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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
Remarkable. It is quite the contrast to read of the tireless, ambitious, progressive, and extraordinarily learned polymath that was Theodore Roosevelt and not be appalled and depressed in May 2016 by a presidential candidate known as The Donald.
Descriptions of him by his contemporaries are evocative of a force of nature housed in the body of a man who built that body from sickly youth to bull moose, rough rider through sheer will and willpower: "the most vigorous brain in a conspicuously responsible position in all the world", who appeared in his early career as a "bundle of eccentricities." Not reticent, as an early politician in New York, "he was then what he was in the White House--an excellent example of the genus Americanus egotisticus". (Anticipating Trump perhaps?)
There any comparison to Trump dies as TR was a progressive in spirit and heart. Though of wealth and breeding and constitutionally unable to empathize with the poor and underprivileged, he did sympathize and recognize their plight and the responsibility of those in government in collaboration with business and markets to provide livable conditions and wages. He was considered "a traitor to his caste" and someone who "should have been on the side of capital."
He himself characterized his state political machine cogs with derision, "Most of the members are positively corrupt, and the others are singularly incompetent." (Congress in the early 21st century?) As to the beholden subservience of politicians to Business while Business raped the working class, they were in his opinion doing the dirty work or the "most dangerous of all classes, the wealthy criminal class." Such declarations earned him scorn and contumely: he was a "weakling", a "hoodlum" and a "bogus reformer" among the press that were the most powerful voice pieces of Business. (Fox News?)
His conscience and conscientiousness notwithstanding, he was no Populist and shared the Founding Fathers' suspicious reserve of the common man, the fox populi which was "the voice of the devil, or what is still worse, the voice of a fool." (Trump supporters?). His remove from the common man and his self-conscious distancing equally from the old guard political machine earned him a reputation as a "dude" replete with an "inexhaustible supply of insufferable dudism and conceit." And he dressed to the best of his dudist abilities as well.
Henry Adams summed him up as having, "that singular primitive quality that belongs to ultimate matter--the quality that medieval theology assigned to God--he was pure act."
This was the cyclone that succeeded McKinley in 1901. More to come in the next volume aptly titled Theodore Rex
Morris is a good biographer. If only he had some of verve and emotion of Massie, McCulloch or Goodwin. 5 for content, 3.5 for writing, rounding to a 4
Descriptions of him by his contemporaries are evocative of a force of nature housed in the body of a man who built that body from sickly youth to bull moose, rough rider through sheer will and willpower: "the most vigorous brain in a conspicuously responsible position in all the world", who appeared in his early career as a "bundle of eccentricities." Not reticent, as an early politician in New York, "he was then what he was in the White House--an excellent example of the genus Americanus egotisticus". (Anticipating Trump perhaps?)
There any comparison to Trump dies as TR was a progressive in spirit and heart. Though of wealth and breeding and constitutionally unable to empathize with the poor and underprivileged, he did sympathize and recognize their plight and the responsibility of those in government in collaboration with business and markets to provide livable conditions and wages. He was considered "a traitor to his caste" and someone who "should have been on the side of capital."
He himself characterized his state political machine cogs with derision, "Most of the members are positively corrupt, and the others are singularly incompetent." (Congress in the early 21st century?) As to the beholden subservience of politicians to Business while Business raped the working class, they were in his opinion doing the dirty work or the "most dangerous of all classes, the wealthy criminal class." Such declarations earned him scorn and contumely: he was a "weakling", a "hoodlum" and a "bogus reformer" among the press that were the most powerful voice pieces of Business. (Fox News?)
His conscience and conscientiousness notwithstanding, he was no Populist and shared the Founding Fathers' suspicious reserve of the common man, the fox populi which was "the voice of the devil, or what is still worse, the voice of a fool." (Trump supporters?). His remove from the common man and his self-conscious distancing equally from the old guard political machine earned him a reputation as a "dude" replete with an "inexhaustible supply of insufferable dudism and conceit." And he dressed to the best of his dudist abilities as well.
Henry Adams summed him up as having, "that singular primitive quality that belongs to ultimate matter--the quality that medieval theology assigned to God--he was pure act."
This was the cyclone that succeeded McKinley in 1901. More to come in the next volume aptly titled Theodore Rex
Morris is a good biographer. If only he had some of verve and emotion of Massie, McCulloch or Goodwin. 5 for content, 3.5 for writing, rounding to a 4
The first book in a trilogy, Morris's pre-presidential study of Theodore Roosevelt is clear, methodical, and thorough, and offers a captivating (albeit somewhat fawning) early biography of the boy who evolved into the 26th U.S. President. I find the greatest single thesis in this narrative (i.e., the notion that Roosevelt was seemingly fated to his ascendancy) unsettling and problematic, and yet that's likely to the book's credit, as any halfway honest study of the man would inevitably need to reconcile his humility with his staggering privilege, his genius with his bloodlust, his feminism with his chauvinism, his conservationism with his animal cruelty. More than almost any other Presidential biography, Morris has a knack for including portraits of important contemporaries that help flesh out the lives and impacts of other associated figures in American politics (see also William Jennings Bryan and Henry Cabot Lodge). If you could only read on book on Teddy, I'd probably suggest "Theodore Rex," Morris' 2001 followup which chronicles the Roosevelt Presidency proper; however, that book feels a little cryptic if you don't understand how he got there in the first place, and it's rewarding to have read both.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
This is the biography of all biographies. After you read this, with its lively dialogue and characterizations, intense research, and primary sources, everything else will seem bland. Morris's vivid portrait of TR, starting at his sickly youth and extending right up to McKinley's assassination, is an extensive analysis of the man, politician, cowboy, scholar, and soldier along with a detailed reflection of the times in which he lived. For such a memorable figure in American history, Morris does TR justice.
The man of TR is perhaps the most fascinating of Morris's account. Just the shear will to conquer physical ailments as a child says so much about the man. His wealthy upbringing on Manhattan Island helps shape some of his relatively classist beliefs, but at the same time his well-respected father shapes Roosevelt's most notable beliefs, mostly on civil service reform, progressive policies, and boy scout-ish principles. His frail and asthmatic childhood is directly juxtaposed against the broad shouldered cowboy who would go onto own a cattle company in the Badlands, hunt buffalo for months at a time, and lead a brigade of Rough Riders in the Spanish American war.
His existence in the West says a lot about this character. He seeks solace in the remote, wild landscapes of North Dakota, fleeing there on a yearly basis when life back East is unfulfilling or his personal struggle with his family has overwhelmed him. In this flight, TR can be seen as selfish or irresponsible, but it does further heighten his stature as a rugged, individualistic cowboy in a time where that archetype was just being established. And this physical stature, made more unique in his personal staples -- the bifocals and mustache -- is combined with an intellectual journey as well -- he authors numerous successful books about topics from the navy to westward expansion to political biographies.
Morris also does a fair job at discussing and analyzing TR's marriage to Alice, the beautiful, yet somewhat bland first wife, and his subsequent rejection of her memory after she dies shortly after childbirth. All this is perfectly unfolded in firsthand accounts through letters and newspapers, putting us right in the thoughts of TR.
As a politician, Morris portrays TR as a feisty, energetic lion whose presence is more than noticed from his rookie years at the New York Assembly all the way up to his speakership of that house and eventually his role in local and national politics. In public service, TR is unapologetically stern in civil service reform, almost to a fault. As civil service commissioner, he gets tied up with several political matches, making some enemies in the state administration. As police commissioner president of New York City, he again vies for a high public profile, critiqued as someone again who must always be the center of attention.
His stubbornness for justice at all costs combined with his relentless energy makes for an effective, and very noticeable, leader in state-wide politics. This would almost hinder his ability to advance to the federal level, but McKinley reluctantly does add him to his cabinet as Asst Sec to the Navy. There he makes a splash by escalating war with the Spanish government in Cuba, leading ultimately to his role as Lt. Col. of the Rough Riders, elevating him to an almost legendary status.
His character is loud to say the least, and this loudness makes him the "most famous man in America" as one of the chapter's is titled. Overall, Morris's success is in his ability to grasp the character of the most interesting man of the turn of the 20th Century.
The man of TR is perhaps the most fascinating of Morris's account. Just the shear will to conquer physical ailments as a child says so much about the man. His wealthy upbringing on Manhattan Island helps shape some of his relatively classist beliefs, but at the same time his well-respected father shapes Roosevelt's most notable beliefs, mostly on civil service reform, progressive policies, and boy scout-ish principles. His frail and asthmatic childhood is directly juxtaposed against the broad shouldered cowboy who would go onto own a cattle company in the Badlands, hunt buffalo for months at a time, and lead a brigade of Rough Riders in the Spanish American war.
His existence in the West says a lot about this character. He seeks solace in the remote, wild landscapes of North Dakota, fleeing there on a yearly basis when life back East is unfulfilling or his personal struggle with his family has overwhelmed him. In this flight, TR can be seen as selfish or irresponsible, but it does further heighten his stature as a rugged, individualistic cowboy in a time where that archetype was just being established. And this physical stature, made more unique in his personal staples -- the bifocals and mustache -- is combined with an intellectual journey as well -- he authors numerous successful books about topics from the navy to westward expansion to political biographies.
Morris also does a fair job at discussing and analyzing TR's marriage to Alice, the beautiful, yet somewhat bland first wife, and his subsequent rejection of her memory after she dies shortly after childbirth. All this is perfectly unfolded in firsthand accounts through letters and newspapers, putting us right in the thoughts of TR.
As a politician, Morris portrays TR as a feisty, energetic lion whose presence is more than noticed from his rookie years at the New York Assembly all the way up to his speakership of that house and eventually his role in local and national politics. In public service, TR is unapologetically stern in civil service reform, almost to a fault. As civil service commissioner, he gets tied up with several political matches, making some enemies in the state administration. As police commissioner president of New York City, he again vies for a high public profile, critiqued as someone again who must always be the center of attention.
His stubbornness for justice at all costs combined with his relentless energy makes for an effective, and very noticeable, leader in state-wide politics. This would almost hinder his ability to advance to the federal level, but McKinley reluctantly does add him to his cabinet as Asst Sec to the Navy. There he makes a splash by escalating war with the Spanish government in Cuba, leading ultimately to his role as Lt. Col. of the Rough Riders, elevating him to an almost legendary status.
His character is loud to say the least, and this loudness makes him the "most famous man in America" as one of the chapter's is titled. Overall, Morris's success is in his ability to grasp the character of the most interesting man of the turn of the 20th Century.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Long read
This book has been on my to-read list for a very long time, largely because it has so many pages and the content is incredibly dense. I finally buckled down and read it; I am immensely glad that I did. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt is a masterpiece of a biography that - though long - is never tedious. Even as larger-than-life as Roosevelt is, Morris manages to express these characteristics while maintaining Roosevelt’s humanity. I liked Roosevelt before I read this book, and now I must confess I am somewhat enamored with him.
Anyone who enjoys history will enjoy this book. Please don’t be frightened away by its length, especially since there is a sequel that is equally as large! Highly recommended.
Anyone who enjoys history will enjoy this book. Please don’t be frightened away by its length, especially since there is a sequel that is equally as large! Highly recommended.
adventurous
inspiring
Inspiring, but tainted by hero worship. The tone is completely at odds with the facts at times. Overall it is entertaining and informative, though you have to read between the lines at times.
I would probably review it higher if I hadn't just read Robert Caro's biographies.
I would probably review it higher if I hadn't just read Robert Caro's biographies.
'Nor is Roosevelt-worship confined to the United States. In England, King Edward VII and ex-Prime Minister Balfour consider him to be "the greatest moral force of the age". Serious British journals rank him on the same level as Washington and Lincoln. Even the august London Times, in a review of his latest "very remarkable" message to Congress, admits "It is hard not to covet such a force in public life as our American cousins have got in Mr Roosevelt.'
Theodore Roosevelt, the youngest man to ever hold the office of the president also fits the billing for being one of the most curious. Echoing Kenneth Clark’s assessment of Leonardo Da Vinci that he was ‘the most relentlessly curious man who ever lived’, a classmate of Teddy’s at Harvard would similarly observe that ‘He was forever at it, never have I seen or read of a man with such an amazing array of interests’. Who, during college would even think to beginning writing a book on the Naval War of 1812? How would that same ‘bookish’ person also finish runner-up in a boxing competition at Harvard? Teddy was vigorously alive, with his interests spanning from ornithology to Greek history. He is a token of a spirit whose diversification of interests leads to authorship, big game hunting, becoming New York City Police Commissioner and knuckling into shape the scattered NYC police force, trying to reestablish some form of decorum within it, to then becoming president. His former interest in Naval warfare represented itself in an appointment as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from which he departed a year later in order to form the ‘Rough Riders’ during the Mexican-American war. This is around where the Rise of Roosevelt ends, just as he transitions into the presidency after William McKinley’s assassination.
Teddy was at times a contrarian, as president of the NYC Police Commission he was there to try to undo the corruption. This resulted in tales of him scouring the streets after midnight, with his reporter friend Jacob Riis, noticing the absence of police officers should have been at their posts or socialising instead. This resulted in a publication in the New York Times the following day with the title ‘Police Caught Napping: President Theodore Roosevelt Makes an Early Morning Tour’. The story lived on as another example of Teddy’s toughness
Even when he was later governor in New York, the man would continue having sparring partners weekly in boxing, continuing into the presidency until he was hit so hard that he lost sight out of his left eye.
This isn’t to say he was naturally emboldened, or that he came-out-of-the-box Teddy Roosevelt. No, in fact one of the most inspiring things to gleam from Teddy’s story is by his own admission that:
‘I was nervous and timid. Yet from reading of the people I admired… I felt a great admiration for men who were fearless and could hold their own in the world, and I had a great desire to be like them.’
He (unconsciously) is imitating the practice mentioned in Donald Robertson’s book ‘How to Think Like A Roman Emperor’ of contemplating the sage, a common Stoic practice of establishing a role model to aim at such as Socrates or the founder Zeno. It is unsurprising that Teddy would later carry Marcus Aurelius’ writings with him. Short of being a larger than life character out of natural disposition, Teddy is in some ways a self-made man, perhaps not in status but in character. Without his will shaping events, he could have easily succumbed to the asthmatic frailties of his childhood or the deaths of his father, mother and wife at a relatively young age where he lamentably wrote about the latter two that ‘The light has gone out of my life.’ But instead, he propelled himself forward, and became the man who would become one of the greatest presidents the US has ever produced.
Theodore Roosevelt, the youngest man to ever hold the office of the president also fits the billing for being one of the most curious. Echoing Kenneth Clark’s assessment of Leonardo Da Vinci that he was ‘the most relentlessly curious man who ever lived’, a classmate of Teddy’s at Harvard would similarly observe that ‘He was forever at it, never have I seen or read of a man with such an amazing array of interests’. Who, during college would even think to beginning writing a book on the Naval War of 1812? How would that same ‘bookish’ person also finish runner-up in a boxing competition at Harvard? Teddy was vigorously alive, with his interests spanning from ornithology to Greek history. He is a token of a spirit whose diversification of interests leads to authorship, big game hunting, becoming New York City Police Commissioner and knuckling into shape the scattered NYC police force, trying to reestablish some form of decorum within it, to then becoming president. His former interest in Naval warfare represented itself in an appointment as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from which he departed a year later in order to form the ‘Rough Riders’ during the Mexican-American war. This is around where the Rise of Roosevelt ends, just as he transitions into the presidency after William McKinley’s assassination.
Teddy was at times a contrarian, as president of the NYC Police Commission he was there to try to undo the corruption. This resulted in tales of him scouring the streets after midnight, with his reporter friend Jacob Riis, noticing the absence of police officers should have been at their posts or socialising instead. This resulted in a publication in the New York Times the following day with the title ‘Police Caught Napping: President Theodore Roosevelt Makes an Early Morning Tour’. The story lived on as another example of Teddy’s toughness
Even when he was later governor in New York, the man would continue having sparring partners weekly in boxing, continuing into the presidency until he was hit so hard that he lost sight out of his left eye.
This isn’t to say he was naturally emboldened, or that he came-out-of-the-box Teddy Roosevelt. No, in fact one of the most inspiring things to gleam from Teddy’s story is by his own admission that:
‘I was nervous and timid. Yet from reading of the people I admired… I felt a great admiration for men who were fearless and could hold their own in the world, and I had a great desire to be like them.’
He (unconsciously) is imitating the practice mentioned in Donald Robertson’s book ‘How to Think Like A Roman Emperor’ of contemplating the sage, a common Stoic practice of establishing a role model to aim at such as Socrates or the founder Zeno. It is unsurprising that Teddy would later carry Marcus Aurelius’ writings with him. Short of being a larger than life character out of natural disposition, Teddy is in some ways a self-made man, perhaps not in status but in character. Without his will shaping events, he could have easily succumbed to the asthmatic frailties of his childhood or the deaths of his father, mother and wife at a relatively young age where he lamentably wrote about the latter two that ‘The light has gone out of my life.’ But instead, he propelled himself forward, and became the man who would become one of the greatest presidents the US has ever produced.
Morris' book is well researched and very thorough. It could be at times a bit hard to get through but for the most part, TR is too fascinating to be boring. That said, it is a very TR-centric book. You get little insight into his family or their lives and how his public life affected them. Look elsewhere for that. If you want a straight history of TR himself and his career - this is the book for you. This book gets you up to the day McKinley dies and Morris' next book, Theodore Rex takes off from there.