The wild, combative inside story of the most stunning upset in the history of presidential elections—Harry Truman's victory over Tom Dewey: " Outstanding."— Minneapolis Star-Tribune
In this lively account, award-winning historian David Pietrusza unpacks the most ingloriously iconic headline in the history of presidential elections—DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN—to reveal the 1948 campaign's backstage events and recount the down-to-the-wire brawl fought against the background of an erupting Cold War, the Berlin Airlift, the birth of Israel, and a post-war America facing exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism.
"Coherent, compelling...A skillful, authoritative investigation."— Kirkus Reviews
"A terrific book...a must-read."—Ron Faucheux, former editor-in-chief, Campaigns & Elections magazine
"Brilliantly portrays President Harry Truman's successful efforts to stave off the challenge of New York Gov. Tom Dewey, who was making a repeat bid as the Republican nominee."—David Mark, author of Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning
"Sweeping...compelling."— Library Journal

"Gripping detail."— The New York Journal of Books