Teddy Roosevelt was certainly one of the greatest U.S. Presidents. Perhaps below a Washington or a Lincoln, but not much below. He set the twentieth century for America on a positive course and ushered in what has been called the American century. In this biography, Morris explores the Teddy Roosevelt that came to be before he assume presidential office. This work is part of a three-part series and has been ranked in the top 100 non-fiction books of all-time in the English language.
Who was Teddy Roosevelt? Morris extracts the many influences that shaped this giant of a man. He was a naturalist, a scholar, a reader, a cowboy, a soldier (a “rough rider” of the calvary specifically), a Navy man, a speaker, a politician, a husband, and a father. Quite the mix. This work, lengthy at 800+ pages, examines those many facets in detail and presents a lively story from erudite research. Morris’ accomplishment has been and will continue to be read for generations.
It’s hard to summarize what’s great about this book because, well, it’s all so good. This is a complex biography of a complex man of action. It does not over-simplify; indeed, it beautifully dissects the narrative from the historical record. From reading this work, I leave with a great deal of respect for Teddy Roosevelt the man, but I wonder whether I would have liked him. Obviously, he was a force of history, but I believe I would have found him a bit full of himself. But that’s what it takes to be a momentous president of the United States.
From reading this work, I have the utmost respect for Morris’ history-telling skills. He is full of insight and never prone to cliche. I’ve read the next volume in this series – Theodore Rex – based off of Roosevelt’s presidency and enjoyed it thoroughly. This work is even better than that great piece. I’d recommend reading The Rise over Rex any day. It provides a full understanding of the man and will relate to almost anyone.
Obviously, America has changed greatly since when Teddy assumed the presidency in 1901. The Great Depression, women’s voting rights, two World Wars, the end of Jim Crow, the Cold War, and 9/11 have all transpired to shape America since Teddy’s rise. Like all presidents, Teddy was a man of his era, but he also helped shape and define the era. It’s nice to see what shaped and defined him before he entered the limelight. Morris’ work is simply excellent.
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
By Edmund Morris
Copyright (c) 2001, 1979
The Modern Library
ISBN13 9780375756788
Audiobook
Genre: Biography, History, U.S. Presidents
www.amazon.com