I was expecting a novel when I got this book by Hunter, one of my favorite authors, so I was surprised to find this nonfiction work. Did you know there was an assassination attempted on the life of Harry Truman? It took place on 11/1/1950 and was conducted by two Puerto Rican nationalists who wanted independence for their country. At the time, the White House was being remodeled, so Truman was living across the street in Blair House. The two guys had a shoot out with Secret Service guys in front of Blair House at 2:20 p.m. One was killed, but the other survived and was captured, tried, and convicted. He was sentenced to death, but Truman converted his sentence. It was a bloody event, and it was big news in the day. It's just remarkable that, even as a student of history and especially the American Presidency, I had never heard of the event. The book itself is not a great read, especially if you're looking for an escapte novel. But it was interesting, and Hunter and Bainbridge did a good job putting the event in the perspective of the time.
No comments:
Post a Comment