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Summary: Bring Back The Greats
Review: Well written biography. Brilliant, actually. Bring him back and those who were like him.
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Summary: I'd give it 10 stars if I could!
Review: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris is , hands down, the best biography of an American president ever written. It is absolutely absorbing and entertaining as well as being meticulously researched. Roosevelt absolutely comes alive in this book and it almost feels as if he was assisting Morris with the writing! A superb biography. A classic. Highly recommended
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Summary: Epic biography of one of the truly great men in U.S. History
Review: Certainly Theodore Roosevelt is one of the best known Presidents and best known men in history of the United States. His exploits as a frontiersman, his courage in leading the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, and his storied achievements as a career politician (from state assemblyman all the way up to President) are all well known. However, most of what people know about 'T.R.' is limited to sound bite quality historical facts. It's not a common occurrence for people to invest the time in reading any number of lengthy and ponderous biographies about Roosevelt. It is important to do so, though, to understand the man and the best way to accomplish that is to read Edmund Morris' sweeping epic "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt".
These days, Morris may be better known for his the controversy created by his pseudo-biography of Ronald Reagan, "Dutch". Questionable though his literary choice may have been in that instance, lest anyone forget that Morris is a gifted, respected, and accomplished writer. "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" is the first in planned trilogy about the life of the famous 'Bull Moose' ("Theodore Rex" deals with his years as President and the third book has yet to be published). "The Rise..." gives the reader an intimate look into life of T.R. Culled from public records and private diaries and correspondences, this book focuses as much of the 'why' of Roosevelt's actions as the 'what'.
In "The Rise...", one learns that it was the horrible experience of his father's attempt to be confirmed for New York collections commissioner (a strenuous experience that may have led to the elder's death) that formed the basis of Theodore's hatred of 'machine' politics and his lifelong dedication to Civil Service and political reform. His famed political battles throughout his life can be traced back to the trauma of that experience and Morris does well to capture the emotion and impact that had on T.R. Teddy's relationship with his father is explored deeply in the earlier chapters and reveals a lot of what made him the man he became. As he was burdened with ill-health as a youngster, his father frequently took him into the wilderness and open country to improve his health. It was there that Teddy's health improved and a fierce love of the outdoors began. It was a love that manifested itself in years of annual trips out west to hunt, farm, and cultivate the outdoors. Much of what he learned from this led Roosevelt to become the staunch conservationist who was responsible for much of the legislation protecting national wildlife. In addition the exposure to the wild, Roosevelt's father also impressed upon him the importance of a classical education and, as a result, T.R. became a voracious reader with an appetite for any and all knowledge.
Those are just a few examples from the early of life of Roosevelt that Morris recreates so vividly. Other areas filled with greater depth than in other books included Roosevelt's first marriage to Alice Lee and the traumatic effect her sudden death had on him. It also highlights the various highs and lows Roosevelt encountered throughout his storied, pre-Presidential political career. Registering at just under 800 pages, "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" is an amazing biography and well worth the time invested to read. Few books can transcend the typical fact-based monotony of most biographies of long-dead historical figures. Yet, "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", dealing strictly with his years before becoming President, is just such a transcendent book.
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Summary: An exhaustive, entertaining gold standard biography
Review: Edmund Morris pulls off a tremendous feat of biographical skill with this exhaustive, epic, critical yet effusive and poetic biography of the one man who constituted the most colorful personage ever to inhabit The White House (with arguably Harry S. Truman running second). Morris, a South African, approaches his subject with the hyperactive awe filled eye that TR himself viewed the world. Writing in robust prose containing figurative language befitting a fine work of fiction, Morris packs his 780 pages with glorious details that flash pure linguistic lightening. The nearly 100 pages of notes at the end also serve as fascinating reading: a rare trick indeed."The Rise Of Theodore Roosevelt" richly deserves the honor of being one of the finest biographies ever written. It is a gold standard of the biographical genre as it manages to deftly and expertly balance scholarship with entertainment. Along with David McCullough's equally excellent "Truman" this certainly stands as required reading for anyone interested in Presidential history in specific and American History in general. Purchase this. You will not be dissappointed.
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Summary: The Rise of Theodore Rooselvelt
Review: Well written book on the back ground which made the man. Engaging and interesting book. As I read was astonished at the man he was and all he accomplished in his (relatively) short life. Recommended for those interested in more than just a short biography of TR.
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Summary: Unable to get work done around the house because of this...
Review: This book proves that T.R. is the most fascinating American of all time. Oh, and for a while he just happened to be President.
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Summary: This is the same man who wrote "Dutch"?
Review: I can't believe it. I've read excerpts of that execrable book and can't believe that the same man who wrote it is the same man who wrote this wonderful biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Morris' research appears to be first-rate, and instead of voicing his own opinions on TR (whatever they may be) he allows his subject to speak for himself. The fact that Morris has written this biography in a style that the average person can understand helps immensely. He has not written just a bald recitation of facts; he has apparently been given access to Roosevelt's private journals, as well as similar documents from people who knew or worked with him. The result is, for all intents and purposes, a look inside the mind of one of the greatest political and historical figures of the early twentieth century. I was halfway through this book when I realized that I wanted to know more about TR as told by Morris. Accordingly I went out and bought the next volume, "Theodore Rex". Without even opening it I can feel sure that it will be just as good a book as this one. But according to the blurbs and reviews on the back cover, that book only covers Roosevelt's presidency. I hope that Morris is hard at work on a third volume covering TR's post-presidential years, and that it will come out soon. There is only one thing wrong with this book, but it has nothing to do with its contents. Apparently the folks at Modern Library (the paperback publishers) are skimping on quality. As I read the book, the front cover on my copy started to tear at the spine, and I had to tape it to stop it from tearing any further. Normally, once I finish a book I put it on Amazon's Marketplace so someone else can buy and enjoy it. Not this time; I would be ashamed to send this to anyone. Because of that I would say, do buy this book - but if at all possible get the hardcover edition.
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Summary: Theodore Roosevelt's Awesome Cursus Honorum
Review: In "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", Edmund Morris gives a fascinating account of Theodore Roosevelt's life from his birth to his ascendancy to the US presidency. Morris narrates, with much clarity and verve, the metamorphosis of a sick child into a driven man whose life, at times, has sounded like a legend, a myth. Theodore Roosevelt, successively or concomitantly, was a distinguished ornithologist, historian, state assembly man, lover and husband, rancher, police commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, soldier, New York's state governor, Vice President ... and finally President to name a few. The cursus honorum that Theodore Roosevelt followed, gave him plenty of opportunities to show his creativity and drive and prepared him very well to ultimately assume the highest elected office in this country. To his credit, Morris excels in giving life not only to Theodore Roosevelt, but also to other people who played a role in modeling him against the economic, political and social backdrop of their time.
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Summary: The Real Theodore Roosevelt
Review: Theodore Rex is wonderful because it reads like a novel and is based on considerable scholarship. It brings Roosevelt's forceful personality and intellect to light. These are the types of statments contained in most reviews you will see about this book. So, I will not elaborate upon them further. My enjoyment of the book was enhanced considerably by consulting numerous internet sites for information about TR and other characters in the book. Such sites contain photos, voice clips, film clips and other valuable materials. The book itself has only a few pictures, and does not always place characters in the larger context of the 19th and 20th centuries. I was able to create a coherent picture of Roosevelt for myself, by listening to his strange voice, and mentally projecting it onto that toothy face from various pictures. Furthermore, I consulted the internet to supplement my limited knowledge regarding Elihu Root, John Hay, JP Morgan, Philander Knox, Booker T. Washington, Alice Roosevelt, and many other important people who made appearances in the book. Having pictures, film clips, voice recordings, and bios at my fingertips made reading the book much more enjoyable.
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Summary: Completely Engrossing CD with fantastic writing
Review: I bought this CD already interested in TR, and wanting to know more about him. What I found as I listened was superb writing, with seamless crossovers between one story ot the next. The text, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Morris, is fantastic. The reader does a great job at keeping a listener entertained, with decent efforts at replicating TR's unusual voice that I have only heard a few times as a history teacher. This book covers up to his presidency, so anyone who is looking for the background on some of the major issues that he dealt with as a president will be frustrated, only to learn that his follow-on book Theodore Rex covers that part of TR's life, with a third book to follow later. This one deals with TR's childhood (what an amazing person, even as a young boy), his education, and career. It's doubtless anyone could so easily accomplish all that he did in the same manner in today's society, making him a unique, emblematic representation of one of the United States' most incredible personalities in its history. I highly recommend this book, and especially the CD if you find yourslef about to take a trip in the car for a length of time. The CDs take 9 hours, and every one of them holds your attention and causes you to marvel at the early years of Theodore Roosevelt- just a fantastic book!
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