Harry S. Truman made plain speaking his trademark, and it was a common belief that "Give 'em hell" Harry spared few with his words. However, this fascinating collection of 140 amusing, angry, sarcastic, and controversial letters President Truman wrote but never mailed proves that conception wrong. Addressed to admirers and enemies alike, including Adlai Stevenson, Justice William Douglas, Dwight Eisenhower, Joe McCarthy, and Truman's wife, Bess, these intriguing letters cover such diverse subjects as the atomic bomb, running the country, and human greed.

"Strictly Personal and Confidential offers a unique look at a man reacting naturally to enormous pressures. Truman often had second, more prudent thoughts about what he called his 'spasms.' Sometimes he would scribble furiously and then stuff the result into his desk while he cooled off; on other occasions, he dictated blisterers to Rose Conway, his longtime personal secretary, and then returned the typescript with a diplomatic directive: 'Rose, file it. H.S.T.' In either case, he left behind a trail of entertaining and often fascinating documents, a short history of the frustrations of power, written at white heat."—Time

"The letters are in the spirit of 'giving them hell,' the bulldog approach that gave Truman his upset presidential election victory in 1948. They will not change the course of history, nor alter our perception of the man; but they will reinforce our feelings for a president who had grit and the not inconsiderable virtue of candor."—Philadelphia Inquirer

About the Editor

Monte M. Poen is Regents' Professor of American History Emeritus at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. He is the author or editor of several books, including Harry S. Truman versus the Medical Lobby and Letters Home by Harry Truman.