Theodore Rex

An entertaining eloquent portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt as the President of the United States. From the unexpected assassination of President William McKinley, assuming the Presidency, then winning the Presidential election after 3-1/2 years in office, and subsequently, his continued impact upon America and the world, including, the Panama Canal, the successful mediation between Japan and Russia, the establishment of national parks, and, reconfirming the Monroe Doctrine in South America. The Author skillfully resurrects Roosevelt to life. One can almost hear Teddy enthusiastically proclaim "DELIGHTED" or "BULLY" -- his favorite expressions. In 1908, Roosevelt was eerily prophetic in asserting that war with Japan would ultimately happen. He declared "... war with Japan ... would [occur] one day.... The surerst way to postpone it ... was to prepare for it as much as possible, and show evidence of a steely willingness to fight" (Page 534). He was proven correct as Pearl Harbor was devastated 33 years later in 1941, which led to the U.S. participating in WWII, and commanded by his nephew, President Franklin Roosevelt. Theodore's active naval enlargement defined his foreign policy of dealing from strength: "We infinitely desire peace, and the surerst way of obtaining it is to show we are not afraid of war" (Page 229). Although lacking the elusive charismatic flair of the Author's first volume, overall, this book was engaging, detailed, informative. And, at times, subtlety humorous. For instance, in peacefully concluding the possible precipitous conflict with the Columbians at Panama, "... [Columbian] Colonel Torres ... [finally] agreed to accept an 'indemnity' of eight thousand dollars ... [and was] sent a farewell gift of two cases of champagne" (Page 293). Thus, violence was averted. If all hostilities could be so easily solved with money and alcohol.

"Theodore Rex," the sequel to presidential biographer Edmund Morris's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," is a thorough examination of the seven years Theodore Roosevelt (TR) spent in the White House as the 26th President of the United States. It picks right up where "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" ended - with the assassination of TR's predecessor, William McKinley. It ends on March 4, 1909, when Roosevelt reluctantly surrendered the reins of power to his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft. By today's standards (or at least the standards set by the political pundits in the media), a President's overall "greatness" seems to be guided by whether or not he was responsible for at least one major positive accomplishment during his term(s) of office, while at the same time avoiding any major blunders. If you apply these standards to Theodore Roosevelt as he is portrayed in "Theodore Rex," he arguably ranks as one of the five greatest Presidents in our Nation's history. Not only was he responsible for "one" major accomplishment - he was responsible for many. As Morris points out, Theodore Roosevelt, more than any President before him, and maybe since, transformed the Presidency from an almost figurehead-like office into what it is today: the most prominent and powerful office in the world. In "Theodore Rex," Edmund Morris abandons the highly controversial literary device he used when writing "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan" (in which he placed himself as a fictional observer of events), and wisely returns to what he does best: writing Presidential biographies with his stylishly crisp, clear, and highly entertaining prose. Never once does he let the pace of his eloquent narrative in "Theodore Rex" flag. I found myself immediately "hooked" while reading this superb book's first few pages. TR's means of handling his assumption of the Presidency after the assassination of William McKinley is a dramatic story in itself, and it's deftly handled by Morris. Nearly all of the major events of TR's presidency are handled with equal skill. "Theodore Rex" is a highly detailed and polished narrative that places both TR and his presidency in a decidedly positive light. Roosevelt is portrayed as a highly principled man, almost puritanical in his values, and unwilling to compromise on most deeply felt issues. Morris allows TR's youthful vigor, optimism, progressivism, and hunger for approval to shine through on every page. "Theodore Rex" shouldn't be mistaken as an exercise in hagiography, though. It is, at its heart, a scholarly, judicious, and finely balanced biography. Throughout the book, Morris provides an incisive analysis of Roosevelt and what he accomplished during his seven years as President. Successes and failures, good judgments and misjudgments... all are presented in equal measure. Of all the Presidential biographies I've read in recent years, "Theodore Rex" is one of the best. This eagerly anticipated sequel to "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," written twenty years after its Pulitzer Prize-winning predecessor, is certainly its equal in quality of writing, scholarship, and insightful historical analysis. Not only that, but it's a great read!

ルーズベルトの名は知っていても、軍人出身の大統領で、先の世界大戦のときの人という程度の豆知識しかなかったのですが、ボブ・ウッドワードのプラン・オブ・アタックの中でジョージ・W・ブッシュがイラク戦の前のテキサスの自宅牧場で読んでいたという記述に出会い、興味をもって購入しました。強烈なキャラクターの主人公であるだけでなく、伝記中の伝記とアメリカで言われているだけあって、物語の展開などは巧みで、ルーズベルトの詳細はどうでもよい私のような読者も退屈することなく読めました。また、文章がいいので、抄本版のCDも買い、英語の勉強のために聞いています。たまたま読んだ本に引用されていて、厚い本なのに安いから買った程度の動機でも十分に満足できるものでした。

quello che cercavo

This is a terrific and very detailed biography of Theodore Roosevelt's presidential years. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about this great American president.

Detalhada biografia de um grande presidente.

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris is a very good book detailing the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. It is a well-written, informative and detailed work outlining the effect that Roosevelt had upon both the office of the President and the United States. Theodore Roosevelt was a politican of firm views. A supporter of the market system, who nevertheless saw its flaws and inequities, he worked to reform a system which seemed stacked in the favour of cartels and monopolies. A Republican who was not afraid to challenge his own party on a variety of issues - although this ultimately caused problems and storred up resentments for the future - and was willing to use his undoubted popularity to appeal to the wider electorate in order to bring about change. A conservationist and a global statesman whose actions and measures preserved millions of acres of wilderness, but who was also one of the driving forces behind that great monument to industrial progress, the Panama Canal. Overall, an excellent book examining the extraordinary presidency of a remarkable man.