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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
No legitimate complaints. I would, however, have liked the author to treat Roosevelt's Victorian mores (including and especially his obsession with "virility" and "manliness") with at least some mild condescension, rather than, say, the tacit acceptance which he does employ. Whatever. How could I be upset with a book that leaves me feeling all the more justified in despising TR?
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Such a beautifully written book... the kind that makes you forget you are reading and you climb through that window into that world and look around. Knowing that the author has just died and that another epic biography he wrote is just being released to glowing reviews (Edison) also makes this a bittersweet read. Now I want to visit the Badlands in the worst way.
What a spectacular biography. Well actually this is part 1 (of 3) of Morris's Roosevelt biography, but I haven't read the rest thus far(on volume 2 now!). This volume covers the life of Teddy Roosevelt from his birth up to the moment he becomes President...and what a read it is. Roosevelt is one of those singular personalities that you almost can't believe was a real person. Larger than life in almost every dimension, Roosevelt is endlessly fascinating to read about. I'm slightly scared to write my thoughts about this book because I assuredly cannot do this book justice. What I can say about this book is that if you ever think biographies are boring or not easy to read...well, you need to give this one a try. It is engaging to the max. I read this book in under a week (ok not boasting here! Well...maybe boasting a little) and literally could not put this book down at night, even though I knew I needed to get to bed since it was a work night...yet chapter after chapter just flew by, so much did this book suck me in. Roosevelt is a character. That is an understatement. Reading about his life was exhilarating, yet also I must confess it can get slightly discouraging as you read about all that Roosevelt did with his life...it can cause questions to rise in your own mind, "What am I doing with my own life!?" Roosevelt was driven to constantly improve himself. He loved reading and read on a wide variety of subjects and had incredible retention for what he read(he almost certainly must have had a photographic memory!! ...at least that's my belief) and he just loved to learn. His breadth of knowledge (if possibly not his depth) was immense. But he wasn't just a bookworm - he thrived in the great outdoors...as a rancher, cowboy, hunter...yes hunter. He killed oh so many animals. Yet he also was an ardent conservationist who loved the woods, loved birds and mourned to see the vanishing of America's unspoiled territories. He was from a rich family and had means far beyond most of us. Yet he didn't rest on his laurels or wait for his inheritance...he worked up through the ranks of a political career (after university in Harvard, of course) and so driven was he that he caused an impression on all those he worked with. He could be (most certainly was) overbearing and probably impossible to tolerate at times. But you know what? He got things done. He worked harder and smarter than pretty much everyone around him. He was a man of great passion, a man who almost shut down after the deaths of his father and young bride Alice...but somehow, somehow carried on with life and kept pressing on. Was he perfect? By no means. He would be considered today (and even was considered then) as nationalistic, jingoistic, selfish, elitist, spoiled, snobbish and racist. He was not a perfect man. I'm grateful to Morris for showing us the many facets of this ever-complicated man. Reading about Roosevelt definitely spurs me on to consider what I'm doing with my life. I may not (most certainly do not) have his skill set or personality, but surely I can live in such a way that reflects Roosevelt's sheer joy of living. This biography is purely magnificent - both educational and endlessly interesting. I can't wait to finish off volume 2 and greatly look forward to re-reading this one sometime in the future.
Fantastic audiobook. Amazing character. Two more volumes by this Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
The subject of this book was completely exhausting! What a busy busy busy man. I can't believe all of the things he was able to accomplish while maintaining an excellent attitude at what most would have considered insurmountable odds. His ability to cajole compromise out of situations with politicians who had next to nothing in common with him is nothing short of amazing.
I do wish that there had been a little more about his personal relationships in the later half of this biography (am I really asking this monster to be longer!!! Crazy.) This book WAS very long. However, I can't think of how it could possibly be shortened. Great writing, great subject, enjoyable read as long as you're not looking for a way to spend one short afternoon. This read takes many.
I do wish that there had been a little more about his personal relationships in the later half of this biography (am I really asking this monster to be longer!!! Crazy.) This book WAS very long. However, I can't think of how it could possibly be shortened. Great writing, great subject, enjoyable read as long as you're not looking for a way to spend one short afternoon. This read takes many.
At 1000 pages and still only covering the first third to half of Roosevelt's life, this book is not quiet a page turner. It was utterly fascinating though, TR seemed half crazy at times but he was definitely one of those unique individuals that helps defined America at the turn of the 1900s. He seemed to have an unbelievable manic quality, he could work for 40 hours straight, read a book a day, and did everything from taxidermy to army service to cattle ranching to political service all before he became president. Very interesting character, which made the book a fun read.
'The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt' is long. Clocking in at around 24 hours, it took me about a month to listen to the whole thing when played between 2x-3x speed.
I felt like the time raced by. When it ended, I was hungry for more.
'The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt' is an exhaustive, yet still briskly moving, look at Roosevelt's life from birth through to his ascension to the Presidency. When dealing with the episode of the man's life with which I am very familiar, his time with the Rough Riders, the book gives the reader a sense of the Cuba Campaign without getting bogged down in the details. This gives me confidence in the reliability of the rest of the tome and wins my respect for author Edmund Morris's brevity and judgment.
Your experience with 'The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt' will depend primarily on your interest in / tolerance for Roosevelt himself. He was a big personality, cocksure and aristocratic while mastering the skill of connecting with everyday people. Some will (Many did!) find him insufferable, and some will (Many did!) find him a hero. Whatever your affinity for the man, the book is meticulously researched, well written, and altogether enjoyable. Again, I look forward to the next volume.
I felt like the time raced by. When it ended, I was hungry for more.
'The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt' is an exhaustive, yet still briskly moving, look at Roosevelt's life from birth through to his ascension to the Presidency. When dealing with the episode of the man's life with which I am very familiar, his time with the Rough Riders, the book gives the reader a sense of the Cuba Campaign without getting bogged down in the details. This gives me confidence in the reliability of the rest of the tome and wins my respect for author Edmund Morris's brevity and judgment.
Your experience with 'The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt' will depend primarily on your interest in / tolerance for Roosevelt himself. He was a big personality, cocksure and aristocratic while mastering the skill of connecting with everyday people. Some will (Many did!) find him insufferable, and some will (Many did!) find him a hero. Whatever your affinity for the man, the book is meticulously researched, well written, and altogether enjoyable. Again, I look forward to the next volume.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced