Colonel Roosevelt
-
-
4.7 • 56 Ratings
-
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • “Colonel Roosevelt is compelling reading, and [Edmund] Morris is a brilliant biographer who practices his art at the highest level. . . . A moving, beautifully rendered account.”—Fred Kaplan, The Washington Post
This biography by Edmund Morris, the Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning author of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, marks the completion of a trilogy sure to stand as definitive.
Of all our great presidents, Theodore Roosevelt is the only one whose greatness increased out of office. What other president has written forty books, hunted lions, founded a third political party, survived an assassin’s bullet, and explored an unknown river longer than the Rhine?
Packed with more adventure, variety, drama, humor, and tragedy than a big novel, yet documented down to the smallest fact, this masterwork recounts the last decade of perhaps the most amazing life in American history.
“Hair-raising . . . awe-inspiring . . . a worthy close to a trilogy sure to be regarded as one of the best studies not just of any president, but of any American.”—San Francisco Chronicle
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Having followed his 1979 classic, Pulitzer-winning The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, with a fine account of his presidency, Theodore Rex, in 2001, historian Morris returns to top form in this enthralling story of Roosevelt's life after leaving office in 1909. As Morris says, TR's presidency was an impossible act to follow. The outgoing chief executive (1858 1919) welcomed his successor, William Howard Taft, and left the country for a year, but on his return plunged back into politics, angry at Taft's backsliding on reform. The rank-and file adored Roosevelt, but Republican leaders didn't, so he abandoned the party for the historic three-way 1912 campaign, during which two progressives, Roosevelt and Wilson, battled it out, and Taft came in third. Despite losing, only death interrupted Roosevelt's outpouring of political maneuvering, journalism, scholarship, exploration, and profuse, generally unwelcome advice to President Wilson. Like Robert Caro with Lyndon Johnson, Morris has devoted a career to one man with equally impressive results. This is a witty, insightful biography combined with a vivid political history of America from 1910 to 1919, centered on a relentlessly energetic ex-president. It is a joy to read. 64 illus.; 2 maps.
Customer Reviews
Colonel Roosevelt
To read and immerse yourself in this 3 volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt is the fastest way to learn that the lessons learned in the early 20th century are lessons that apply perfectly still to the early 21at century.
Great subject matter-unnecessarily cluttered
I have always been fascinated by the life of Theodore Roosevelt and have read several books and articles about him, among those are the two previous books by this author.
I have to say that if he had intended that this book only be read by professional historians and others within the academic community, he should have said so at the outset.
Mr. Morris should be commended for the depth of research obviously done to produce this book, however it is unnecessarily peppered with words and foreign language terminology that I have never heard in my six decades of life nor am likely to ever hear again, with no hint in the surrounding text as to their meaning.
Mr. Morris should realize that not all admirers of historical figures, as important to our national identity as this one, are Intellectuals but we still deserve to learn about them
As I stated earlier, I've read the earlier two volumes, however, this one I'm quitting on page 71.
A Perfect End
The long awaited third book in Morris's trilogy does not disappoint. He has worked on the story of one of our most interesting and diverse presidents for over 30 years. The evidence of his ardent research is made apparent in this book.