The wild, combative inside story of the most stunning upset in the history of presidential elections: Harry Truman's 1948 victory over Tom Dewey.
"Outstanding. . . . by far the best yet about the fateful [1948] election." —
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Coherent, compelling. . . . A skillful, authoritative investigation." —
Kirkus Reviews
Award-winning historian David Pietrusza unpacks the most ingloriously iconic headline in the history of presidential elections—DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN—to reveal the 1948 campaign's backstage events and recount the down-to-the-wire brawl fought against the background of an erupting Cold War, the Berlin Airlift, the birth of Israel, and a post-war America facing exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism.
"A terrific book. . . . a must-read." —Ron Faucheux, former editor-in-chief,
Campaigns & Elections
magazine
"David Pietrusza brilliantly portrays President Harry Truman's successful efforts to stave off the challenge of New York Gov. Tom Dewey, who was making a repeat bid as the Republican nominee." —David Mark, journalist, political analyst, and author of
Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning
"Sweeping . . . compelling." —
Library Journal