The Berlin Airlift was the Allied operation to supply the blockaded city of West Berlin by air just after WWII, a feat McCullough claims was made possible by President Harry S. Truman’s decisive leadership. After the Soviet Union cut off all land and water access to the city, Truman rejected suggestions to either abandon Berlin or force a military confrontation. Instead, he made a firm, unequivocal decision, stating, “We stay in Berlin, period” (93). This resolve initiated an unprecedented logistical effort, in which American and British planes supplied the city with food and fuel for nearly a year. The operation was scaled up to its necessary capacity, which included the construction of an entirely new airport, until the Soviets finally lifted the blockade. For McCullough, the episode serves as a model of presidential Character as a Measure of Leadership, particularly because Truman refused to exploit the international crisis for his own political benefit during a difficult election year, underscoring his commitment to duty over politics.

Civilian control of the military is the constitutional principle that vests ultimate authority over the armed forces in elected officials rather than professional officers. McCullough presents this concept as the foundation for what he considers Harry S.