From a Wall Street Journal review by Frank Gannon of the book by Jeffrey Frank titled “The Trials of Harry S. Truman: The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man”:

Harry S. Truman’s popularity soared after he suddenly became president in 1945 upon the death of FDR. His reputation was in tatters when he left office in 1953. He was reviled by many of the country’s leading historians and political observers, who faulted him for (as they saw it) his limited intelligence, weak leadership and complicity in corruption. Then, in 1992, opinion changed. The catalyst for this shift was David McCullough’s masterly biography “Truman,” which played a major role in transforming our assessment of the 33rd president.