Rating: 
Summary: He wrote it twice.
Review: Edmund Morris was finsihing Rex when he set it aside to do the Reagan thing. He returned to it a decade latter a better writer. So he started over again. An excellent effort & better than vol. I, The Rise of TR, which was also excellent.
The accomplishments of his not quite two terms are impressive: Settling the coal strike, breaking monopolies, creating the national parks, the Panama Canal & enlarging the U.S. Navy Much of what he did still impacts us 100 years later. We know about what he did. This book gives it to us in a detailed & yet interesting way.
That he didn't run for another term in 1908 is, in hindsight a tragedy. That he would have won there is no doubt. He was the most popular man in America & celebrated around the the world for negoiating an end to the Russo-Japanese war & winning the Nobel peace prize. Shortly after winning the 1904 election he promised he would not run again. That he had second thoughts there is no doubt. He would have been forgiven for going back on his word. But he had too much integrity for that. How different the world would be today. In the 20th century there are presidents of great intellect: Wilson, Hoover & Clinton. There are presidents of great moral authority: Truman, Carter & ...Ford. There are hightly sucessful presidents: FDR, Ike & the Gipper, & for sheer charisma FDR, Kennedy & again Clinton. In all of these admittedly arbitrary categories Theodore Roosevelt fits easily.
This biography is heavily weighted towards Roosevelt's political life with less emphasis on his personal life that being his wife, Edith. It may simply be that Morris wife, Sylvia Jukes was writing a major biography on Edith, Portrait of a First Lady at the same time. In fact, her book came out two months before his. He may have proofed it & maybe even backed off of Edith a bit, so to speak. Definitely five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Dee-lighted!
Review: This book continues the journey of Theodore Roosevelt's life that the author began chronicling with "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", covering the two presidential terms that Roosevelt served (a third was his for the taking if he had wanted it), and I have really enjoyed being along for the trip. Before my reading, I knew little of substance of this most historic of American figures, outside of tales of Rough Riders, Big Sticks and Teddy Bears, and I've come away from these books with a great sense of admiration for the man and the President. He went into the office by way of an assassin's bullet, and left it as one of the most popular and beloved presidents ever. He was extremely well-read (current administration take heed), and the depth and breadth of his scholarship was astounding. His actions (for he was a VERY active leader) were very much guided by a strong sense of ideals and morality, yet even so he was a master politician and strategist, and his keen sense of human nature enabled him to further a very progressive legislative agenda, against the opposition of his own Republican party. By the end of his second term, it seems apparent that Roosevelt was a truly independent President, Republican in name only, and I could only wish that we had politicians today that were more guided by their own compasses instead of the courses set by their party leaders. Roosevelt refused to kowtow to the moneyed corporate interests of his day ("the corporate criminal class")outright opposing the growing conglomerates with historic anti-trust legislation. "Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere". I believe his conservation agenda alone ranks him among the best of American leaders, and current "conservative" moralists like Jerry "global-warming-is-a-myth" Falwell would do well to read some of his thoughts about the inextricable connection between conservation and morality. We owe many of our national parks and monuments to Teddy's foresight. I hope Edmund Morris continues the tale of Roosevelt's life, the post-presidential years, in a third book. I'll be waiting.
Rating: 
Summary: Where is Edith? Where is Bamie?
Review: Mr. Morris totally dismisses two of TR's lifelong most trusted advisors, his wife Edith and his older sister Bamie. We get two pages on Edith and a few scattered mentions of Bamie and his younger sister Corinne. Despite the fact that Alice was rarely on good terms with her father before her White House marriage, we see more photos and read more of Alice (who TR referred to as his "liability daughter" and his other daughter Ethel as his "asset daughter") than we do his beloved partner and wife Edith. Perhaps Edith will receive better treatment in Morris's upcoming third and concluding tome on TR's life and careers. TR did not live through eight years in the White House in a vacuum from his wife, sisters, and "other" children. Yet, one would never know this from reading "Theodore Rex". If you want to learn more about how his family influenced him and was affected by his decisions and mood swings, read Kathleen Dalton's recently published "A Strenous Life".
Rating:
Summary: Political Engineer
Review: In this second volume on Roosevelt, Morris outlines for us "Teddy" Roosevelt's Presidency. In it, we see a strong and determined individual with little or no fear. (The bear hunts and the African escapades show the no fear part). The novilistic appraoch taken by Morris helps get through the 555 pages of text and has the reader looking for more. From his domestic challenges in Pennsylvania with the coal miner's strike to the trust busting on wall street to his international successes with the settlement of the Japaneese/Russian war and the building of the Panama Canal, Roosevelt's Presidency, from Morris' work, is brought to life. The book shows us that TR understands how to produce a desired result in often difficult political climates. Domestically, the coal miners strike, as told by Morris, melds well with Roosevelt's efforts to bust the trusts. In 1902, coal miners in Pennsylvania, who experienced difficult and dangerous conditions for little pay, had little or no financial means to fight the larger financial interests that owned the mines and paid their wages. These working men, however, figued out that they possed two things to change their condition: will and a nation dependednt on coal to heat their homes. The miners struck and Roosevelt, not one to step into state affairs lightly, heard their plea (and the political plea of the nation's homeowners) to prevent a national concern in the winter of 1902. (p.s. I am sure it wasn't lost on the coal miners that TR was a New Yorker) As Morris outlines the event, he shows the effort that Roosevelt put to all his tasks, "speak softly and carry a big stick." Unlike his trust busting efforts, TR had to speak softly to settle this difficult situation. Internationally, the settlement of the Japaneese/Russinan war with TR as the unknown intermediary, as told by Morris, is an example of TR's cajoling (some would say decitful) ability to get things done. Quitely working behind the scenes, as told by Morris, TR comes to life as the creative problem solver of international disputes, protecting American interests from broader difficulties in the early 1900's. As outlined by Morris so well, TR was a cajoling individual who presumably believed that the ends justified the means, but he had unbreakable will and strong character as highlighted by this funny tidbit that Morris tells in Chapter 31. TR's youngest son, Quentin (or "Q") was playing war with Howard Taft's son, "Taffy" ("T"). To win the game, either "Q" or "T" had to possess the flag for three minutes. "T" put "Q" in quite a spot by using a garden hose to spray him to take control of the game. "Q", thinking quickly and creatively as his father would, obtained a fire ax and chooped the hose into pieces. Before a winner could be declared, TR came racing out of the White House in anger and this short exchange ensued, according to Morris: TR. ...come here with your incriminating hatchet! In the heat of battle, many acts, which may not be countenanced at other times, may be excusable-- ...you understand that boys? Q. Sure. You mean that's the reason why I did it? I did it, because something had to be done immejitly- [Q, at this time, was 10 years of age, according to Morris] TR. That's exactly it! The point is always to do something quickly, becasue if you don't, the other will follow. You may be wrong -- you were here-- but you have, at least, initiated action. When the action is wrong, you must admit it, and correct it by some further action-- Q. (looking at the severed hose) I don't see how this can be corrected. TR. Only by an entirely new garden hose. It was Government property, still is, but also, is no longer. You cannot imagine the difficulties involved, and the things required to be done, in order to replace it. It will even cost money, part of which I am earning--or was earning, when interupted by a despatch regarding the progress of this war, and left hurriedly for the field-- Q. Well, of course, you're right; but we've learned our lesson, you know-- TR. We? Don't you mean youself? and what have you learned? Q. Not to cut up garden hoses. TR. And not to use fire axes on anything but a fire-- Q. ...We're not so likely to have a fire. TR. Not with all this water around! You escape, Quentin, only because of extenuating circumstances arising out of the heat of battle. TR adminishes his son, recognizes it is his obligation to pay for the destroyed government property and, at the same time, compliments his son for being so resourceful. Speaking softly, but like a parent should, carrying a big stick, he sends a good message to his 10 year old son while he is in the midst of running the United States. A good read about a very intersting American President.
Rating:
Summary: The Writing Gets in the Way
Review: There must be better biographies of Theodore Roosevelt out there. I read this book in spite of Edmund Morris' annoying overwrought writing style. The book could have used much more aggressive editing. Unfortunately, the historic larger than life persona of Theodore Roosevelt gets buried under Morris'penchant for introducing excessive and distracting detail.
Rating:
Summary: Needs More Editing
Review: After the wonderful first biography, this book was a letdown. While TR is a great subject and there are some entertaining anecdotes, this book bogs the reader down with too much detail, to the point where it was truly boring on too many occasions.
Rating:
Summary: If you like TR, this book is for you.
Review: Having grown up in a home which placed great respect in the self-reliant policies of TR, I've always been partial to reading about him. This book is immense and parts of the detail do tend to become meticulous to a fault, but I feel the author's intent isn't just to show us the "man" but also the times which made the man. The intrigues will keep you reading.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Political Biography
Review: Edmund Morris' Theodore Rex is drenched with action, from trains to bear hunts to rock climbing in Western Maryland. With a Jamesian knack for prose, Morris saturates this highly readable biography about Theodore Roosevelt's presidential years, from McKinley's assassination in 1901 to Taft's Inaugural of 1908, in layers of deft prose. The narrative vividly recreates early twentieth century America, with glances at all sections of the population. At the center of the narrative, though, is always Roosevelt. Morris makes two essential points about Roosevelt, which he repeatedly emphasizes through his episodic narratives. First, Roosevelt's conservatism sought to maintain equilibrium between interests. Second, Roosevelt was quintessentially a man of action, even if he possessed prodigious powers of intellect and persuasion. Morris arranges his narrative chronologically, but the momentum of his argument increases until Roosevelt's departure from Washington provides a tidy end. Morris brilliantly devises fitting metaphors for his discussions. He starts his narrative about conservation with a hunting trip, where Roosevelt notices the dearth of birds. Railroads, however, provide the most fitting metaphor for the entire narrative. Beginning and ending with two superb accounts of train voyages, railroads, like Roosevelt, were fast and powerful. But railroads also provided Roosevelt an historical opportunity to wrestle the corporations into government authority, and also played a role in resolving a coal miner's strike. Calculating a train's pace through the isthmian mountains also allowed Roosevelt to coordinate a revolution in Panama. Purposefully having bought the book to find out Roosevelt's attitude about the Russo-Japanese War, for which negotiations he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Morris's account of the Philippine War, the Yellow Peril scandals, and the Portsmouth negotiations make his dismissal of the Koreans all the more callous. Roosevelt, more than any of his contemporaries, was concerned about racial issues. The only explanation Morris's account leaves is, that Korea fell short of Roosevelt's need for balance and action. Roosevelt's decisions reveal a practical political philosophy midway between idealism and balance of power realism. Like James, however, Morris's prose is slippery and deceptive. His account of the 1907 Brownsville Incident, the only tactical mistake of the Roosevelt Administration, is ambiguous. Like a train, Morris just allows the narrative to roll forward, crushing the scandal under the weight of history. His accounts of the Roosevelt family are also ambiguous and selective. Morris can be critical about the children's personalities, but about Roosevelt's paternal abilities Morris is relatively quiet. The account is solidly devoted to Roosevelt's political life, and is not merely an installment in his life.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book, but......
Review: not the best book on T.R. nor the best book by Morris. The story does not flow as smoothly as McCullough's "Mornings on Horseback", nor is it as entertaining as the author's own "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt". In all fairness though, the book is more or less limited to his (nearly) 2 terms in the White House, and I have the feeling T.R. himself would agree that his life was more interesting outside the confines of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Rating:
Summary: Bully Beautiful
Review: It took courage to write this book. Everyone has an opinion about Teddy Roosevelt. How does the intrepid biographer navigate predispositions? Edmund Morris made two critical decisions in preparing this work, and in retrospect both choices worked magnificently. The first was to devote the entire work to the presidency years, and nothing else. If you think this doesn't make a difference, consider a work about George W. Bush that omits his Texas Rangers' years and focuses exclusively on his responses to the terrorist attacks during his presidency. Morris adopts this strategy with Roosevelt: the work opens with the death of McKinley and ends with the inauguration of Taft. What we have here is the Rex, not the Bull Moose. What is lost in color is more than made up for in dignity; Theodore Rex is never without his scepter. The second editorial choice of the author is the employment of straightforward narration with exquisite attention to detail. Certain of the classical languages have a verb tense termed "the historical present," which combines narrative with immediacy. [The Gospel of Mark employs this style.] Morris's narrative has this storyteller feel to it without going over the edge. The attention to detail gives evidence of meticulous examination of memoirs, diaries and letters. The chirp of a sparrow on the window ledge accompanies the swearing of the presidential oath in Buffalo, as does an interminable human silence of two full minutes after the oath, save for the nearly inaudible mutterings of Mark Hanna. In this straightforward style Morris describes a presidency marked by delicate balance. Roosevelt's progression through his seven years is marked by duality: he must keep the trust of Wall Street while presenting himself as a man of the people. He must be dutifully respectful of the Mark Hannas of his party while proving [to himself, among others] that he is his own man. He enjoys close intimate ties to friends and cultures of both England and Germany while both empires lumbered inexorably to war with each other. In his own family he had two distinct cultures, so to speak; he frolicked with his younger children while biting his lip at the antics of daughter Alice and her snake. He embraced exercise and the great outdoors despite a general tendency toward the Epicurean. Morris records without comment that whenever Roosevelt was presented a choice of entrees for breakfast, he inevitably chose both. Shades of the executive style itself. Addressing the Roosevelt presidency in his existential way, Morris brings home the difficulties, dangers, and exasperations faced by a president who, from this distance of time, appears near invincible. He was nowhere near invincible then. Roosevelt feared for national security more than is generally realized. He was commander in chief of perhaps the world's sixth largest navy, and he spent plenty of time worrying about the other five. His passion for the Panama Canal was due in no small part to the impoverishment of the U.S. Navy, then barely a one-ocean fleet. A lot of what Roosevelt ranted really was bluff, and he knew it, with fingers crossed all the way. At times his swaggering was ignored, as in matters relating to racial justice, and he would back off in prudence or cowardice, depending upon one's readings of circumstances. But Morris does not make that decision for us, to his credit. Fortunately for the American story, Roosevelt's approach to foreign policy was consistent, determined, and admittedly lucky. His muscular stance toward the world was part jingo and part survival, inspired by Manifest Destiny and tempered at times by Eliju Root. Roosevelt was acutely aware of national limitation, probably more so than most of his compatriots, and like a good general was more often than not successful in choosing the right terrain for his domestic and international battles so as not to squander the national capital. From our time he looks powerful; in his own day he knew the benefit of posturing and the importance of not being caught. This is a robust work, all the more so when one considers what is not here: the colorful tales of Roosevelt's public ascendancy and decline, for example, or speculations on such matters as Roosevelt's support of Taft to succeed him. But Morris has chosen his game plan and remains faithful to the end. The reader's dilemma, and it is a big one, is deciding whether he is better pleasured or informed by the finished product. A strong case can be made for both.
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