... bold and highly readable ... Scarborough...skillfully takes the story where most books on the Truman Doctrine don’t go. He follows the money trail—the nuts and bolts of how the doctrine was implemented ... Ultimately Saving Freedom illuminates just how high the stakes can get in Washington and how decisions can have consequences that ripple through generations. The author is at his best when he uses his personal experience in Washington to bring nuance to his historical viewpoint.
... earnest, engaging ... If the story of the 33rd president’s commitment, which at first aided only peoples in Greece and Turkey, is familiar, Scarborough’s focus on Truman and other elected officials is not. By crediting wily politicians for America’s Cold War policy instead of the wise men in the government’s bureaucracy, Scarborough reminds readers that long telegrams like George Kennan’s and policy memorandums from the State Department don’t make successful doctrines; politicians do ... does not uncover many new historical facts — Scarborough rightly drops the names of books he leveraged for his own — but its rediscovery of the politicians’ role in the Cold War comes at just the right time. Today, those talking on cable news and hoping soon to walk the corridors of government in a new administration do not lack for grand plans to deal with the coronavirus, competition with China or any other foreign policy challenge. Instead, as Scarborough’s book reminds us, they just need political support in an exhausted, divided country, or at least the political touch — and occasional 'gust of hot air' — to build it.
... sheds new light on President Truman’s role and the initiatives he was involved in, including bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki, establishing the Truman Doctrine, and supporting Israel, just to name a few.
... brisk and informative ... Scarborough expertly details the behind-the-scenes politicking that made it happen, paying special attention to the role of Republican senator Arthur Vandenburg, who charted a new, internationalist direction for his party. Though it breaks little new ground, Scarborough’s vivid account will appeal to readers who long for a new era of bipartisanship in American politics.
