When Truman took office after Roosevelt's death in April 1945, he knew relatively nothing about the grand strategy of World War II. No one had told him anything about the ongoing atomic bomb project...But for the next seven-plus years, Truman shocked the country. Over the objections of many in his Cabinet, he ordered the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan. Over the objections of most of the State Department, he recognized the new state of Israel. Over the objections of the Roosevelt holdovers, he broke with wartime ally the Soviet Union and crafted the foundations of Cold War communist...
