Customer Reviews (2)

Notes from the Vigorous Life!
Most living today do not know the art of letter writing.Our lives are all phone calls and emails.We live in the instant and do not know the pleasures and benefits of taking time to form thoughts and writing in complete and coherent sentences let alone taking the time to construct paragraphs or a complete and persuasive argument.Another problem is that our communications today are perishable.There are fewer personal documents left for study and almost no drafts to give us insight into the process of composition.Sure, presidential libraries contain mountains of paper, but so much of it is from staff, is impersonal bureaucrat speak, and lacks the wit, sparkle, and insight of a practiced and skilled writer such as Theodore Roosevelt.

TR published forty books, wrote more than 100,000 letters, and his collected speeches fill twenty volumes.All this in a too short sixty year life (Oct 1858 - Jan 1919).I find this productivity staggering, especially when one considers how actively he lived his life.He traveled, he climbed the Matterhorn, he ranched, went to war, fulfilled many public offices including Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York, Vice-President, and President of the United States.

We all owe a note of thanks to Louis Auchincloss for editing this volume and providing us with 367 of his letters, every one of them one kind of gem or another.We get observations of TR the Naturalist, the diplomat, the Rough Rider, Governor, President, Ex-President, and the private man.Actually, we get more sides of him than those, but those are the biggest and most notable gems.Four of his greatest and most noted speeches are also included.They all deserve to be read today and should be read by all students of American History.

In my view, the greatest of them is his 1910 speech at the Sorbonne on "Citizenship in a Republic"."The Strenuous Life" is also a wonderful speech to read and contemplate. Both are calls to a responsible and fully lived life of duties and responsibilities to earn the rewards of freedom and wealth.He has no use for the empty life living off the sweat and blood of others.Magnificent sentiments that should inspire us today and will actually have the beneficial effect of making all, and I mean all, of our present leaders seem small in comparison let alone the indictment it makes on each one of us.If you do not want to hear a clear call to action, avoid these speeches.But you will avoid them to your own loss.

This book deserves to be read and read more than once.It is that wonderful kind of book you can dip into for a short read over and over again.Each time you will come away feeling energized and inspired to do more and to do better.

Hugely recommended.Thanks to the Library of America for producing this magnificent and beautifully done volume.

Handy collection of TR's letters
Theodore Roosevelt was among the most literary men ever to occupy the White House.The author of over 40 books, he was also a prolific letter-writer and in the pre-"West Wing" age prepared his own speeches as well.Numerous collections of his writings have been published, with this volume being the latest of them.Edited by the author and Roosevelt biographer Louis Auchinloss, it offers a selection of some of the most illustrative writings from throughout Roosevelt's life and career.

The result is somewhat disappointing.Though advertised as "Letters and Speeches," the volume is mostly comprised of the former rather than the latter; there are only four speeches tacked on at the end, almost as an afterthought.Nor do the letters published here offer anything new - all of them, in fact, are from the superb eight-volume collection edited by Elting Morison in the early 1950s, only with the excellent footnotes that provided the context relegated to the back of the book.

These criticisms aside, the Library of America has produced a book of merit.Auchinloss has selected letters which offer a helpful peek into Roosevelt's life, providing almost an autobiographical presentation of Roosevelt's ideas and opinions.For readers interested in particular subjects, Auchinloss provides in the table of contents a brief subject line under each letter, which adds to the book's utility.The result is a nice, durable volume offering a useful sampling of some of Roosevelt's most important letters.While diehard fans of TR will probably prefer Morison's hard-to-find collection, for readers seeking a handy edition of his correspondence this is the book to own. ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com
When Colonel Theodore Roosevelt led his Rough Riders up the San Juan Ridge in 1898, it was one of the most daring exploits of the Spanish-American War. Colleagues would later report that, seemingly oblivious to the threat of death, Roosevelt "was just reveling in victory and gore," collecting spent cartridges as souvenirs for his four sons while shells exploded around him. His martial vigor served as a model to those sons, one that they took to heart, but their own experiences of war were far removed from TR's swashbuckling adventure.

At the end of World War I, the youngest Roosevelt son--Quentin--was dead, shot down in the skies over France. Theodore Jr. (Ted) and Archie both sustained serious injuries, and Archie suffered from bouts of serious depression many times in the years afterwards. Yet they both served, along with their brother, Kermit, in World War II as well. At 57, Ted was the oldest American participant in the Normandy invasion; Archie became the only U.S. soldier ever to be classified as 100% disabled twice in his career.

The Lion's Pride tells all their stories with thoroughness and graceful simplicity. Although military historians will surely appreciate its combat narratives, it is at heart a family saga, a tale with profound emotional resonance for parents and children alike.Book Description
In The Lion's Pride, Edward J. Renehan, Jr. vividly portrays the grand idealism, heroic bravery, and reckless abandon that Theodore Roosevelt both embodied and bequeathed to his children and the tragic fulfillment of that legacy on the battlefields of World War I.Drawing upon a wealth of previously unavailable materials, including letters and unpublished memoirs, The Lion's Pride takes us inside what is surely the most extraordinary family ever to occupy the White House. Theodore Roosevelt believed deeply that those who had been blessed with wealth, influence, and education were duty bound to lead, even--perhaps especially--if it meant risking their lives to preserve the ideals of democratic civilization. Teddy put his principles, and his life, to the test inSpanish American war, and raised his children to believe they could do no less. When America finally entered the "European conflict" in 1917, all four of his sons eagerly enlisted and used their influence not to avoid the front lines but to get there as quickly as possible. Their heroism in France and the Middle East matched their father's at San Juan Hill. All performed with selfless some said heedlesscourage: Two of the boys, Archie and Ted, Jr., were seriously wounded, and Quentin, the youngest, was killed in a dogfight with seven German planes. Thus, the war that Teddy had lobbied for so furiously brought home a grief that broke his heart. He was buried a few months after his youngest child. Filled with the voices of the entire Roosevelt family, The Lion's Pride gives us the most intimate and moving portrait ever published of the fierce bond between Teddy Roosevelt and his remarkable children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Theodore Roosevelt as a father.
This is an excellent work about Theodore Roosevelt as a father. Although the author discusses his children throughout the book, the focus is on TR himself. One thing I have admired about President Roosevelt is that he loved being a father (although his relationship with his oldest daughter, Alice, was strained), and this drew me to read this book. I was not disappointed.

The author also gives us a glimpse into TR's father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., who was a very generous man with his time and money. After reading about him, I understood why TR valued public service.

Because the author focuses on the president, the reader will see how TR influenced his children to value public service. For example, all of his sons served in the military. Indeed, Quentin Roosevelt died as a pilot in a dogfight in World War I. The elder son, Theodore Roosevelt II, led the first wave on Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day during World War II. He died of a heart attack some weeks later. Archie was declared 100% disabled in both World War I and World War II. Kermit also served well in both wars, but suffered from alcoholism and depression (TR's brother, who was Eleanor Roosevelt's father, also suffered from the same). Also, TR's youngest daughter, Ethel, served as a nurse in France in World War I.

This book is definitely worth reading to get a view of Theodore Roosevelt as a family man. I wish we had more elected officials like him today.

A Truly Unique and Fascinating American Family
Completely understanding TR is impossible without considering his children, or his own childhood for that matter.These are the foci of the "The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War."TR was deeply influenced by his father, a wealthy and generous, many would claim great man whose most glaring defect and regret was what amounted to a buy out of his Civil War service obligation.TR called him the "greatest man I ever knew."Yet, in many respects TR spent the rest of his life attempting to overcome and reverse this blemish upon the family record through extraordinary patriotism and service.Leading at the apex of conflict and danger was the duty of a great and privileged family.This credo was embraced wholeheartedly by his children, which makes for fascinating reading. While some would argue this compulsion became excessive and detrimental, the Roosevelt's had no regrets and curiously embraced their family tragedies in the midst of great pain.This phenomenon is particularly evident in the death of the youngest, Quintin while flying patrol over German lines in WWI.On the other hand, if you are looking for an in depth look at any one or more of the children this book will not suffice.Indeed, the early chapters focus on TR's life leading up to WWI, while the latter chapters are largely dedicated to his offspring's activities in young adulthood, particularly those related to the Great War.There is little regarding TR's close and often tender relationship with his children during their childhood in the White House or at Sagamore Hill.As a result, while I greatly enjoyed this book, I was hoping for more breadth and insight into the children's upbringing and their lives after TR's death.

Excellent distillation of Roosevelt's last years
Renehan's accounting of the last years of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. is condensed and fascinating.Mostly covering 1898 and 1910-1919, the book provides insight into the southern New York high society of the early 20th century.Famous names, including Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, Cowles, and Coolidge, parade across the pages.

Nuggets include the mention of Harvard in that time as a conservative and pro-military bastion (compared to today's institution fighting military recruitment in court), Woodrow Wilson viewed as an appeaser, a coward, and an appointer of bigots in his administration (in contrast to a reputation as being a visionary negotiator), observation by Gen. George Patton that Theodore's eldest son, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt III, was a courageous commander- but no soldier (both father and son won the Medal of Honor...a feat perhaps not matched by any other American family), and the contrast highlighted between Kaiser Wilhelm's non-combat patronage of his sons (during WWI) and the former president Roosevelt's sons participating in front line combat.Another interesting fact: three of Roosevelt's four sons died in military service--one killed in action, one dead of a heart attack a month after D-Day and one day before he was to be promoted to major general, and one a suicide).The fourth suffered from the long term effects of severe war wounds.

Roosevelt is also revealed as a founding father of the original progressive movement...born out of the Republican party, no less."Progressive" used to mean advocating sensible capitalism through the restraint of unlimited power of large corporations (through the Sherman Act) and the promotion of sound environmental policy and conservation.It also demanded the U.S. government uphold its main role--that of national defense.This is in stark contrast to today's "progressive" thinking--complete rejection of market economics and corporations, radical environmentalism, and pacifism.Roosevelt must spin in his grave.

All in all a great primer of the former president.Makes you want to immediately run out andread more.

Love TR
I read any book on TR.This one I was hoping would reveal more about his family.It still is a good read about TR.

Inspiring
This book made me want to be a better, more involved citizen. It really gets at the heart of this incredible family. ... Read more

Product Description
This intelligent, but sickly, young boy with a love for nature grew up to be a rancher, Rough Rider, explorer, and the youngest man to become a U.S. president, dedicated to preserving natural resources and fighting political corruption (1858-1919).


Heroes of History is a unique biography series that brings the shaping of history to life with the remarkable true stories of fascinating men and women who changed the course of history.

The stories of Heroes of History are told in an engaging narrative format, where related history, geography, government, and science topics come to life and make a lasting impression. This is a premier biography line for the entire family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

# 1 Teddy Roosevelt fan
Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president. I admire him because we sharesome of the same characteristics. This book gave a detailed portrait of hislife. I think it is an excellent book.

# 1 Teddy Roosevelt fan
Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president. I admire him because we sharesome of the same characteristics. This book gave a detailed portrait of hislife. I think it is an excellent book. ... Read more

Book Description
Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most beloved, controversial, and important presidents.His actions at the dawn of the twentieth century gave rise to the modern presidency and positioned the United States as a major power in world affairs.This book examines Roosevelt's monumental domestic and foreign policy decisions and his enduring legacy. ... Read more

Book Description
"A lively, entertaining and well-researched portrait of a zealous reformer during the historic crusade that successfully launched his career in government." —Booklist.

Commissioner Roosevelt The Story of Theodore Roosevelt and the New York City Police, 1895 - 1897.

When Theodore Roosevelt took office as New York's police commissioner in 1895, the Metropolitan Police force was barely more than a confederation of thugs and petty criminals whose chief activity was to extort protection money from local merchants. The thirty-seven-year-old Roosevelt rode roughshod over the corrupt bosses and power brokers and transformed the police into one of the first modern law enforcement agencies in the world.

Combining the best elements of biography and social history, Commissioner Roosevelt reveals a fascinating episode from the life of one of America's most colorful cities, and one of her most charismatic leaders. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A better than average work, though a bit on the shallow side
I have always wanted to learn more about Teddy Roosevelt's two-year stint with the New York Police Department, and was thus thrilled to find Mr. Jeffer's book on Amamzon.com. While it does do a fairly good job of describing the events as they occurred during Roosevelt's tenure at the NYPD, I found the book on the whole to deliver a very surface treatment of the subject. It is, as one of the other reviewers noted, quite superficial, relying almost exlcusively on anecdotes which seem to have been gleaned from newspapers of the period. What the book is missing is any kind of meaningful insight into TR himself. I have always understood that TR was a prolific letter-writer. I think that this book would have benefitted greatly from the author spending more time relating TR's thoughts, which he must have undoubtedly conveyed many times in correspondence to friends and associates.

Glory Days
COMMISSIONER ROOSEVELT exhibits Theodore Roosevelt's true modus opporandae.There were indeed many obstacles in Roosevelt's path to making a better city police force, however, the American public was, in my opinion, persuaded by eloquent speaking and the media more so then they are today.In all likelihood there is no way Roosevelt could achieve such drastic reform results over a relatively short period of time in the modern world.However, Jeffers' book is not about that issue, this book is about displaying Roosevelt's true core beliefs and the willpower that was within a person who was weak and sickly as a child.Personally I would have liked to have seen more critical material in this book, however, it is a beautiful narrative of how one man was able to make a difference (with the help of the fledgling media).This book should be mandatory reading for all people in the law enforcement field today, it shows all the principals that American's hold dear condensed into one mortal being, Roosevelt.

Teddy Roosevelt Cleans Up Crime in Old New York
Commissioner Roosevelt is a great account of Theodore Roosevelt's tenure as New York City Police Commission President. As the head of the three-person board that oversaw the city's police, Roosevelt changed our notion of a modern police department. Even as he attempted to institute reforms he faced down police corruption, ethnic-group protests, government foot-dragging, and machine politics in the land of Tamany Hall. This firebrand commissioner would even prowl the gaslighted streets of Old New York looking for policemen asleep at their posts.

Join Theodore Roosevelt in this crusade to stop crime and corruption in New York. If you enjoyed Caleb Carr's fictional T.R. in The Alienist, you'll probably enjoy the real life crime-buster in Commissioner Roosevelt. (I liked Mr. Jeffers' real one better.) Anyone interested in politics, especially New York or ethnic politics, might like it too.

Magnificent Police Era History
The book covered the period of history just at the turn of the 20th Century. I found it to be very informative and made me feel like I was right there strolling the streets with Ted Roosevelt. Although the book isstrong in its era coverage more attention should have been given to thevarious laws and acts that were in place at the time preventing"police" to perform their respective functions.

A readable biography, but rather superficial
I read this book after having read Jay S. Berman's Police Administration and Progressive Reform, which was written several years earlier. This is interesting, because Jeffer writes that his was the first book on thissubject, despite the fact that he cites Berman in his bibliography andproceeds to cover the same ground.Jeffers bookis readable but is shallow and superficial, consisting largely of anecdotesand summaries of newspaper accounts from the New York Times. Berman's bookis far more scholarly and vastly better researched. Jeffers owes an apologyto both his predecessor and his readers for claiming to have written a bookthat "needed to be written". ... Read more

Book Description
We knew toil and hardship and hunger and thirst . . . but we felt the hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living.

—Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt is one of America’s liveliest and most influential figures. He was a scholar, cowboy, war hero, explorer, and a brilliant politician. As president, Roosevelt’s far-reaching policies abroad and at home forever changed both our nation’s place in the world and the life of every modern American.

Fascinating details and an intimate, fast-paced narrative explore the heroic life and complex world of an American icon.

... Read more

Book Description
People often associate Theodore Roosevelt with the Rough Riders, the volunteer cavalry regiment that he led to vic-tory in 1898 in the Spanish-American War.But the list of accomplishments of the 26th president of the United States is long: besides holding office as vice president, governor of New York State, and police commissioner of New York City, he was a writer, cowboy, historian, conservationist, and soldier.Above all, he ushered the United States into the ranks of the world's great powers.His incredible exuberance and strength continue to inspire, and his progressive views on government and corporate corruption, labor laws, and feminism are still relevant today. Award-winning author Betsy Harvey Kraft has written a sweeping biography that draws from diverse sources, including Theodore Roosevelt's journals, correspondence, and autobiography, as well as the memoirs of family and friends and newspaper reports of the time.This excellent book also features archival photographs, political cartoons, and drawings by Roosevelt himself.Endnotes, bibliography, index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

colorful, balanced, engrossing
I really can't imagine why this work is indicated as a grade-school level selection ("grades 5-8"), even being tagged as "juvenile" in the Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Print metadata backing the title page. I found the work to be balanced, well-written, extremely engaging, quite informative, and visually attractive. Maybe only dry, stuffy biographies that present eight hundred odd pages of extraneous details--what TR ate for lunch on 1/14/1906, how much the train fare to Syosset was--rate as "adult" works, but they bore me to tears. (Plus, having scored 12+ on the standardized New York State reading tests when I was seven, I believe I am competent to speak with authority about both adult-oriented and putatively juvenile texts.) Of all the myriad works about TR, this is the one that I would gladly choose in exclusion to all others.

Great, accessible biography of our 26th president
The choice of Teddy Roosevelt is a good one to get kids to read about this raucous period of American history.Well illustrated with period photos and cartoons, the text is engaging and fast-paced.Perfect gift for that young teenager on your list, I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to read this!

He Tackled the Status Quo
Even the Presidency did not take the boy out of Theodore Roosevelt.A century ago, when Washington was a simpler place, TR engaged in such youthful sports as wintry swims in the Potomac. President Roosevelt showed similar courage in tackling financial tycoons or forcing Spain out of Cuba. TR was a significant figure on the political stage from the 1880s through World War I.He was an active, early conservationist. Betsy Kraft's well-paced, illustrated biography will engage young (and older) adults. The author brings this man and his era to life.Public libraries and high schools should find it valuable. ... Read more

Book Description
Patronage does not really help a party. It helps the bosses to get control of the machinery of the party--as in 1912 was true of the Republican party--but it does not help the party. On the average, the most sweeping party victories in our history have been won when the patronage was against the victors. All that the patronage does is to help the worst element in the party retain control of the party organization.Download Description
Patronage does not really help a party. It helps the bosses to get control of the machinery of the party--as in 1912 was true of the Republican party--but it does not help the party. On the average, the most sweeping party victories in our history have been won when the patronage was against the victors. All that the patronage does is to help the worst element in the party retain control of the party organization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Brilliant
Easily one of the best books ever written. Roosevelt is an exceptional writer who lived an amazing life. This book not only shares his tale, but shows you the ideals and ethics which drove him.Very inspiring as to the way in which we should all live our lives.

The Mother of All Presidential Memoirs
Witty, quirky, profound, lyrical--this is one of the great American memoirs. The 1999 Modern Library and National Review rankers of the 100 great nonfiction books of the 20th century missed the boat on this one.

He Earned His Spot on Mt Rushmore
If he had never entered the public square, Teddy Roosevelt would have created a noble legacy somewhere.He lived every moment of his life to the fullest extent and loved every second of it!He embodied the same ardent zest in the boxing ring, watching birds, being a cowboy, traveling the world, and leading America to its debut as a superpower.Yet, the one role that brought him the most satisfaction among the many diverse parts he joyously played was that of family man.Although he sedulously guard their privacy, enough references exist to reveal the power he derived from his family's love.

The timelessness of ideals can be witnessed again and again in Roosevelt's detailed autobiography, and the parallels to modern day America as are striking as they are plentiful.

In one instance of foresight Roosevelt lambastes so-called "party bosses"--those who manipulate a community, "a man who does not gain his power by open means but by secret means and usually by corrupt means." He points out that "in communities where there is poverty and ignorance, the conditions are ripe for the growth of a boss," and this type of reprobate will be "especially common in big cities (because the boss) fulfills toward the people of his district in rough and rowdy fashion the position of friend and protector."From these snippets of his dissertation, it's easy to wonder if somehow President Roosevelt boarded a time machine and met Al Sharpton.A more thorough description of the unordained reverend (and his many counterparts throughout history)cannot be found than this astute indictment.

He expounds at some length on the president's scared privilege of dispensing clemency and stresses the there "nothing more necessary from the standpoint of good citizenship than the ability to steel one's heart in this matter of granting pardons."(How he must have spun in his grave at Clinton's going-out-of-business pardon sale.) Talking about the anguished imploring of family members (which caused him great anxiety) and the bumptious attempted influence by friends of celebrated criminals (which caused him great anger), Mr. Rooseveltrealized that this presidential prerogative should only be used to advance the cause of justice. The remote possibility that pardoning could be abused (a reality that did not develop at the presidential level until 100 years after his term) made him think that life imprisonment was a poor substitute for the death penalty.In a related vain, he saw the insanity plea as a scurrilous cop out; "I have scant sympathy with the plea of insanity advanced to save a man from the consequences of crime, when unless that crime had been committed, it would have been impossible to commit him to an asylum for the insane."

Spotlight-adoring Senator John McCain routinely invokes the memory of President Roosevelt, presumptiously implying that he is somehow the heir apparent to the early 1900's maverick.Examining Teddy Roosevelt's life shows that those similarities exist almost solely in the Arizona senator's mind.While Roosevelt's unwavering integrity made him unpopular, at times, with many in his own party, McCain fluctuating political postures seem to occur primarily to generate headlines.The former president justifiably felt tremendous self-respect--a byproduct of adhering to probity's rubrics.The Arizona senator self-serving pandering for popularity would be comical were it not so insulting that the philodox so willingly slanders a bona fide American icon to further his own career.

Ironically, this reviewer read Roosevelt's disdainful view of abortion on January 22--the anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous Roe vs. Wade decision.Discussing the crimes where even receiving a request to considera pardon assaulted his sense of decency, he listed, "rape, or the circulation of indecent literature, ..."white slave" traffic (prostitution), or wife murder, or gross cruelty to women and children, or seduction and abandonment, or the action of some man in getting a girl whom he had seduced to commit an abortion."To President Roosevelt there was no other plausible reason why a woman would kill her unborn child.Some would call him sexist today, but the venom he felt (and the punishment he unhesitantly administered) to the men who committed these crimes should show the fallacy of such a ridiculous accusation.

Topical comparisons can be found in his discussion on the importance of both corporations to maintain ethical practices and for the government to refrain from needless meddling in business matters. Futhermore he offers a reasoned dialectic on immigration, strongly supporting it but trenchantly articulating that establishing tight limits can be sensible rather than xenophobic.

It is also refreshing to know that the irresponsible peaceniks vociferously denouncing America's full-scale war on terrorism have had their equally harebrained doppelgangers throughout history. To all of these possibly well intentioned pacifists, Teddy Roosevelt admonishes "the true preachers of peace...never hesitate to choose righteous war when it is the only alternative to unrighteous peace."

Similarly regarding the current threat America faces, Mr. Roosevelt puts forth some comfort and assurance with an unforeseeable but apt reference to President Bush; "no man can lead a public career really worth leading, no man can act with rugged independence in serious crises, nor strike at great abuses, nor afford to make powerful and unscrupulous foes, if he is himself vulnerable in his private character."Every American should be thankful that the terrorists did not strike during the previous administration and also grateful the example of heroes like Theodore Roosevelt stands as everlasting inspiration to our nation's current and future leaders.

Bully!
Teddy is definitely an egomaniac, but he does write well.He also benefits from a good plot, his extrodanary life.Jolly good read.

The only way to really understand what made T.R. tick.
Outstanding!This book is a tome of philosophy, adventure, intrigue, and above all, inspiration.Notwithstanding these encomia however, the reader should beware before making a hegira into its noble pages that this autobiography does not follow the traditional structure of a"biography."Rather it can be described as being a compendium ofT.R.'s philosophy on life.The true strength of its pages being found inhow T.R.'s experiences and actions staunchly uphold and support his 'vigorof life' and probity which he so often addressed as being fundamental toall good Americans.Accordingly, I suggest a first-time reader of T.R.would be best served by initially reading a more "objective"biography of T.R. (I suggest Nathan Miller's Theodore Roosevelt, A Life) inorder to become familiar with the events and time frames involved.Thiswill allow the reader to more appreciate the nature, values and beliefs ofthe great man as told in this book by the ultimate authority,himself.

Along with being completely inspired by a man of such high moralvalues, the factual anecdotes related in this book comfort you in theknowledge that this hero practiced what he preached.In a speech by hisown hand, T.R. embodied his own life; "The credit belongs to the manin the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;...whostrives valiantly...who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the bestknows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, ifhe fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shallnever be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neithervictory nor defeat."

T.R. was a naturalist, legislator, cowboy,businessman, soldier, author, conservationist, U.S. President, worldexplorer, and above all an inspirational "doer of deeds."Thisbook eloquently tells the reader why he felt he needed to perform thesedeeds and what was going through his mind all the while. ... Read more

Book Description
The eagerly awaited third title in the Cheryl Harness Histories series paints a vibrant portrait of Theodore Roosevelt—Rough Rider, trustbuster, explorer, President, and more—whose bullish attitude forever changed America.

How did a sickly boy transform himself into one of the country's boldest leaders? You'll get the full story—front page and behind-the-scenes—as only Cheryl Harness can tell it. Through her lively narrative and engaging artwork, readers will see Teddy riding the range in South Dakota, charging up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, climbing the political ladder all the way to the White House, breaking up big business, building the Panama Canal, and big-game hunting in Africa. They will also experience life in America when the telephone, airplane, and automobile were all brand-new, when women, blacks, and laborers were demanding equal rights, and when the cry for expansion stretched the borders from Maine to the Philippines and from Puerto Rico to Alaska. This was an age in which Roosevelt's promise to give every American a "square deal" and to "walk softly and carry a big stick" helped build the country into a world power.

With a new adventure on almost every page, readers will find themselves "wowed" by this true story of a larger-than-life American hero, and the country and times in which he lived. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Biographers have often treated Theodore Roosevelt as "a larger-than-life monument carved in stone, unchanging, far from being flesh and blood, and quite imperturbable." So writes Kathleen Dalton, who gives us a fully fleshed, quite down-to-earth TR in this vigorous, sometimes critical biography of the 26th president.

Roosevelt carefully crafted an image of himself as a self-made man. Fair enough, Dalton suggests, though he had a big head start in coming from one of New York's wealthiest and best-connected families. More than shaping his body to overcome weakness, his spirit to overcome fear, he had to overcome the prejudices of his time and class in order to be truly fit for leadership, and even as president he wrestled with a few contradictions (opposing, for instance, a woman's right to divorce, but endorsing public flogging of spousal abusers). He was not always successful, Dalton writes, but he emerged in the end as a great champion of civil rights and of the middle and working classes, very much ahead of his time.

There's a lot of interest in Theodore Roosevelt these days--and for good reason, given the recent international turmoil and financial tumble, which, some would argue, beg for TR's patented big-stick and trust-busting treatment. Dalton's Theodore Roosevelt offers a satisfying portrait of a constantly fascinating subject. --Gregory McNameeBook Description
Theodore Roosevelt made himself the hero of his own strenuous life. He transformed himself from a sickly and fearful patrician boy into a fiercely adventurous--and always active--hunter, sportsman, writer, politician, and finally president. But one self-making was never enough for TR. He slowly fashioned himself into a man of the people, a defender of the poor and downtrodden, and a prophet of political ideas advanced for his day. This is the story of his personal and political development, of one man's struggle to conquer his own fears and to build a greater nation out of a divided collection of states. He urged America to engage life to the utmost, as he did.

Kathleen Dalton's Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life incorporates the latest scholarship into a vigorous narrative. It stands as the only full-length biography to use manuscripts recently discovered in Roosevelt attics. Dalton sheds new light on young Theodore's life during the Civil War and his fascination with the new natural history, his shame over his father's failure to enlist in the Union army, his struggle to achieve manhood, and his desperate pursuit of and sometimes less than idyllic marriage to Alice Hathaway Lee, the daughter of a banking magnate, when she was seventeen. Her death four years later left Roosevelt a grieving widower and father at twenty-six, and he went west to make himself a cowboy and western writer, before he could recommit himself to a new life and a new love in the East.

No other biographer has described how formative Roosevelt'smarriage to Edith Carow proved to be in shaping his political career. In an account that may be compared with Joseph Lash's Eleanor and Franklin, Dalton demonstrates how Edith and Theodore's marriage, with its ups and downs, remade our history. In partnership with Massachusetts political mastermind Henry Cabot Lodge, Edith served as her husband's advisor, image builder, conscience, and at times censor. Dalton unravels the complex relationship between Roosevelt's initial political conservatism and the growing mood of progressivism that swept the nation in the early 1900s. He found unlikely allies among the army of women reformers who campaigned for pure milk and clean streets in the cities, and by 1912 he had become an active suffragist.

Out of this biography emerges a new picture of the Progressive Era, of state-building and reform won in partnership between TR and activists such as Jane Addams and Frances Kellor. In his political maturity Roosevelt aspired to be the builder of the modern American welfare state in order to give industrial workers a better life and at the same time to stand up more forcefully against the arrogance and greed of large corporations. Dalton shows how TR called for a revival of American arts and letters, and how his career as a scientist affected his reform program and his views on race, and how toward the end of his life he finally commited himself to the cause of racial equality. Both an updated political interpretation and an intimate personal story of a loving but difficult man,his wife, his family, and his loyal friends, Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life will change persuasively the way we see this great and complex man and his times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

A superb biography
This isn't only a superb biography of an interesting man, it is also a superbly written book.TR is endlessly fascinating because his contradictions were worn on his sleeve, so to speak.But since, throughout history, and very much today, there are so few politicians who have a conscience, TR remains highly admirable despite his shortcomings.That he continued to grow as a human being, that he cared about the people he was elected to serve, and that he was willing to fight for what he believed in, until the very end of his life, seems astonishing in our current day and age.A bit of a strenous read, this strenuous life, at almost 800 pages, but well worth it.

Sparse On Details, Long On Feelings
As readers of my [...] reviews are aware, I have read several biographies of Theodore Roosevelt."Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life" presents TR from a different perspective than most other books. Focusing less on events and more on emotions, this book examines the relationships and issues which made TR's life strenuous.

This book helped me to appreciate aspects of Roosevelt's life that I had not picked up in other biographies.From this one I got a better appreciation of the relationship between TR and his wife, Edith.Whereas other books give the impression of an idyllic family life at Sagamore Hill, this one examines the tensions between Edith and Alice and parents and children, without destroying the overall impression of successful and affectionate family.More than others, this book delves into the health of both Theodore and Edith.Theodore's life long asthma and Edith's incapacitating illnesses are things of which I had not been previously aware.

I was impressed by the presentation of TR's post-presidential career.I became aware of his involvement in the 1910 gubernatorial race in New York and the possibility that he, himself, might have become a candidate.Author Kathleen Dalton seems obsessed with TR's radical, final years.His involvement in the development of the Progressive Party and his interaction with Fighting Bob LaFollette make for interesting reading.TR's later years are presented as times of frustration for a man of action bereft of influence.This was a period during which some of TR's long time friends and supporters, including Henry Cabot Lodge, remained true to their principles rather than to their friendship with him.

This book is relatively sparse on details but thick with themes and emotions.Showing less what TR did, this book explains more about what he felt.From my reading of this book I learned some things that I did not know about TR.One test that I apply to a book is whether it whets my appetite to read more.This one passes that test.I now want to know more about Bob LaFollette, Henry Cabot Lodge, the Progressive Era and what Theodore Roosevelt really stood for.I do not recommend this as a first TR biography, but it is a worthwhile read for the veteran Tedhead.

Excellent, concise treatment of TR's life
This is an outstanding, comprehensive account of TR's life.Dalton's characters really come to life; she gives them emotional dimension, which is difficult for some biographers to convey over a span of 100 years or more.She also makes a nice effort to present a balanced portrait of Roosevelt.Her depiction of his post-White House years and the 1912 campaign are particularly enlightening.This was my first attempt to read a complete biography of TR, and it was a pleasure!

Tough Task---good effort
Like so many buyers of this book, I have read a few books on the subject of TR's life. The author gives herself a tough task and comes close to making it in grand style. Her readability style could have been more user friendly. Her facts are great, but at points it is a little slow. I think she lacks the TR electricity that pulses through his life----a rare trait to capture in an historical book.
Nevertheless, the book is enjoyable and is a good, but not a great read.----a solid 4 star effort!

Theodore Roosevelt:A Strenuous Life
This book records the life of an outstanding and
highly active president, who by the way won the
Nobel Peace Prize. He chose the strenuous life
to overcome his asthma. ... Read more