The Year of Indecision, 1946

January 25, 2016
Though WWII has come to be known as the “good war” fought by the “Greatest Generation,” such shorthand would have baffled most Americans in 1946, as Weisbrode (Churchill and the King), a diplomatic and cultural historian, shows in this free-flowing meditation on postwar attitudes. Never quite measuring up (in his own mind or others) to aristocratic Franklin Roosevelt, Truman is shown to be able, industrious, conniving, and thin-skinned. The man from Missouri vacillates all too often, but is saved by good advisors. Observing the politics, society, and culture of the time, Weisbrode pronounces Truman as emblematic of the period’s “unsure mood.” Yet, the author perhaps drinks too deeply at the well of revisionism, judging Truman to be “overrated” without making a clean case for such a pronouncement while veering tangentially into such topics as the cultural milieu of New York and writers of the period. Weisbrode is an astute critic of the political headwinds whipped up by McCarthyite witch hunts for domestic communists, and his excellent analysis of the psychology of the fear of communism delves into other social dislocations that are remarkably similar to more current attitudes. This is a provocative, if meandering, study of a turbulent period in American history. Agent: Alexander Hoyt, Alexander Hoyt Associates.

December 15, 2015
Diplomatic and cultural historian Weisbrode (Churchill and the King: The Wartime Alliance of Winston Churchill and George VI, 2013, etc.) recounts the turmoil of 1946 and the Americans who just wanted to return to a life of security. The United States may not have suffered physical devastation in World War II, but as Herbert Hoover noted, "the victors suffer almost equally with the vanquished in economic misery and spiritual degradation." This generation relished their survival, but they were the children of the Depression and took nothing for granted. Now they returned to live in fear of recession, poverty, and communism. They endured housing shortages, unemployment, and a country that was dominant in military and economic matters but politically isolated. Weisbrode rejects the biographies of Harry Truman that have lionized him, noting that the best thing about him was his honesty. He had to find a path through the Cold War, tensions between industry and labor, political disunity, and the communist threat and atomic policy. The author explains the difference between choosing and deciding; the first requires courage, while the second takes wisdom and diligence. He compares Truman to George W. Bush, who was also quick to issue directives and rarely second-guessed them. Weisbrode ably shows how Truman did not really judge; he acted. Luckily, he had good advisers. In one particularly interesting and currently applicable chapter, the author explores Poujadism, a form of populism similar to the current tea party. It was an angry, highly patriotic, reactionary movement to bring down elites, playing on people's fears and blaming immigrants, nonwhites, and strange religions. The author explains Truman's mistakes and successes in the Cold War, dealings with the Soviets, threats against striking workers, and removal of price controls. Even as he rejects Truman's greatness, he admits that security required elaborate compromises and alliances. Truman was the perfect emblem of the unsure mood of 1946. A solid, fact-filled study, especially relevant for those who thought life was better then.

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February 1, 2016

In his latest work, Weisbrode (Churchill and the King) examines the pivotal year of 1946. The events in and around this year marked a dark, uncertain time in the United States: just after the end of World War II and prior to the start of the Cold War. It was also the first full year of the presidency of Harry S. Truman, who is viewed with a critical eye by the author. Weisbrode presents Truman as a man of contrasts who struggled to make decisions and provides U.S. nuclear policy as an example of this unfavorable characteristic. (At that time, America was the only nation that possessed the atomic bomb.) The Truman administration worked on building more powerful bombs, while it sought to limit nuclear proliferation. According to the author, the president's indecisiveness set a tone that would affect U.S. decision makers for the rest of the century. Despite the troubles and uncertainty, or perhaps because of them, this era was also a culturally exciting time, marked by creative developments in fashion, literature, music, and movies. VERDICT Recommended for those interested in 20th-century American history with insight into the making of the modern world. Those seeking more about this year should also consider Victor Sebestyen's 1946.--Dave Pugl, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

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