Theodore Roosevelt

Rating:
Summary: Great short overview of TR
Review: Like Auchincloss' earlier short biography of Woodrow Wilson, this book gives a good overview of the character and personality of its subject. A lot of ground is covered in less than 150 pages. Certainly there are more in depth biographies of Roosevelt, such as "Theodore Rex") which was published at about the same time this was) and the earlier biography "TR: The Last Romantic." This book will appeal to the reader who wishes to get to know TR without having to plough through a legnthy tome.

What Auchincloss does well is to get the reader to know the subject in relatively few words. Obviously, historical events cannot be covered in exacting detail but, I got the feeling that I understood the personality of Roosevelt as he lived through these events. Roosevelt was a strong supporter of a strong military and, indeed, he left his post as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in order to form the Rough Riders. I couldn't help but to chuckle as Auchincloss describes how he formed this group from, on the one hand, western ranchers and cowhands, but on the other hand, from his social equals of polo players and fox hunters. What a motley crew, but, it worked. One reason for his militarism may be that he was ashamed of the fact that his father paid for a substitute rather than fight in the Civil War.

What Auchincloss and Arthur Schlesinger (in his introduction) get across is that Roosevelt was a President whose greatness ws not shaped by events. Many presidents, such as Lincoln and FDR rise to greatness in a time of crisis. There was no such crisis when TR was president and many people could probably not recall a single major event that took place during his presidency, yet, he is remembered as a great president. This may be due to the fact that the force of his personality set a tone. He was a reformer and, indeed he became the head of the liberal wing of the party when he challenged his successor, Taft, and the Democratic nominee, Wilson, in 1912 running on the "Bull Moose" party.

Roosevelt set a macho, somewhat gingoistic tone which worked well at the start of the 20th century. Supporting a revolution in Panama against Columbia so as to get control of the area to build the Panama Canal was probably the right type of international intrigue for that period of time. He was the right man for his time and that, ultimately, may be what led to his greatness.

Rating:
Summary: An Unilluminated Portrait
Review: Louis Auchincloss, one of the best American fiction writers of the past fifty years, has turned out a brief, seviceable, workmanlike biography of Theodore Roosevelt. It is disappointing only in that it is not more than that. One might have expected special insight into TR's complex personality from a biographer who not only comes from the same stratum of American society, but who has studied and written so exhaustively about its denizens. "Roosevelt" would be a more interesting book had its author shown the same illuminating empathy for his subject that he brought to "The Rector of Justin" and "The House of Five Talents".

Perhaps that was not the brief he was assigned by Arthur Schlesinger Jr., the general editor of the Henry Holt series on American presidents. The book spans TR's entire life in less than 150 pages. That brevity forces Auchincloss to be a quick-sketch artist. For example, Roosevelt's own substantial body of writing is scarcely mentioned. By contrast, Edmund Morris' recently-published mega-biography, "Theodore Rex", devotes 864 pages to just TR's seven years as President.

Auchincloss would seem uniquely suited to unravel and explain the contradictions one sees in Roosevelt's character. Yet he offers no original thoughts about what might have transformed a snobbish graduate of Groton and Harvard's Porcelllian Club (who asked his mother to check the antecedents of his classmates to see if they were the "right kind of people")into a great reform-minded President. He mentions TR's western ranching venture in this connection, but by that time Roosevelt had already served three terms in the New York Legislature learning, Auchincloss says, "that social progress can only be accomplished by means that gentlemen of his sort had previously scorned". What impelled TR to enter politics, at all, when for men of his background and income "public service" meant sitting on the boards of charities? Neither does Auchincloss attempt to examine the psychic cost to TR of being labeled "a traitor to his class" by people with whom TR and his family had always socialized. A surprising omission for a writer who has frequently mined New York's high society for stories laden with genteel malice and exquisite cruelty.

Auchincloss does offer an interesting psychological interpretation of Roosevelt's lust for dangerous military service for himself and for his sons. (he accused his son Archie, who asked for a few days' leave in order to get married prior to shipping for France, of being "a slacker") Auchincloss suggests that TR was secretly ashamed that his own father had avoided service in the Civil War by hiring a substitute. Perhaps this is a sufficient discursion into the realm of motivation for those readers this book was designed for, but I would have wished for more.

Rating:
Summary: Good book for a tough subject to pin down.
Review: This book serves as a good introduction to Theodore Roosevelt to either satisfy or stimulate one's curiosity before indulging in a lengthier biography. This is a "short" bio, and not meant to be a treatise on T.R. The author was better with his Penguin Lives book on Woodrow Wilson, but he seemed to have more fun with Roosevelt.
As a subject T.R. is especially enjoyable, but more for his forceful character than for any of his objective accomplishments (for which the author notes several, e.g., negotiating the peace between Japan and Russia, and his national conservationist orders, etc.).
The author addresses Roosevelt's sense that his presidency was relatively unspectacular, and since war time presidents receive the most historical attention (e.g., leading to positive evaluations for Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, but negative for Wilson due to his post war failures), Roosevelt felt himself cheated from his place of greatness due to being a peacetime president.
As this author notes, many of T.R.'s beliefs had long lasting value (especially, I feel, his beliefs on the limitations of capitalism as spoken by a pro-business chief executive). Those who followed him, though, soon abandoned these attitudes. The reason for this seems to rest with T.R. He accomplished much emphasizing the forcefulness of his personality and took credit for improvements as being uniquely his. Since he can be the only T.R., his philosophy could not be transmitted to others. When out of office, he was no longer "T.R." and his so-called system collapsed as with a deck of cards. He was ultimately left a shell of his former self.
What if Roosevelt had toned down some of his tendencies? Might he have extended his influence over the next administrations and the country? If so, might this have led to a different result in how America influenced the developing European disputes that resulted in the First World War? These are some of the questions that remained with me from reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good book for a tough subject to pin down.
Review: This book serves as a good introduction to Theodore Roosevelt to either satisfy or stimulate one's curiosity before indulging in a lengthier biography. This is a "short" bio, and not meant to be a treatise on T.R. The author was better with his Penguin Lives book on Woodrow Wilson, but he seemed to have more fun with Roosevelt.
As a subject T.R. is especially enjoyable, but more for his forceful character than for any of his objective accomplishments (for which the author notes several, e.g., negotiating the peace between Japan and Russia, and his national conservationist orders, etc.).
The author addresses Roosevelt's sense that his presidency was relatively unspectacular, and since war time presidents receive the most historical attention (e.g., leading to positive evaluations for Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, but negative for Wilson due to his post war failures), Roosevelt felt himself cheated from his place of greatness due to being a peacetime president.
As this author notes, many of T.R.'s beliefs had long lasting value (especially, I feel, his beliefs on the limitations of capitalism as spoken by a pro-business chief executive). Those who followed him, though, soon abandoned these attitudes. The reason for this seems to rest with T.R. He accomplished much emphasizing the forcefulness of his personality and took credit for improvements as being uniquely his. Since he can be the only T.R., his philosophy could not be transmitted to others. When out of office, he was no longer "T.R." and his so-called system collapsed as with a deck of cards. He was ultimately left a shell of his former self.
What if Roosevelt had toned down some of his tendencies? Might he have extended his influence over the next administrations and the country? If so, might this have led to a different result in how America influenced the developing European disputes that resulted in the First World War? These are some of the questions that remained with me from reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Series
Review: This is the second volume in the new American Presidents series edited by Arthur M. Schlessinger, and like the first on James Madison, provides excellent, although brief insight into one of America's most fascinating characters. The prime focus of this book is on TR's presidential and post-presidential years. Limited space does not allow for anything more than a brief summary of Roosevelt's early life, which may actually be his most interesting period. Still there is enough to give the reader a basis for understanding Roosevelt's revolutionary power-expanding actions as President. Auchincloss does a wonderful job of filling this short volume with all of the important events of Roosevelt's life while keeping to a very enjoyable and readable style. It is a good introduction to Roosevelt and will leave you wanting to learn more.

Rating:
Summary: John the Baptist to Edmund Morris's Volume III
Review: This slim volume may serve as a excellent introduction to the life of TR, or as a bracing romp through familiar landscape for devoted TR aficionados. The book itself is a little pricey for what you get, however (I hope a paperback edition of this American Presidents series is made available eventually), and it is pretty evident to the informed reader that Auchincloss is merely reviewing the conclusions of previous biographers. Auchincloss does attend to a particularly interesting period of TR's life, i.e. his decline and fall. From TR's impulsive public declaration not to seek a "third" term, the bloodletting in Africa, his quixotic Bull Moose campaign, the misadventure in the Amazon, to TR's death shortly following the death of his youngest son in WWI ("poor Quinnikins"), Auchincloss's volume was for me a tantalizing foreshadowing of what is certain to be a grand event in biography -- the third volume of Edmund Morris's TR trilogy. This book should help keep you satisfied (if only for a few hours) until the release of Morris' next volume. And after you read Auchincloss's TR, you should read his THE RECTOR OF JUSTIN if you've never done so, and also Edward Renehan's THE LAST LION (excellent mini-biographies of TR's sons, fascinating characters in their own right).

Rating:
Summary: Bully Moose
Review: ully Moose

The author likes TR, and it shows. But then he backs up his judgment with a detailed history of this president. Mr. Auchincloss is not afraid to add his own interpretations, and some of them you may not want to agree with. But they are always well reasoned and therefore welcome.

Was TR an imperialist? By modern definition of the term one would answer in the affirmative. He condoned the taking of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the Philippines and the digging of the Panama canal. He built up the fleet and had it sail around the world to demonstrate America?s new might. But he also engineered the peace treaty between Japan and Russia.

Was TR a bully? Most decidedly so. He fought hard for what he believed in - and never forgave an insult. But his conduct was built on a basis of honor and chivalry, trying to do what he believed would be best for the people. He took on the likes of Morgan, Gould and Fish because he believed them to be detrimental to the people?s welfare. In the end he outlived himself and his policeman?s ethic.

Mr. Auchincloss gives us a stunning, vivid portrait of this great president, in clear and precise language. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A solid intro to TR
Review: With all the volumes around on one of the America's most charismatic and complex presidents, this slim biography on the life of Theodore Roosevelt lacks the substance of major works on the man but provides a good starting point.

TR was arguably one of our last great politicians. As Auchinocloss points out, had TR had a moment like his nephew-in-law FDR, his true genesis would have shone much brighter, although he did bring us the Panama Canal, trustbusting and a conservation record that is to be proud of. His ruggedness is often overshadowed by his intellect, which is on display in this book by the many quotations before, during and after his presidency.

A part of the American Presidents series edited by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., "TR" provides a solid foundation for further study of a great and no nonsense American.