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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
I loved this book. It won the Pulitzer Prize and it's easy to see why. In this first volume of Morris's trilogy, Theodore Roosevelt is examined from birth to the moment he discovers that President McKinley has died and he is now President of the Unied States. While much of the book focuses on Roosevelt's rapid rise to power--which Roosevelt himself compared to the trajectory of a rocket--Theodore Roosevelt was also a naturalist, a successful author, a husband, a father, a hunter, a rancher, and a solider as well as a politician. The irony of his life is that he was so popular and active in New York state, where he was serving as Governor, that more conservative members of the Republican Party maneuvered him onto the Republican ticket as Vice President to remove from the power structure in New York. That decision resulted in Roosevelt--or as Marcus Hanna called him "that damn cowboy"--serving as president from 1901-1909. A fascinating book about a fascinating individual.
This book taught me a lot about a person and a time that I knew almost nothing about. The writer really brought Roosevelt to life for me. I most definitely will read the next two books in the series. I highly recommend this book.
The one thing about this that sticks in my craw is the suggestion that it was a good thing that Alice died.
Long, but worth it. I still haven't decided if I would have liked Roosevelt or not. He was certainly energetic and entertaining. He had big plans but struggled against corruption in politics.The ending made me want to read the next book. It felt like a real cliff hanger even though I know what happens next.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Theodore Roosevelt was all man.
Whether it was chasing cattle thieves down a frozen Mississippi river, storming a hill BY HIMSELF during the Spanish-American war or single-handedly cleaning up the corruption in NYPD as police commissioner, Roosevelt brought the awesome to everything he touched.
Morris takes a microscope to Roosevelt's life in this biography (the first of three). At times the details of State Legislating and how Roosevelt researched his books gets a little tedious, but these moments are offset by the humanity Morris brings out in Roosevelt. We're able to relate to this giant of a man and feel his pain when his first wife dies or share in his unapologetic patriotism.
The book is intense: 780 pages full of dense historical details, but don't let that scare you away. It's well worth the time you would put into it.
Whether it was chasing cattle thieves down a frozen Mississippi river, storming a hill BY HIMSELF during the Spanish-American war or single-handedly cleaning up the corruption in NYPD as police commissioner, Roosevelt brought the awesome to everything he touched.
Morris takes a microscope to Roosevelt's life in this biography (the first of three). At times the details of State Legislating and how Roosevelt researched his books gets a little tedious, but these moments are offset by the humanity Morris brings out in Roosevelt. We're able to relate to this giant of a man and feel his pain when his first wife dies or share in his unapologetic patriotism.
The book is intense: 780 pages full of dense historical details, but don't let that scare you away. It's well worth the time you would put into it.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I didn't really know a thing about Theodore Roosevelt before I read this book. I found out that he was a rare human for his intellect and character.
Very good read. I'll read the next volume of this biography.
Very good read. I'll read the next volume of this biography.
When an asthmatic child can grow up to be a strong colonel and then President of the United States, that must be a great story and life, and Theodore Roosevelt's rise is definitely that. Reading about all the he accomplished before he was forty shows the drive of a man. This book sucked me in. I found myself wondering what Teddy would do next. Edmund Morris does an amazing job of bringing this great man to life. This has to be one of the best biographies I have ever read. I can't wait to read the next two.