1948 - Paperback

by David Pietrusza (Author)

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

Author Biography

David Pietrusza's books include Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series; 1920: The Year of Six Presidents; 1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America's Role in the World; 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies; and Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal. Rothstein was a finalist for an Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, and 1920 was honored by Kirkus Reviews as among their Books of the Year.

Pietrusza has appeared on Good Morning America, Morning Joe, The Voice of America, The History Channel, ESPN, NPR, AMC, and C-SPAN. He has spoken at The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, and various universities and festivals.

He lives in Scotia, New York.

Visit davidpietrusza.com