Truman's grandson speaking at Glen Ellyn Library

A. He was a normal, hardworking, middle-class guy. Plus he always followed Mark Twain's advice: #8220;Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest.#8221;

Q. What will your presentation at the library focus on?

A. I will probably focus on the new book but also on my grandparents' personal lives as well.

Q. Your book #8220;Dear Harry, Love Bess#8221; contains letters your grandmother missed when she was burning her correspondence to your grandfather. Since she clearly did not want others to read the letters, did you have any qualms about publishing them and why did you feel it was important to publish them anyway? Exactly how many letters are there?

A. I had no qualms. The letters are wonderful and they show a softer, funnier, more loving side of my grandmother than most people know. There are 185 letters.

Q. Bess Truman was a private person and didn't enjoy political life. What role did she play in your grandfather's career?

A. She held down the fort at home while he dealt with an extraordinarily high-stress career. In fact, when she snapped at him for working over a weekend when he was supposed to be home, he wrote her to the effect that, #8220;You know, I can't do this job without your help and support.#8221; She was also his sounding board. She loved politics and took an active interest in his day-to-day job.

Q. A very famous photo from the 1948 election is of your grandfather holding up the inaccurate newspaper headline #8220;Dewey Defeats Truman.#8221; Nearly everyone seemed to expect Truman to lose. What gave him the confidence that he could win?

A. I think he'd tell you that you don't go into any fight thinking you're going to lose. The whole family felt the same. A New York Times photographer, George Tames, was helping my mother into a car during the campaign and said, #8220;Things don't look real good for your dad.#8221; #8220;You have no faith,#8221; Mom snapped and slammed the door in his face.

Q. What do you consider your grandfather's greatest accomplishments? What did he consider his own greatest accomplishments?

A. I think he'd probably say the Marshall Plan, both for its success and its association with Gen. (George) Marshall, whom Grandpa greatly admired. I agree. The plan was visionary, its founders had learned from their predecessors' mistakes following World War I, and it changed the world.

Q. You wrote a book on growing up with your grandfather. What is one of your favorite personal memories of him?

A. The favorite story I tell is about the morning my brother and I found Grandpa reading the paper in the living room of our apartment and tried to sneak past him into the den and the TV. He caught us and said, #8220;Where are you going?#8221;

#8220;Into the den to watch TV,#8221; I said.

#8220;You don't want to do that,#8221; he said, grabbing a book from the top shelf. #8220;Come here and sit by me.#8221;

My mother came down 20 minutes later and found us sitting quietly while Grandpa read to us from a book with absolutely no pictures in it.

#8220;What are you reading to them?#8221; she asked.

He held up the book for her. It was Thucydides' #8220;History of the Peloponnesian War.#8221; I was 6. My brother was 4.

Q. How much were your grandparents part of your life when you were growing up? Did you feel close to them?

A. We saw them a couple of times each year. I loved them because they spoiled us rotten. If Mom said, #8220;No, you can't have one of those,#8221; my grandmother would wait until she left the room and ask, #8220;How many do you want?#8221;

Q. If you had to describe your grandfather in three words, what ones would you use?A. Hardworking, intelligent, honest.