Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 973.911092 EAN: 9780679767336 ISBN: 0679767339 Label: Vintage Manufacturer: Vintage Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 752 Publication Date: 2004-02-10 Publisher: Vintage Release Date: 2004-02-10 Studio: Vintage
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Editorial Reviews: He inherited a sense of entitlement (and obligation) from his family, yet eventually came to see his own class as suspect. He was famously militaristic, yet brokered peace between Russia and Japan. He started out an archconservative, yet came to champion progressive causes. These contradictions are not evidence of vacillating weakness: instead, they were the product of a restless mind bend on a continuous quest for self-improvement. In Theodore Roosevelt, historian Kathleen Dalton reveals a man with a personal and intellectual depth rarely seen in our public figures. She shows how Roosevelt’s struggle to overcome his frailties as a child helped to build his character, and offers new insights into his family life, uncovering the important role that Roosevelt’s second wife, Edith Carow, played in the development of his political career. She also shows how TR flirted with progressive reform and then finally commited himself to deep reform in the Bull Moose campaign of 1912. Incorporating the latest scholarship into a vigorous narrative, Dalton reinterprets both the man and his times to create an illuminating portrait that will change the way we see this great man and the Progressive Era.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: A Great, Interesting Book Comment: I have used this book for my term paper and would say that sometimes I got off track because the book was so interesting. Dalton has a witty and funny writing style and I feel as if I am reading a thriller. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Customer Rating: Summary: A superb biography Comment: This isn't only a superb biography of an interesting man, it is also a superbly written book. TR is endlessly fascinating because his contradictions were worn on his sleeve, so to speak. But since, throughout history, and very much today, there are so few politicians who have a conscience, TR remains highly admirable despite his shortcomings. That he continued to grow as a human being, that he cared about the people he was elected to serve, and that he was willing to fight for what he believed in, until the very end of his life, seems astonishing in our current day and age. A bit of a strenous read, this strenuous life, at almost 800 pages, but well worth it. Customer Rating: Summary: Sparse On Details, Long On Feelings Comment: As readers of my [...] reviews are aware, I have read several biographies of Theodore Roosevelt. "Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life" presents TR from a different perspective than most other books. Focusing less on events and more on emotions, this book examines the relationships and issues which made TR's life strenuous. This book helped me to appreciate aspects of Roosevelt's life that I had not picked up in other biographies. From this one I got a better appreciation of the relationship between TR and his wife, Edith. Whereas other books give the impression of an idyllic family life at Sagamore Hill, this one examines the tensions between Edith and Alice and parents and children, without destroying the overall impression of successful and affectionate family. More than others, this book delves into the health of both Theodore and Edith. Theodore's life long asthma and Edith's incapacitating illnesses are things of which I had not been previously aware. I was impressed by the presentation of TR's post-presidential career. I became aware of his involvement in the 1910 gubernatorial race in New York and the possibility that he, himself, might have become a candidate. Author Kathleen Dalton seems obsessed with TR's radical, final years. His involvement in the development of the Progressive Party and his interaction with Fighting Bob LaFollette make for interesting reading. TR's later years are presented as times of frustration for a man of action bereft of influence. This was a period during which some of TR's long time friends and supporters, including Henry Cabot Lodge, remained true to their principles rather than to their friendship with him. This book is relatively sparse on details but thick with themes and emotions. Showing less what TR did, this book explains more about what he felt. From my reading of this book I learned some things that I did not know about TR. One test that I apply to a book is whether it whets my appetite to read more. This one passes that test. I now want to know more about Bob LaFollette, Henry Cabot Lodge, the Progressive Era and what Theodore Roosevelt really stood for. I do not recommend this as a first TR biography, but it is a worthwhile read for the veteran Tedhead. Customer Rating: Summary: Excellent, concise treatment of TR's life Comment: This is an outstanding, comprehensive account of TR's life. Dalton's characters really come to life; she gives them emotional dimension, which is difficult for some biographers to convey over a span of 100 years or more. She also makes a nice effort to present a balanced portrait of Roosevelt. Her depiction of his post-White House years and the 1912 campaign are particularly enlightening. This was my first attempt to read a complete biography of TR, and it was a pleasure! Customer Rating: Summary: Tough Task---good effort Comment: Like so many buyers of this book, I have read a few books on the subject of TR's life. The author gives herself a tough task and comes close to making it in grand style. Her readability style could have been more user friendly. Her facts are great, but at points it is a little slow. I think she lacks the TR electricity that pulses through his life----a rare trait to capture in an historical book. Nevertheless, the book is enjoyable and is a good, but not a great read.----a solid 4 star effort! More Reviews