Review by Larry S. Sterett Contributing Editor
American Gunfight: The Plot to Kill Harry Truman
AMERICAN GUNFIGHT, by Stephen Hunger and John Bainbridge, Jr.
©2005. Published by Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, Dept. TGM, New York, NY 10020. Price: $26.95, plus postage. Available at most bookstores, or by phone: 800- 456-6798
Subtitled “The Plot to Kill Harry Truman—and the Shoot-Out That Stopped It,” this 384-page hardbound volume details an event in history many Americans have forgotten, and of which many others are not even aware. In 40 brief chapters, it details the events leading up to, during, and immediately following the 38.5 violent seconds on the afternoon of November 1, 1950, in front of the Blair House in Washington, DC. (The events are true, the details reconstructed from records, interviews, and various other sources.
The conversations have been added based on facts and surmises.) The only illustrations in this book are located between Chapters 34 and 35. They consist of 16 black and white photographs. Seven feature people and events leading up to the November afternoon, with the other nine directly related to that afternoon. (Four photographs were taken at the Blair House immediately following the shoot-out.) Photos 14 and 15 are of the Walther P38 and P08 Luger pistols used by the two Puerto Rican Nationalists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, respectively, on that afternoon, as they attempted to enter Blair House and eliminate the president of the United States, Harry Truman.
The chapters are short, and flashbacks are used to prepare the reader for what led up to the occurrence. Following can be slightly confusing at times. A bit overdramatic, possibly, in this reviewer’s opinion, it makes what might otherwise be boring listings of known facts into a more readable narrative.
In addition to the explanatory Introduction, this tome includes an epilogue providing the destinies of ten of the major characters most directly involved that November afternoon, several pages of source notes by chapter, an extensive bibliography and acknowledgments sections, and an index.
This interesting volume covers basically an event which lasted just over half-a-minute, took place in an area of less than 200 square feet, approximately, and left one dead assassin, one dying and two seriously wounded policemen out of between 29 and 31 shots fired. The president was not harmed, and actually viewed some of the gunfight. The end result was beefed-up security for the president, and better armament and training for Secret Service and police personnel.
And, of course, the not really answered question of, “Why?”
