T.R.: The Last Romantic
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.83 (774 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0465069592 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 928 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-07-01 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
As the centennial of the Spanish American War approaches, Roosevelt is once again in the news, and this excellent biography may well get its share of attention?and awards. Highly recommended for all libraries.?Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. But as America's romantic era ended abruptly on the battlefields of France in 1918, Roosevelt's life ended as well. From Library Journal Prolific Texas A&M historian Brands (Reckless Decade, LJ 11/15/95) makes his first venture into biography with this lengthy book on Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt's often tragic life?his first
His historical writings, which Brands quotes from extensively, are nothing if not a portrait of a boy’s endless macho fantasies. It was not just the energy he brought to every political office he held or his unshakable moral convictions that made him so popular, or even his status as a bonafide war herothe man who led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American war. Determined that his four sons would not dishonor his belief that men, to achieve their manhood, must test themselves in war, he arranged for each to serve, often in the frontlines, during WWI. Most important, Theodore Roosevelt was loved by the people because this scion of a privileged New York family loved America and Americans.And yet, according to Bill Brands, if we look at the private Roosevelt without blinders, we see a man whose great public strengths hid enormous personal deficiencies. His only concern when his brother Elliot, who had been his only friend as a child, became an alcoholic was to hide the news from the public. His youngest son Quentin would die in that cause.Beautifully written, powerfully moved by its subject, TR is nonethel
An Entertaining Read A Customer 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 . Richard Quarles said A Solid, but Uninspired, Biography. The early years of T.R.'s life are well defined and interesting in this solid biography. However, once T.R becomes President things seem a bit rushed. It's almost as if the author lost interest in his subject once he entered the White House.Brands is sympathetic, but even-handed in his assessments of Roosevelt's' strengths and faults. One easily accepts Brands premise that much of Roosevelt's life was spent over-compensating for his early frail health and is as amused as the author clearly is a. Four Stars Eva W Myer Long and tedious, but worth the effort. Amazing information.