Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for Western Civilization

“The United States, its people returning to normal life after WWII, must be convinced that military and economic support for Greece and Turkey is warranted. Truman, Marshall, and Acheson create a new foreign policy to keep Soviet influence at bay. America as a world power replaces Great Britain, with Truman, an unlikely president, at its helm.

This is the basis for Joe Scarborough’s Saving Freedom: Truman, The Cold War, and the Fight for Western Civilization. The book presents these events in an easy to follow, easy to read format, with humor and care. Readers learn how the foreign policy that aligned with American economic, security, and even moral goals, came to be. He describes the first few moments of Truman’s presidency after the death of FDR, the limitations of Truman’s personality and his strengths in leading a bipartisan effort to secure the Truman Doctrine.

Scarborough has a knack for giving context and specifics yet not bombarding the reader with details. There is some background regarding WWII and American isolationism, FDR’s choice of Truman as Vice President, and brief mentions of events like Truman’s support for Israel, but mostly the book is narrowly focused on the events leading up to the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine. For me, this made it a better read, to be so clearly focused. Overall, fans of American international policy and the Cold War history will get a lot out of Saving Freedom.”