Rating: 
Summary: An absolute masterpiece!
Review: I bought this book due to interest peaked by "Time" Magazine's article written about T.R. as one of the great American's of this century.This book is all you could ever want to know about T.R. Right from the beginning we become aware of T.R.'s incessant patriotism and inherent duty to serve his country. In the middle you'll become enraged at why he won't leave the Republican party alone (or the Democrats, for that matter). But by the end you'll understand that he did it all because he loved his country too much to see it falter (according to his standards, anyway). From his time at Harvard to his cattle-ranching in South Dakota to his New York Governorship to his Asst. Navy Secretary position and finally the Whitehouse, an extremely thorough picture of T.R. is presented. As the book goes towards closure, you get a great sense of why T.R. was one of the greatest presidents, I believe second only to Lincoln (who was T.R.'s idol), this country has ever seen. Through it all, T.R. remained true to himself, he lived to serve the common American, and that was the secret to his success. A marvelous achievement!
Rating:
Summary: Detailed research combined with interesting reading
Review: I cannot speak highly enough of this book. The meticulous research and the flowing style of narrative make the biography both historically accurate and wonderfully entertaining. I felt at times that I was reading a novel. I was daunted a bit at first by the sheer size of the tome, but once my nose was in it I found it difficult to put down. One of the things that make this book different than the run of the mill biography is the sources the author used. He draws upon not only commonly available documentation, but also upon personal letters to and from Roosevelt and his family, associates, cabinet members, and others. Also, the collection of photographs is in chronological order, which allows you to get a photographic history as well. The only constructive criticism I would give is that there is possibly a little too much psychoanalysis from the author on some of Roosevelt's motives. This should in no way discourage anyone from reading this gem of a book.
My highest regards and kudos goes to Mr. Brands for a most excellent contribution to my library.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Read
Review: I enjoyed reading this book! I had read Henry Pringle's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of TR written in 1931 and found it to be dated both in writing style and historical interpretation. Brands's 1990's update reveals little in the way of new data about this most interesting American, but it certainly brought to life in vivid detail a grand character the likes of which we shall not see again. Brands correctly compared TR's successful effort to construct the Panama Canal to JFK's push to send a man to the moon. Historians can argue about which has had the more lasting practical impact. In the diplomatic game of hawks and doves, Roosevelt was the leading raptor of his generation. While president, TR stared down German Kaiser Wilhelm in a shrewd reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine during a crisis involving Venezuela. One wonders whether his "big stick" approach to international affairs and the particular influence he had on Germany might have changed the course of world history had he been elected in 1912, when he ran as a Progressive. As Brands points out, Roosevelt himself was a historian of some note and served as President of the American Historical Association after leaving the presidency. The author quotes from a keynote address Roosevelt gave to one of the Association's meetings in which TR advocated for a romantic interpretation of history focussing on the qualities he idealized: principled bravery, heroism and moral certitude. Brands's account of TR's life pays homage to this approach, but is nevertheless even-handed. Roosevelt's personality eventually verged on being megalomaniacal; still, the story of the sickly, asmatic child molding himself through sheer determination into the great man he became is truly inspirational. I found this book a pretty quick read despite it being over 800 pages.
Rating: 
Summary: even handed portrayal of TR
Review: I enjoyed the insights into the negative as well as the positive aspects of his character. For me, he also lost some of the luster. For the most part, he seems incredibly self-centered. Absolutely no military experience & he's running around (& his mouth as well)in Cuba. Thank goodness he & Taft split the Republican vote...I shudder to think how many American lives would have been lost if we had entered World War I in 1914. The description of his tactics for the Panama Canal and engineering its revolt from Columbian rule was priceless.
Rating:
Summary: Bully??
Review: I found the book very pleasant and informative reading. Despite the 800+ pages, it took only a brief time to finish the entire book. The author allows TR to shine through in his own words as well as a generally sparkling narrative. One fascinating conclusion I drew from the book that TR was a man who became president about 10 years too early, then became an old(er) man with his glory days behind him. The last ten years of his life were spent twisting at windmills, bullying friend and foe alike while attempting to regain the power that he willingly gave up after 1909. Nonetheless, the book is a fine testament to TR's immense talents, ego and passion. TR was a great man, a great president, but not without his flaws.
Rating:
Summary: This is a good book
Review: I found this a good book, but not a great book. I did not enjoy it as much as the Franklin biography by Brands. He certainly had a compelling character to work with who lived in interesting times, and he didn't overdo the growing up pscyhological stuff, although there was some of that covered. Perhaps the biggest problem is that the subject's life was least glorious after he left the Presidency, when he was more jealous and irrational than he was before that.
Rating:
Summary: A great book about a great man
Review: I loved this book. It is a very real look at a great man. It shows him in a realistic way, all of his faults as well as his strengths. If you have ever been interested in TR this book is worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: I read this book almost non-stop. Why don't they teach History classes like this? Brands is a great writer, he has a flair for illustrating how the grand themes of life play out on the stage of human experience. He exposes the great inconsistencies of Roosevelt's life, in a way that does not attack him, but shows us how any man can triumph over his inconsistencies. Brands is such an entertaining writer, you don't mind the book being over 800 pages. It is well worth the time and gratifying. Being a black American I would have liked to have known more of his attitudes toward integration and civil rights. I would also have liked to have known more of his relgious veiws, but I am sure volume was a consideration. I have only recently started reading biographies and I think I picked a great one to start out with. If nothing else go to the bookstore and read the chapter in which his wife and mother die in the same day in the same house, it will give you an idea of Brands' skill as a writer... breathtaking..
Rating:
Summary: Clear and well-researched, but not too inspiring
Review: I read this simply because I felt I didn't know as much about Teddy Roosevelt as I wanted to, and this book appeared to be the best choice for remedying the situation. In that sense, this book was a definite success. Brands writes clearly and objectively, although he doesn't have the writing style to create a memorable phrase or an evocative sentence. If he has one overriding thesis concerning Roosevelt, it is that he (TR) was a throwback to the era of romantic heroes, and became popular and effective at exactly the time when America was looking for such a hero. It's a plausible thesis, but it is somehow insufficient to make the book catch fire. The book is a biography as opposed to a political history. If the purpose had been a close examination of Roosevelt's presidency or his accomplishments as a public official, it would have been very different. The time he spent as president is just one 7-year period in his life, and it is treated that way. So those of us who read the book for an in-depth treatment of the Roosevelt era in terms of governmental policies and decisions are likely to be disappointed. Did I come away with a greater appreciation of Theodore Roosevelt after reading this book? Definitely not. Roosevelt comes across to me as one of those politicians (Al Gore is another) who regard the lives of millions of American citizens as nothing more than the clay from which they will fashion their artistic masterpieces. It is the obligation of those millions of citizens to subordinate their own interests to the overriding purpose of creating a noble and heroic nation - "noble" and "heroic" to be defined, of course (in this case), by Teddy Roosevelt. I am appalled that he would have been considered to be the fourth person on Mount Rushmore in the company of Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson. (By the way, it is noteworthy and not surprising that Roosevelt despised Jefferson.) But I don't believe that Brands intended his readers to come away with the same opinion that I developed. He presents the facts as he sees them, and presents them evenhandedly. I think other readers with a more "progressive" political slant than mine will read this book and think TR was a wonderful guy. I haven't read any other books on Roosevelt, so I can't compare this one to anything else. But as a straightforward and unbiased account of his life, this book does a solid and satisfying job.
Rating:
Summary: Clear and well-researched, but not too inspiring
Review: I read this simply because I felt I didn't know as much about Teddy Roosevelt as I wanted to, and this book appeared to be the best choice for remedying the situation. In that sense, this book was a definite success. Brands writes clearly and objectively, although he doesn't have the writing style to create a memorable phrase or an evocative sentence. If he has one overriding thesis concerning Roosevelt, it is that he (TR) was a throwback to the era of romantic heroes, and became popular and effective at exactly the time when America was looking for such a hero. It's a plausible thesis, but it is somehow insufficient to make the book catch fire. The book is a biography as opposed to a political history. If the purpose had been a close examination of Roosevelt's presidency or his accomplishments as a public official, it would have been very different. The time he spent as president is just one 7-year period in his life, and it is treated that way. So those of us who read the book for an in-depth treatment of the Roosevelt era in terms of governmental policies and decisions are likely to be disappointed. Did I come away with a greater appreciation of Theodore Roosevelt after reading this book? Definitely not. Roosevelt comes across to me as one of those politicians (Al Gore is another) who regard the lives of millions of American citizens as nothing more than the clay from which they will fashion their artistic masterpieces. It is the obligation of those millions of citizens to subordinate their own interests to the overriding purpose of creating a noble and heroic nation - "noble" and "heroic" to be defined, of course (in this case), by Teddy Roosevelt. I am appalled that he would have been considered to be the fourth person on Mount Rushmore in the company of Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson. (By the way, it is noteworthy and not surprising that Roosevelt despised Jefferson.) But I don't believe that Brands intended his readers to come away with the same opinion that I developed. He presents the facts as he sees them, and presents them evenhandedly. I think other readers with a more "progressive" political slant than mine will read this book and think TR was a wonderful guy. I haven't read any other books on Roosevelt, so I can't compare this one to anything else. But as a straightforward and unbiased account of his life, this book does a solid and satisfying job.
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