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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Wow. I knew very little about Roosevelt before I read this. What an amazing man. Now I see why he's on Mount Rushmore. This is the story of his youth, up to his election as vice president and the assassination of McKinley. The book is very well-written, a pleasure to read. Looking forward to reading the next volumes of this trilogy.
I forgot how much I enjoy a good biography, and this is a really good biography. I knew almost nothing about Theodore Roosevelt, and realized while reading this that my US History education centers almost entirely around wars (TR did participate in the Spanish American War as part of the Rough Riders, but couldn’t have placed that war in the correct century.)
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt begins with his birth and ends with the telegraph informing Vice President Roosevelt that William McKinley died from a gunshot wound (he was shot by an anarchist), spanning the post reconstruction years to the dawn of the 20th century. I learned a lot about the history and politics of that period, though this reads like a novel (mostly because of TR’s colorful probably-an-enneagram-8 personality.)
I listened to this on audio, the narrator does a great job (but it is long, over 700 pages in book form...)
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt begins with his birth and ends with the telegraph informing Vice President Roosevelt that William McKinley died from a gunshot wound (he was shot by an anarchist), spanning the post reconstruction years to the dawn of the 20th century. I learned a lot about the history and politics of that period, though this reads like a novel (mostly because of TR’s colorful probably-an-enneagram-8 personality.)
I listened to this on audio, the narrator does a great job (but it is long, over 700 pages in book form...)
This is the first book of Edmund Morris' three-volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt. I have read a couple of other biographies of TR, and knew of this one but resisted picking it up because...well, it's three books! Shame on me for avoiding it. This is an astonishingly good examination of TR's life and experiences. Well-researched, well-written, thorough, and for the most part, dispassionate. Morris is clearly a TR fan, but he is not reluctant to examine TR's weaknesses and faults as well as his strengths, thus humanizing this seemingly superhuman individual. Well done, Mr. Morris!
Morris Pulitzer winning biography provides a meticulously researched and well articulated window into Theodore Roosevelt's character, and what a character it is! Teddy is a model for any man with ambition to aspire to, from his unrivaled personal and professional motivation to his iron self-discipline elevated by his refusal to deviate from his own (perhaps antiquated from the modern point of view) high moral standards. Alas, one cannot help feeling inadequate when measuring oneself to Roosevelt's proficiency in every dimension of being, all the way down to his personal vitality and written prose. Teddy would never accept anything less than to practice until perfection, so here I am writing a book review, lol.
Truly an enjoyable and informative read from end to end.
Truly an enjoyable and informative read from end to end.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself. But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come he is ready to take advantage of them.”
It was probably unfair to read this so soon after Ron Chernow's [b:Grant|34237826|Grant|Ron Chernow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488289288l/34237826._SY75_.jpg|55296448], which is still the best biography I've read to date.
Morris does an exceptional job—however—this book is filled with rather mundane minutia and not as much heart or character as I was hoping for. Maybe I just like an underdog story (Grant) more than a born into wealth, power and privilege memoir.
Still, Roosevelt's transformation from a sickly, scrawny science nerd to powerful politician was impressively delineated.
This 1980 Pulitzer Prize winner is meaty and informative, if a tad dry in spots. Looking forward to reading [b:Theodore Rex|40923|Theodore Rex|Edmund Morris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388177930l/40923._SY75_.jpg|210239] and [b:Colonel Roosevelt|7993566|Colonel Roosevelt|Edmund Morris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320530371l/7993566._SX50_.jpg|12482174] in the future.
——————
My favorite aspect of Roosevelt was his voracious appetite for literature. The following quote from Teddy Roosevelt's 10 Rules for Reading inspired me to pick up this book:
"He would read a book before breakfast every day, and depending on his schedule, another two or three in the evening (he was a speed reader extraordinaire). By his own estimates he read tens of thousands of books over the course of his lifetime."
“The president manages to get through one book a day even when he is busy. Owen Wister has lent him a book shortly before a full evening’s entertainment at the white house, and been astonished to hear a complete review of it over breakfast. “Somewhere between six one evening and eight-thirty next morning, beside his dressing and his dinner and his guests and his sleep, he had read a volume of three-hundred-and-odd pages, and missed nothing of significance that it contained.”
— Edmund Morris, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
It was probably unfair to read this so soon after Ron Chernow's [b:Grant|34237826|Grant|Ron Chernow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488289288l/34237826._SY75_.jpg|55296448], which is still the best biography I've read to date.
Morris does an exceptional job—however—this book is filled with rather mundane minutia and not as much heart or character as I was hoping for. Maybe I just like an underdog story (Grant) more than a born into wealth, power and privilege memoir.
Still, Roosevelt's transformation from a sickly, scrawny science nerd to powerful politician was impressively delineated.
This 1980 Pulitzer Prize winner is meaty and informative, if a tad dry in spots. Looking forward to reading [b:Theodore Rex|40923|Theodore Rex|Edmund Morris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388177930l/40923._SY75_.jpg|210239] and [b:Colonel Roosevelt|7993566|Colonel Roosevelt|Edmund Morris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320530371l/7993566._SX50_.jpg|12482174] in the future.
——————
My favorite aspect of Roosevelt was his voracious appetite for literature. The following quote from Teddy Roosevelt's 10 Rules for Reading inspired me to pick up this book:
"He would read a book before breakfast every day, and depending on his schedule, another two or three in the evening (he was a speed reader extraordinaire). By his own estimates he read tens of thousands of books over the course of his lifetime."
“The president manages to get through one book a day even when he is busy. Owen Wister has lent him a book shortly before a full evening’s entertainment at the white house, and been astonished to hear a complete review of it over breakfast. “Somewhere between six one evening and eight-thirty next morning, beside his dressing and his dinner and his guests and his sleep, he had read a volume of three-hundred-and-odd pages, and missed nothing of significance that it contained.”
— Edmund Morris, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Este año decidí leer menos ficción y leer alguna biografía de algún personaje interesante, asi que elegí este libro que trata la vida del presidente Theodore Roosevelt desde su infancia hasta cuando inicia su mandato como presidente, pasando por sus tiempos de ranchero, jefe de la policía, alcalde de New York y su actuación en Cuba. Creo que independientemente de la nacionalidad de uno, se es capaz de apreciar la figura de un hombre fuerte que se antepuso a sus problemas de salud como joven y que además no se dejaba adrementar por nadie, aparte de tener grandes cualidades mentales, por lo que no existen muchas personas como la que fue Roosevelt.
El libro esta bien fundamentado como puede verse en sus fuentes y referencias, a veces el estilo del autor se vuelve algo aburrido y técnico pero la extraña personalidad de Roosevelt nos salva del tedio. Creo que al menos el último tercio del libro se siente algo apurado e incompleto.
El libro esta bien fundamentado como puede verse en sus fuentes y referencias, a veces el estilo del autor se vuelve algo aburrido y técnico pero la extraña personalidad de Roosevelt nos salva del tedio. Creo que al menos el último tercio del libro se siente algo apurado e incompleto.
So, TR is a complicated fellow. There are ample reasons to like and dislike young TR. Reading this gives you that uneasy feeling you get from seeing the sausage-esque underbelly of particular endeavors.
Regardless of how you feel about the first President Roosevelt--before or after reading this--it's a great biography and well-researched. I'm looking forward to diving into volume 2.
Regardless of how you feel about the first President Roosevelt--before or after reading this--it's a great biography and well-researched. I'm looking forward to diving into volume 2.
As a biography of Roosevelt the person, it's very well-written and engaging. I truly feel like I know the man.
But as a biography of Roosevelt the politician, it's pretty poor. We get countless stories about all the clubs Teddy joined as a boy at Yale... and less than 3 pages of the 1900 campaign against Bryan.
Morris also seems to admire his subject a bit too much. One could come away with the impression that Teddy never did a single immoral thing his entire childhood and early adult life. He also commits the common sin among presidential biographers and falsely explains away racism by pretending the subject didn't really mean it.
But as a biography of Roosevelt the politician, it's pretty poor. We get countless stories about all the clubs Teddy joined as a boy at Yale... and less than 3 pages of the 1900 campaign against Bryan.
Morris also seems to admire his subject a bit too much. One could come away with the impression that Teddy never did a single immoral thing his entire childhood and early adult life. He also commits the common sin among presidential biographers and falsely explains away racism by pretending the subject didn't really mean it.