Compared to the "Great Roosevelt," whom he succeeded as thirty-third President of the United States, Harry S. Truman had undistinguished beginnings. Yet, by virtue of his direct style, earthy personality and willingness to make tough decisions, Truman left an indelible mark on the United States and the world. His decisions on the atomic bomb, Soviet-American relations, the Middle East, the Korean War, the firing of General Douglas MacArthur, and the Truman Doctrine, changed the world forever.

He is remembered as the author of "Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ," but Lew Wallace (1827-1905) was also an Indiana lawyer and politician, Civil War general, and United States minister to the Ottoman Empire. As Territorial governor of New Mexico, he grappled with the Santa Fe Ring, the Lincoln County War, and Billy the Kid.