Celebrating Harry Truman and Death on the Menu #bookgiveaway

LUCY BURDETTE: Key West is famous for being the home of the Harry S. Truman Little White House. The president spent a lot of working vacations on our island, and this modest place where he worked and relaxed (playing poker with members of his cabinet and members of the press) couldn't be more appealing. I have a good friend, Bill Averyt who is one of the tour guides at the Little White House and he was immensely helpful. Not only did he give me extra private tours of the backstage areas of the building, he was loaded with plot ideas. Since the new mass market paperback edition of DEATH ON THE MENU hits bookshelves today, and since a lot of us are focused on the next presidential election, I thought it might be fun to have Bill visit with some interesting facts about Harry Truman, with a book as prize for leaving a comment of course!

LUCY:  Harry Truman spent a lot of time in Key West at the Little White House, often with other government figures and the press in attendance. But Bess Truman did not love it, so she often didn't come. (And that didn't seem to bother anyone.) Tell us something about what life was like when Harry was in residence?

Bill: Truman brought down to Key West the officials and the staff members whom he wanted to work with at that time.  It all depended of course on what the problems and the crises of that moment were, but typically the top officials would include people like the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of State, military officials, the Secretary of Defense (the Defense Department was created in the late 1940s; before that time we had a Secretary of War), admirals and generals, plus experts like Clark Clifford.

Truman alternated work and relaxation--usually a brisk walk in the morning and a swim later in the day on "Truman Beach"--this no longer exists, the area is now part of the Fort Zachary Taylor state park.  Truman also frequently held press conferences.  He liked to play tricks on the reporters, grilling them sometimes with trivial questions like the ones he often had to answer, like "what did you have for breakfast" and "have you called your wife today".

Truman wasn't really a fisherman.  Bess was, and he would go out deep sea fishing with her when she visited.

LUCY: One of things I admire about Harry Truman is how he stepped up after becoming president following the death of President Franklin Roosevelt. Maybe no incoming president can really understand what the job will be like until he or she gets there, but some handle it with more grace and wisdom than others. Tell us a little about what he faced and how he handled that after assuming the job?

BILL: Truman had had no substantial foreign policy experience before his assuming the presidency and this was cause for a lot of apprehension when he was sworn in.  After he was sworn in the evening of April 12, 1945, he received his first national security briefing the morning of Friday, April 13--yes, Friday the Thirteenth.  Then, that morning, his security advisors told him of the existence of the atom bomb.  He had no previous knowledge of this.

Truman had to deal quickly with immense questions:  Nazi Germany collapsed in May; Truman met with Stalin and Churchill in Potsdam from mid-July to early August to decide on the occupation policy for Germany and the establishment of governments in the liberated countries of Eastern Europe.  

Just at this moment, scientists in New Mexico successfully tested the first atom bomb.  Truman had to make the momentous decision to use it against Japan, which quickly surrendered after the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.  

In the following months, it became clear that the USSR would install Communist governments in Eastern Europe.  The Cold War was on.  Truman was instrumental in creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with our allies.  He obtained Congressional approval for the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Western Europe.

Truman had to handle many major crises and challenges.  His performance was not flawless.  There were a lot of stumbles in early months and minor embarrassments throughout his administration, such as petty corruption among some of his advisors.  But in retrospect, most historians consider him one of our most capable presidents.

LUCY: And there is a cat on the premises of the Little White House named Barkley. Tell us about that?


Bill: Barkley is the LWH official cat; the guides feed Barkley every day at the back door.  Barkley is named after Truman's vice president (after the 1948 election-there was no Vice President from April 1945 to Jan 1949).  But ... Barkley is a girl cat.  Never mind, this is Key West!

Lucy again: if you have other questions about Truman and the Little White House, we'll try to answer them. But here are a couple of questions I have about this bit of history...Is anyone really prepared to take on the job of president of the US? What characteristics do you think are most important for this job? Can you imagine learning of the atom bomb in your first security briefing???

About the book: Lucy Burdette, Death on the Menu from Crooked Lane Books

Food critic Hayley Snow is thrilled to be working at a three-day international conference at the Harry S. Truman Little White House. But things get off to a bad start when Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal (which belongs to Cuba and is on display for this weekend only) disappears. And they only get worse when a body is discovered in the storeroom. Hayley must spring into action before the killer adds another victim to his menu. 

“There’s a lot to love about this series—deft plotting, likable characters, and an ending that always satisfies. But one of the things I love the best is how the author transports her readers to Key West with every page, describing real landmarks and restaurants with such realism that I feel I’m actually there. Magical and delicious fun!”—Suspense Magazine

"Fascinating details about the Truman Little White House, Cuban American history and relations, Cuban food, and Hemingway’s years in Key West are woven through this atmospheric cozy."—Booklist

“Burdette’s loving descriptions of food and the appended recipes are an added fillip for readers who enjoy some history and romance with their mysteries.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Tightly plotted, with plenty of island-style red herrings and mouth-watering food-prep descriptions, DEATH ON THE MENU is also full of friends helping friends, and the sweetness of love.” –Kingdom Books 

Not only is the mass market edition for this book available now, ebook editions of both DEATH ON THE MENU and A DEADLY FEAST are on sale for $1.99 and 2.99 for a limited time only