygone era. when truman left office, he was the last president to return to something resembling a normal we -- life. a sick man, the secret operation in grover cleveland to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth. how are these not bestsellers? pedestrian is him, the history of competitive walking in the 1880s, the 6-day walking race and, okay. abe and fido, the greatest biography ever written of lincoln's dog. lincoln plus dog, what do i have to do. we will see about this marvelous potential and how well that fits into the scheme of things. this came in 2016 after the presidential election. you are aware donald trump is president and a lot of people were surprised when he was elected and they looked a

when the press asked president truman if the u.s. was at war on the korean peninsula, truman replied simply "we are not at war." he agreed the u.s. military was instead involved in what was called a police action. war, we must remember, was a privilege accorded to only recognized states. only sovereign entities could engage in what clauseowits called a duel recognizing two plausible states. nowhere was recognition laid more bare than at negotiations tables for the armistice at the village of panmundan. this would be a role that the united nations would not take up again until the first gulf war. and as for china and north korea, the united nations did not recognize either state as sovereign entities. thus, in this situation, to define what was legitimate warfare was to define who was a legitimate state. at the u.s. army's press conference on the dodd kidnapping, the u.s. army official described the situation as such, quote, the communists are talking with general dodd. it is a one-day panmunjan. the p.o.w. camp on kote island was ind

the accidental president and which he looks at the challenge singe which truman faced in his four form first four months of office. >> aj bayne is the new york times bestselling author and public speaker and occasional on screen personality in addition to the accidental president, his book includes the arsenal of the democracy, fdr detroit. an ic

the next book was harry truman's excellent adventure enwhich trace the road trip that harry s truman took in the summer of 53 after they left the white house for ex-president had pensions or secret service protection so harry and best just got in their chrysler and drove from independence to the east coast to visit their daughter margaret who lived in new york at the time and drove back again and it's a sweet book. harry and best are just staying in motels and eating diners and it's really speaks to a bygone era. i don't think ex-president now are basically inside corporations under themselves what when truman left office he was the last president to treturn to something was ambling a normal life so it was a lot of fun to do that story. real quickly ti did the president is a sick man which is about the secret operation on grover cleveland to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth. how are these not bestsellers, i can't believe it. pedestrian is him, a history of competitive walking in the 1880s, america's was popular spectator sport was the six a walking race and ava and fido which

when the press asked truman if the u.s. was at war on the korean peninsula, truman replied we are not at war. he agreed that the u.s. military was instead involved what's called a police action. war we must remember was a privilege accorded to recognized states. only sovereign entities could -- as a dual. a legitimate extension and policymaking involving two recognizable states. nowhere was the issue recognition led more bare than at the negotiation tables for the armistice at the village. located within the 38th parallel of the korean peninsula. the united nation which was clearly not a nation state had entered the conflict as and this would be a role that united nations would take up again until the first gulf war as. for china and new north korea united nations did not recognize either state as sovereign entities. to define what was legitimate warfare was to define who was a legitimate state. at the u.s. army's press conference of the kidnapping, the u.s. army official described the situation as such quote, the communist

i think that truman admired him. truman said he knew exactly what he wants to do. he said what he was going to do and he did it. and that made gray hay with truman. and he was critical of the generals as truman was of douglas mcarthur and so there is that -- that similarity, too. but polk would have -- what polk would have been right at home in today's acidic washington environment, political environment. i think that he would have been up to the needles and the digs and the knives that are wielded and i think he would have waded right into that environment and been right at home. he was a man for his time. there was very little you can say that he left his administration was sandwiched between the only two whig administrations in our history and both of those administrations, the harris administration and the taylor administration, were, of course, interrupted by the deaths of those two presidents and so those two whig administrations did very little and his administration sandwiched between those and he did a great deal. so it is surprising that only historians r

after him, truman oversaw a huge renovation. i also think jackson was a huge player, under jackson's presidency, the first time the east room is finished properly. that is a huge moment. then moving backwards, i would say the combination of madison and monroe, the white house burned in 1814 during the war of 1812. the rebuild in making sure it stayed in washington, d.c. it was -- which was questioned. refinishing it to be a proper house of state, that was a huge decision and had a huge impact. >> how much of a white house that people get to see today is original? >> are we talking about sandstone walls? [laughter] >> going off of what lindsay said, when truman does the renovation, he essentially, the building is gutted. they try to save different materials to reuse them. some can be salvaged but others can't. this is when they start the souvenir program and are giving people bits and pieces of the white house to purchase. the exterior walls remained standing because it was important to truman that the white house is a symbol, th

how can truman possibly justify to the world his declining us useless weapon. that declining resulted in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths. he concluded the only realistic choice open to him was to demand japanese surrender the starkest in most threatening terms with the deadline attached and when the deadline attached to drop the bomb without warning. on a valuable japanese target and that's what he did. there was a warning on july 262 surrender or face the grim reality with the alternative prompt and utter destruction when there was no surrender forthcoming on the morning of august 6, loaned the 29 bomber dropped the first bomb unannounced on the port city of hiroshima, a major naval and war industrial center. a few words in closing and then i welcome your questions and discussion. come back to lincoln again, one always does this. it was lincoln who articulated in his first in our girl address the hope that what he called the mystic chords of memory in the course of union at a time when the prospects for union staying together. he was appealing in a

here is my description in the book of truman's decision.uman was a straightforward and decisive man who did not agonize over his choices and decided it would be imperative to use this new weapon as something that would save lives particularly in light of the horrendous ebuddy experience in okinawa and what it portended for the occupation of japan. how best to use it? given the fact that only two bombs were then available and given the real possibility of them failing to explode properly it did not make sense to announce a demonstration explosion in some uninhabited areas approve the weapon's power. the detonation might fail entirely and make america's threats look hollow. even if a demonstration bonded explode it might not have the desired effect anyway. and this usually scores. how could truman possibly justified to the world his declining to use this weapon. of that declining resulted in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths? he concluded the only realistic choice open to him was demand japanese surrender in the starkest and most th

truman was a straightforward decisive many did not agonize over his choices.he quickly decided it would be imperative to use this new weapon us to think that would save lives particularly like to have the horrendously bloodied experience in okinawa what pretended for potential invasion of japan. but how best to use it. it given the fact that only two bombs were then available given the very real possibility that the failings exploded properly, it did not make sense to announce the demonstration of the explosion in some uninhabited area to prove the weapons awesome power. for one thing the deck designation might fail entirely and make americans hollow. even if the demonstration did explode, might not have the desired effect anyway. how could truman possibly justify to the world the declining use of this weapon, if that declining resulted in one hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths. he concluded the only realistic choice open to him was to demand that the japanese surrender in the most threatening terms the deadline attached, when the deadline passed, to

. >>> when president franklin roosevelt died in 1945, then vice president harry truman assumed the roleident of the united states. up next, author a.j.baime talks about his book "the accidental president" in which he looks at the challenges president harry truman faced during his first four months in office. >> a.j.baime is a "new york times" best selling author, award-winning journalist, public speaker and occasional on screen personality. in addition to the accidental president the subject of tonight's lecture his books include the arsenal of democracy, f.d.r., detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war, and go like hell -- ford, ferrari, their battle for speed and glory at le mans. both the latter books are in development as major motion pictures and both won the

daniels who will talk about the truman renovation of the white house and many other aspects of the truman presidency and his son, the great grandson of president truman will missing a cocktail that i understand was a favorite of truman's and if you would like to order the book that we've been discussing today, it is available on the white house history historical website, go to shop.whitehousehistory.org it is discounted for pursuits and you can get your copy there today. please stay safe and we look forward to seeing you on the next edition on white house history life, have a good evening. >> recently counter expert david traced the threats americans face since the fall of the soviet union, in this portion of the program he explains the title of his book the dragons and the snakes. >> the title comes from jim who was president clinton cia director. >> he was the chairman. >> yes thank you for pointing that out, and incredibly pressing guy, when you read his testimony and going through hearing in 1993, he was asked the cold war distended what do you think will be the environment that amer