McCullough takes “The Heat in the Kitchen” chapter title from an expression Truman heard in 1930s Missouri, “If you can’t stand the heat, you better get out of the kitchen” (753). The author uses this idiom to describe the challenges that Truman faced in 1947 and 1948 with the rising tensions with the Soviet Union concerning the Berlin Airlift, the path to the establishment and recognition of Israel, and the launch of his election campaign. Similarly, chapter 14 title, “Fighting Chance,” refers to the transition from Truman’s perceived inability to win the 1948 presidential election to slowly gaining ground in the polls.

Two key questions in international relations were on Truman’s plate at this time. The first was the formation of Israel and the second was the Berlin Airlift. McCullough examines the complexities of the first question which combined domestic politics, civil rights, and foreign policy in the Cold War period. On the one hand, he believed European Jews who had suffered from the Holocaust deserved a homeland. On the other hand, he faced the complex politics of creating such a homeland in majority-Arab Palestine with its legacy of European colonialism. Americans like George Marshall also perceived the Middle East as a sensitive geographic area susceptible to Soviet expansion. On the other hand, it was the newly formed United Nations that was handling the question, and others argued that the US championing one side or the other was overstepping its bounds.

The Berlin Airlift exemplifies the escalation of Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. As before, McCullough only presents the debates within the Truman administration. The US included West Germany in the Marshall Plan and then introduced a new currency. These actions challenged the quadripartite division established in 1945 by the Allies. The Soviet Union responded by blockading Berlin, while the US led an effort to airlift supplies. Truman’s repeated questions about Soviet goals suggest he did not appreciate the way US influence in Europe raised security concerns for the Soviets.

Chapter 14 features a juxtaposition of Dewey and Truman. The two men had similar backgrounds coming from small American towns. However, Truman was, McCullough says, a “late bloomer,” whereas “Dewey had soared almost from the start” (791). For example, a lawyer by education, Dewey became New York’s first Republican governor in two decades at the age of 40. It was Dewey’s popularity, political experience, and fatigue with the Democrats that made experts believe his victory over Truman was certain. And yet, McCullough says, “Not a single radio commentator or newspaper columnist, or any of the hundreds of reporters who covered the campaign, had called it right” (832). McCullough carefully traces Truman’s path to victory as part of his The Rise of an Underdog theme. He suggests that it was Truman’s consistent hard work, relatable personality, and campaigning among the people that gave him the necessary edge. For example, in Salt Lake City, Truman brought up his grandfather Solomon Young and his voyage across the plains as well as his friendship with Brigham Young, a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Elsewhere, he would say, “Would you like to meet the Boss?” in reference to his wife (810).