A review by fourstringspark
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris

5.0

As he did in the first volume of his Roosevelt trilogy, Morris captures the larger-than-life character of the man who suddenly finds himself occupying the most powerful office in the world. Roosevelt was perhaps the first real political President, acutely aware of, and eager to shape, the influence of the press and public opinion. He was a man possessed of enormous ego and self-assurance, and he could act with a seeming impetuousness (“Theodore the Sudden”) that disquieted enemies and allies alike. This all might seem a little familiar, but Roosevelt sought to use his power and influence to achieve a moral greater good, and although a man of great wealth, he disdained the trappings of wealth and the rarified social circles to which money provided entrance. Roosevelt also was literate – a voracious and varied reader, and a writer who continued to publish even while President. Morris’ history is very readable, and he unreels his tale in short, bite-like sections, perhaps not unlike the truncated, explosive way in which his subject spoke. Morris also frequently relies on the natural world to set the scene and time, making frequent references to the plants, wildlife, and birdcalls of which Roosevelt was deeply knowledgeable.