The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World

What are some of the main differences between Truman and his predecessor, Franklin Roosevelt? What advantages does each president have that the other lacked?

Which aspects of Truman’s childhood and adolescence does Baime find to be most influential in shaping his character, and how did his character in turn influence his role as a politician?

How does the author describe the relationship between Truman and Tom Pendergast? How did the sponsorship of the Kansas City boss shape his political trajectory, and how did Truman maintain his reputation for honesty despite the well-known dishonesty of his patron?

How does the development of the atomic bomb shape Truman’s presidency? How do the dilemmas regarding its potential use change in the first four months of Truman’s presidency?

What political strategies does Truman use to attain popularity in the first months of his presidency, despite being an unknown successor to a beloved president, facing severe headwinds in both domestic and foreign policy, and lacking the trust of many of his advisors?

Was Truman able to accomplish anything of substance at the Potsdam Conference? What were the main challenges, and how did he handle them?

Evaluate Truman’s diplomacy with the Soviet Union. How did it differ from Roosevelt’s, and how did it shape the direction of US-Soviet relations after the war?

How does Truman justify the use of the atomic bomb against a civilian population? To what degree does Baime accept these justifications?