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kanejim57's review against another edition
4.0
Finally finished this wonderful biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Well researched and written, Goodwin tells a masterful tale of two very different men whose leadership at the beginning of the twentieth century sets the progressive agenda that shaped the American political agenda well into the twentieth century.
listen_learn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
Goodwin paints such vivid pictures of people and movements of the past that she makes them feel alive.
The only reasons this wasn't a 5 for me is that:
A) the dissolution of Taft's and Roosevelt's friendship and the unraveling of their party was painful to read about
B) a few parts dragged for me
The only reasons this wasn't a 5 for me is that:
A) the dissolution of Taft's and Roosevelt's friendship and the unraveling of their party was painful to read about
B) a few parts dragged for me
duparker's review against another edition
5.0
top notch book. tag in two sittings while traveling. Goodwin is such a strong writer that even stores you know are more interesting than you thought. The book is packed with information and atmosphere. there is a wonderful tone and set up for the book.
The secondary look at The Outlook and McClure's magazines was interesting as well.
The secondary look at The Outlook and McClure's magazines was interesting as well.
bennought's review against another edition
5.0
Once again, Goodwin has written a masterpiece, and it was well worth the long time it took me to get through this audiobook. Started listening to this two-and-a-half years ago, but my head wasn't in the right place for it. Then, a few months ago, I decided it was time to give it another try: Doris Kearns Goodwin's writing is just too good to give up on. And, after restarting the book, I wasn't disappointed.
The topic itself is engaging, and Goodwin digs into the historical material with care and enthusiasm. She also weaves the facts into a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable narrative. There are few serious scholars with Goodwin's skill at storytelling. Moreover, the narration was very well done. Clean and crisp, consistent without being boring. Highly recommend both this book and this audiobook.
The topic itself is engaging, and Goodwin digs into the historical material with care and enthusiasm. She also weaves the facts into a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable narrative. There are few serious scholars with Goodwin's skill at storytelling. Moreover, the narration was very well done. Clean and crisp, consistent without being boring. Highly recommend both this book and this audiobook.
krobart's review against another edition
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/day-661-the-bully-pulpit-theodore-roosevelt-william-howard-taft-and-the-golden-age-of-journalism/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/day-661-the-bully-pulpit-theodore-roosevelt-william-howard-taft-and-the-golden-age-of-journalism/
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
4.0
Goodwin weaves an engaging tale that kept my interest all the way through. I was glad to learn more about the often-parodied Taft and also about Ida Tarbell.
mnstucki's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this. I found a lot to admire in Taft and Roosevelt's lives. They were both great men and I think this book illustrates the fact that you can be a great person and do a lot of good even despite the weaknesses we all have. This book instilled in me a great dislike for Nellie Taft, whose ambitions to be the wife of the President of the United States nudged him down a career path that was not his choice and that he was ill-suited for, instead of encouraging him in his goals and to use his talents and gifts.
stevem0214's review against another edition
5.0
Very interesting book. I wanted to skim a little, the Nook version is over 1200 pages. But Goodwin is such a good writer that you can't skim...reads like a novel!
papidoc's review against another edition
5.0
What a marvelous juxtaposition of the intersections and interactions between Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the muckrakers of the period (Ida Tarbell, William Allen White, Lincoln Steffens, and others) who were among our first true investigative journalists. In her usual "make a really hard job look easy" style, Doris Kearns Goodwin has provided us with another insightful, perspective-altering view of that time period.
I found myself being no less impressed with TR's accomplishments, work ethic, and leadership than before (after having read several biographies of him), but a little disappointed in his pride and arrogance. That especially came through as he reconstructed history so that he could believe that Taft's election was entirely due to TR's own machinations. When Taft saw it otherwise, TR engineered a years-long estrangement of the two formerly close friends. And this in the midst of traumatic personal (mostly) troubles experienced by Taft shortly after beginning his presidential term, such as the strokes experienced by his wife, Nellie. Those may be one reason he seemed a bit disengaged from his work, though he himself acknowledged that he was not the kind of energetic, glad-handing extrovert TR had been as President. To his credit, Taft never stopped trying to reconnect with Roosevelt, and to my great appreciation, was eventually successful in doing so. That episode reminded me just a bit of the 14 years estrangement between two other close friends, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who also eventually reconciled.
Toward the end of the book I began to realize that while I still see Roosevelt as the more accomplished politician, the stronger and more effective leader, and the more exciting of the two men, I think Taft was probably the better man. Both had strong and positive values, but I think Taft was somewhat the better in living consistently in accordance with his values. Roosevelt departed from them once in a while, no doubt justifying it by considering that sometimes the end justifies the means. However, my own feeling is that those are precisely the times when it is most important that a person live up to his or her values, and Taft seems to have been the better in that regard.
I also think, and I believe that Taft himself would agree, that he allowed himself to be pushed into the presidency when he was much better suited to a seat on the Supreme Court, to which he was eventually appointed after serving as POTUS. I am glad that he had that opportunity.
Also, it was fascinating to see the emergence of investigative journalism through the actions of S.S. McClure, McClure's Magazine, and the aforementioned journalists. They not only brought about a new way of acting as journalists, but also began an era of direct intervention of, and interaction with, the politicians of the day, an approach that continues (though not with the same success, I think) to this day.
All in all, this was a fascinating treatment of the men and women of that time period, and I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone with consonant interests. Well done, Dr. Goodwin!
I found myself being no less impressed with TR's accomplishments, work ethic, and leadership than before (after having read several biographies of him), but a little disappointed in his pride and arrogance. That especially came through as he reconstructed history so that he could believe that Taft's election was entirely due to TR's own machinations. When Taft saw it otherwise, TR engineered a years-long estrangement of the two formerly close friends. And this in the midst of traumatic personal (mostly) troubles experienced by Taft shortly after beginning his presidential term, such as the strokes experienced by his wife, Nellie. Those may be one reason he seemed a bit disengaged from his work, though he himself acknowledged that he was not the kind of energetic, glad-handing extrovert TR had been as President. To his credit, Taft never stopped trying to reconnect with Roosevelt, and to my great appreciation, was eventually successful in doing so. That episode reminded me just a bit of the 14 years estrangement between two other close friends, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who also eventually reconciled.
Toward the end of the book I began to realize that while I still see Roosevelt as the more accomplished politician, the stronger and more effective leader, and the more exciting of the two men, I think Taft was probably the better man. Both had strong and positive values, but I think Taft was somewhat the better in living consistently in accordance with his values. Roosevelt departed from them once in a while, no doubt justifying it by considering that sometimes the end justifies the means. However, my own feeling is that those are precisely the times when it is most important that a person live up to his or her values, and Taft seems to have been the better in that regard.
I also think, and I believe that Taft himself would agree, that he allowed himself to be pushed into the presidency when he was much better suited to a seat on the Supreme Court, to which he was eventually appointed after serving as POTUS. I am glad that he had that opportunity.
Also, it was fascinating to see the emergence of investigative journalism through the actions of S.S. McClure, McClure's Magazine, and the aforementioned journalists. They not only brought about a new way of acting as journalists, but also began an era of direct intervention of, and interaction with, the politicians of the day, an approach that continues (though not with the same success, I think) to this day.
All in all, this was a fascinating treatment of the men and women of that time period, and I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone with consonant interests. Well done, Dr. Goodwin!