Rating: 
Summary: Theodore Triumphant
Review: Edmund Morris's new biography of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Rex, encapsulates Roosevelt's entire presidency into 554 pages. For the most part, Morris did an exemplary job. Roosevelt's major achievements, such as, his handling of race relations, acquisition of the Panama Canal, brokering of peace between Japan and Russia, and the strengthening of the U.S. Navy are all depicted magnificently. Acolytes of Theodore Roosevelt will read with relish because Theodore Rex reinforces the axiom that Roosevelt's term spawned the modern presidency. Without the benefit of a war to dictate circumstances, Theodore Roosevelt became one of the most significant presidents of the 20th Century.
The hallmark of any great biography is its ability to enlighten the reader as to something not commonly known about its subject, and Theodore Rex succeeds. I was astounded to learn of our near war with Germany over their threat to collect debts from Venezuela. President Roosevelt took umbrage to this apparent threat to the Monroe Doctrine. It's also interesting to note that Roosevelt felt tainted by accepting massive corporate contributions to his campaign. His sentiment echoes that of Senator John McCain, chief sponsor of the campaign finance reform law that President Bush recently signed into law.
Unfortunately, Morris's prose gravitates towards the stilted, thus slowing down the narrative a bit. His Rise of Roosevelt did not suffer this affliction and is the better book, by a hair. Nevertheless, Edmund Morris has crafted one of the most provocative treatments of Theodore Roosevelt's presidential years. Theodore Rex justifiably belongs on any history buff's required reading list. I greatly anticipate the third volume of Edmund Morris's Roosevelt trilogy. Hopefully, no one will have to wait twenty years to read it. Theodore Rex's stature is secure. It stands right below McCullough's Truman and Sandburg's Lincoln; good company indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and informative - but unevenly paced
Review: The book proceeds sequentially through the years of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, and succeeds in familiarizing the reader with the accomplishments and personality of this remarkable man. The book also succeeds in bringing to life a time in which an old governmental framework of 20 years standing was being challenged by new social tensions between big business and labor, and in which America was beginning to come into its own as a superpower.
Theodore Roosevelt emerges as a man of principle and energy who used canny politics to dramatically increase the power of the presidency and use it to defuse the nascent socialist movement, and to establish America as a first rate power and the guardian (some would say also exploiter)of the Western hemisphere.However, although I came away from the book feeling that I had learned a lot about Theodore Roosevelt, I did not feel that I knew him. Moreover, the book suffered from uneven pacing - there is much more detail in the early part of the book than there is in the latter. I would estimate that 2/3 of the book is spent on 2001-2004, and the remaining 1/3 on his second term. Given that much of legacy was forged in his second term, this is unfortunate. There is probably also more that could have been done with his increasing authoritarianism and alienation of the 60th Congress. When all is said and done, however, this biography is well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This is an excellent presentation of the life of TR from the time he becam president to his leaving that office. I found the book the be informative and very well written. It fully satisfied my interest and left me want more infomration, both about TR and about the pivotal years prior to World War I when the US was becoming a world power but was not completely committed to that role.
Rating:
Summary: Yes Virginia There Are Real American Heroes
Review: I used to wonder how Teddy Roosevelt managed to get his face on Mt. Rushmore. It seemed an odd contrast having the wise, iconic busts of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln accompanied by... a Teddy. The former were all mythical figures striding mightily across the pages of elementary school civics books; the latter was a bespectacled, grinning, pugilistic cartoon character. Everything I knew and felt about this man could be distilled into one seemingly idiotic word: "Bully!" I could only conclude his presence on Rushmore was the result of some kind of political payback, not merit. Then Edmund Morris opened my eyes. With his two books, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, and Theodore Rex, Morris taught me who it was that laid the foundation for American greatness in the Twentieth Century. This thorough and utterly enjoyable two-volume biography takes the reader from Roosevelt's precocious boyhood, through a frenetic political career, to the very pinnacle of world power. Each coherent, well-researched page seems to vibrate, as though Morris has somehow managed to imbibe them with the very energy that allowed Roosevelt to usher his nation to the status of superpower. Yes, Roosevelt more than earned his place among the greats in the American political pantheon. The only significant drawback to reading this excellent work, is the empty feeling it gave me when comparing Roosevelt to more recent White House occupants.
Rating: 
Summary: Better to
Review: The audio cassette reading of this book is a savior for an otherwise ponderous and heavy narrative that lulled me to sleep with each passing page. I found myself longing for the sonerous texts of David McCullough's "John Adams", though I admit comparing the two historical figures in question is like trying to fuse apples and oranges. Still, Harry Chase, though not as easy to listen to as Edward Herrmann's masterful reading of the foremetioned "John Adams", successfully embodies the "bully" style of a time I can only relate to through choppy, black and white celluloid footage and crackly audio from a time long since past.
Rating:
Summary: A bit "stiff" prior to audio!
Review: I had planned to read this book, and found myself getting bogged down right away. Just wasn't flowing well for me, I guess. Anyhow, I decided to try the audio book - in spite of the horrible reviews that I had read here. I found it to be refreshing! I then decided to do a bit of checking and discovered that the narrator is new to audio books, but is a very familiar voice to most of us. Many of the shows on Animal Planet, Discovery, The History Channel and A&E are narrated by this man. He speaks 3 languages fluently. That put the kabosh on the criticisms of the poorly done dialects. I then discovered that the producer of this book was a child of the diplomatic corps - raised all over the world and a master of language. That put the kabosh on "gaffes". I decided that some of the reviewers were just self important critics with little or no knowledge upon which to base their reviews - full of sour grapes for some unknown reason. I'm very glad I did that research and very glad I decided to resort to the audio book. I will look forward to books narrated by this gentleman and not shy away from a distinguished author simply because he is a bit ponderous for my taste. My advice - Theodore Rex on audio-book is the way to go!
Rating:
Summary: Thank God for Books on Tape !!
Review: I truly wanted to read this book, but found it a tad ponderous... I have NEVER resorted to an audio book, but in this case, I decided to make an acception. Glory be! I may just do this more often. The narrator made this enjoyable for me. What had been "heavy reading" before (And I haven't forced myself to do that since college! ) became an enjoyable listening experience for me. The nuances of accent and character were delightful! The slightly stuffy lingo of the early 20th century was much more palatable with a skilled narrator providing the read. Kudos to Mr. Chase!
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: There are few writers of history that can turn a droll topic into an exciting read. The late Barbara Tuchman and Garry Wills come to mind although the latter author is more interpretive than definitive; both are exciting authors to read. Edmund Morris belongs with this elite group. By recounting Roosevelt's presidency he breathes life and excitement into the American political process. This is why we have politicians and politics and not just army generals running the country. Thre isn't as much of Teddy's personality in "Theodore Rex" as there was in Morris's "Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" but we faithful readers already know Teddy. The events and challenges of the presidency are what this book is about and how the stubbornly brilliant Roosevelt dealt with them. Morris frequently mentions Teddy's love of tennis. The metaphor is not lost as the determined Roosevelt swats away tennis balls as he does political rivals and world crises. Morris's book rarely drags as so many biographies do. He does not try to impress us with his thorough research of his subject even though he has done that. In the hands of a lesser author "Theodore Rex" might well be a three thoudsand page book. And that is Morris's genius -- giving us the essence of Theodore Roosevelt without boring us with every detail of his life. I look forward to the next installment of the Rooseveltian saga.
Rating: 
Summary: OVERWRITTEN AND LEADEN; A MASSIVE GOOEY CAKE
Review: Twenty years ago I read Edmund Morris' The Rise of Theodore
Roosevelt and thought it was quite possibly one of the best
biographies ever; a book that stayed with an appreciative
reader not just days but years after it was read. It was natural then to anticipate Morris' next two works:
the biography of President Reagan, for which he had
unprecedented White House access, and his next volume on
Roosevelt, Theodore Rex. What makes a writer who was once so certain, elegant, and
yet modest, stumble, not just with one book, the
embarassing DUTCH in which Morris queerly shows a lack
of restrait associated with callow adolescence, but
now with two massive works in a row: Theodore Rex, which is
perhaps the most overwritten, Theasuraus-inspired book
I have ever read. There is not a second of Roosevelt's life that Morris feels
can go unrecorded without his rhetorical flourishes, no
event that is not put down in melodramatic Shakespearean
tones, no exchange that doesn't finally, in the end, feel
like an overwrought, sweaty dimestore romance. Where did Morris go wrong? I personally feel he began to
believe his own press after the enormous--deservedly so--
praise he received with his first book on Roosevelt, and
got it into his mind from that point on that he is a GREAT
WRITER OF CONSEQUENCE, dashing about Washington with a
black cape and quill pen. In fact, the result of all his flourishes reduces him more
to a Liberace of American story-telling, a man for whom
no lace or lavender is too much; Morris is finally our greatest
kitsch author. What a shame that he let his writing talents run so wild,
even worse that he subjected two presidents who deserve
far greater intellectual treatment to his unbridled whims. Twice burned, I can happily report I will never read, much
less purchase, a book by Edmund Moris again.
Rating:
Summary: A Phenomenal Bio
Review: Theodore Rex is i
mportant not only for the wealth of information it provides about the remarkable life and accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt, but also for the terrific insights it gives into the time period. Here, at the turn of the twentieth century, the seeds of World War II are already being sown. Roosevelt's relationship with the media set the standard for Presidential public relations. It's apparent that his influence on the Presidency still endures. It was fascinating to read about this time so long ago and see it reflected in today's news. Best of all, Theodore Rex read like a novel. The characters are so vividly portrayed that they seem to breathe. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the last edition of the trilogy!
| 
