Colonel Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt)

Only America, and more precisely, only that America which existed between 1850-1918, could have produced Teddy Roosevelt. Every once in a while a character springs to life about whom it can be said that he or she is truly an extra-ordinary person, and have that be, quite literally, true. There is often much to admire about such a person, and that is true of T. R. There is also, just as often, much which may be criticized, and that is true of T. R. also, and in spades. However the net result of such a life is that it inspires the rest of us very-ordinary folk to shoot a little higher, strive a bit more and to recognize that, after all, one individual can make a difference. Edmund Morris' trilogy is superb. I read them as they were published though with a bit of a delay. Biographies fall into that category of "night-time, before I go to sleep, read a few pages and turn off the light", reading. When each book runs upward of 700 pages of tightly constructed prose, it takes a bit of time to get through on that type of schedule. Each of these books however are amenable to that approach. One must be able to "pick up where one left off" without having to go back and review. The writing must stimulate mental images which involve the reader in the material. The subject matter must be interesting and personal and not just endless recounting of facts, figures, policy details, etc. which numb the mind and break the concentration. These books all possess those qualifications and are highly readable. But if Morris' writing is the proper instrument to convey the information, it is ultimately the subject which determines the worth and no mortal sinner ever walked this earth who was more interesting than T. R. The man was simply prodigious. How do you encompass a man who: (1) wrote a detailed study of the Naval War of 1812 before he was 25, a work which continues to this day to be a primary reference for any scholarly commentary on that subject, (2) was a recognized expert naturalist who not only wrote regular articles on various aspects of it but was also commissioned by the Smithsonian to supply samples, specimens and analysis of flora, fauna and geography across the globe, (3) was a cowboy & deputy sheriff in the still wild west, (4) raised the "Rough Riders" and lead them in battle in Cuba, (4) was an effective and energetic Police Commissioner in New York City, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York, Vice-President and then President of the United States, (5) winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and was actually deserving of it, (6) was the organizing power and principle for a serious third party alternative to the Democrat and Republican political system, (7) carried an assassin's bullet in his chest until he died, (8) fought off multiple bouts of malaria contracted in his explorations in South America and Africa, and .... well, it goes on and on. T. R.'s correspondence ranged from kings to plumbers. He was never late for a publishing deadline and had a nearly infallible memory for details of reading, conversations and acquaintances. His preserved correspondence numbers in the hundreds of thousands of pages in a day when hand writing or dictation was all that was available. No one was neutral about T. R. His infectious charm made him at home with virtually every head of state in his life-time and many sought his advice even after he had passed his political zenieth. He was a man to be reckoned with in whatever he undertook to do. The best description of him, I suppose, is that he was a boy who never quite grew up. Whether playing with his kids or his beloved grand-children, he delighted in energetic activity. Passionate in everything, he was explosive in his anger, mostly controlled to some extent in his public dealings but never so in private. His disgust, mostly well merited, with Woodrow Wilson verged on mania. One of his first public actions was to propose, as a brand new, virtually unknown delegate, that a black man be nominated to the chair of his state political convention. This was unheard of in the late 1800's but it is representative of T. R.'s mind-set. He was a compromiser par excellence in pursuit of objectives but he never abandoned those objectives and saw compromise as only a step in the process. T. R. was not religious and hence there was lacking in him that spiritual depth that would have, perhaps, reigned in some of his more egregious characteristics. He was, in his own terms, an advocate of "righteousness" (hence my title above). But T. R.'s brand of "righteousness" took Stoic, Spartan pride to new heights. He was fiercely moral but only according to his own defintion of it. There was a blood-thirsty tinge to most of his life and he thought war a means of purifying the national character and developing its virtue. This lead to him flinging his four sons off to the front in WW I and using all of his political skill to get them posted to combat elements. His sons served with distinction but one, his youngest, did not survive and the others were all deeply affected by the horror that they saw. T. R. never quite recovered from that. I do not agree with all of T. R.'s political agenda but his far sighted vision and impact cannot be denied. Perhaps his greatest legacy, humanly speaking, is the National Park system and the present ecological emphasis. He was an elitist in virtually every aspect of his personal life but he never lost sight of the common man during a time when the common man was not very high in political concerns. His brand of Progressiveism is foundational to that which goes by the name today but I doubt seriously that he would agree with where it is now registering. His nationalism would place him far afield from the present advocates of that system. All in all, this is a man who registers most vividly what America once was and will never be again, for good or for evil. I would most highly recommend Morris' work. Too many Americans today are ignorant of their history and their heritage. These books will acquaint the reader with not only a man but the nation in which he lived and one cannot help but gain from having that additional depth in his perspective.

Finally... after three decades, Edmund Morris, Theodore Roosevelt's greatest biographer, has completed the third and final volume of his Theodore Roosevelt trilogy. In 1979, Edmund Morris began his three decades-long project to chronicle the life and times of the 26th President of the United States, when he published "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," a masterful, Pulitzer Prize-winning look at Theodore Roosevelt's early life. "Theodore Rex," the second volume, appeared 22 years later. It covered Roosevelt's 7 ½ years as President of the United States, and ended with his departure from Washington, DC at the end of his elected term in 1909. "Colonel Roosevelt," Morris's superbly written third volume of his Theodore Roosevelt (TR) triptych, was published in November 2010. This book traces the final ten years of Theodore Roosevelt's life. These were the years of Roosevelt's "retirement," although it becomes plain from the book's outset that "retirement" for TR was anything but a time of relaxation and leisure. In many ways, the years 1909-1919 were the most crowded of TR's all-too-brief life. They were, in the end, also the most frustrating and tragic. These were the years when TR made an unsuccessful attempt at a third term as President; went on an African safari; made an exploration of the Amazon River is South America; and saw four of his sons go off to Europe to fight in World War I. Three of his sons return as heroes, but the youngest - Quentin - is killed in action. Theodore Roosevelt's last years are spent quietly at his Sagamore Hill home. His grief over Quentin's death never leaves him; yet he takes great pride in the wartime accomplishments of his three remaining sons. By the end of World War I, TR is exhausted and his health is in steep decline. His weight has ballooned. He suffers from rheumatism and heart problems. On January 6, 1919, he dies at his Sagamore Hill home. He is only 60 years old. As he did with "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and "Theodore Rex," Edmund Morris proves again with "Colonel Roosevelt" that he is a master of the biographer's art. Employing prose that's always lively, eloquent, and entertaining, Morris paints a wonderfully detailed portrait of Roosevelt in his last years. Although Edmund Morris displays an obvious affection for his subject, "Colonel Roosevelt" is a fair and balanced biography, Morris combines an intellectually stimulating and literate historical narrative with brilliantly insightful historical analysis. What I find most impressive about "Colonel Roosevelt" - indeed the entire trilogy dedicated to telling Theodore Roosevelt's story - is how seamless and detailed a tale Morris is able to weave. Theodore Roosevelt's life was comprised of so many "crowded hours" that the task of presenting it in a manner that is comprehensible to general readers must have been daunting for Morris. Yet that is exactly what he so masterfully accomplished. All three books read almost like a set of novels. They present Theodore Roosevelt's life in a manner that makes each volume very hard to put down. Colonel Roosevelt is an extremely readable, highly entertaining, and factually impeccable concluding volume of Edmund Morris's trilogy dedicated to the life of Theodore Roosevelt. As he did in "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and "Theodore Rex," he completely captures the essence of this towering early twentieth century figure, making him totally relevant to today's readers. Highly recommended! Note: This review updated June 21, 2015.

Exquisite vernacular. An extraordinary astute landscape of global drama amidst ex-President Theodore Roosevelt's activities through to his eventual decline. A skillfully crafted mosaic of his life after the Presidency; including, the breathtaking African safari, King Edward's lavish funeral, the hazardous Brazil river excursion, WWI. The Author's subtle humor enhances throughout. For instance, "A swim was proposed .... Captain Sprinkle of the motorboat effectively cautioned that there was a large shark in the water. The critters tended to operate like U-boats, off landfalls" (Page 428). Each of the Author's three Volumes comprising Roosevelt's biography possesses a unique distinctive personality: the 1st Volume portrays an exuberant charismatic energy which received the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize; the Second Volume is a somber narrative of his White House dictates along with his impressive Presidential accomplishments; and, the 3rd Volume (herein) is touchingly poignant. Enthusiastically recommend ALL to fully understand this dynamic colossal figure. Moreover, the Author references, at times, the noteworthy historian Henry Adams who befriended Roosevelt. For more of Henry Adams, please see, his outstanding book "History Of The United States Of America During The Administration Of Thomas Jefferson" (1890), containing both the First and Second administrations. A captivating expose.

This final volume of Morris' trilogy covers the last decade of Teddy Roosevelt's life. It is terrific reading and worthy of another Pulitzer. A larger than life character in all ways, TR is fascinating but not always admirable. His egotism lead him to despise and oppose his successor Taft and, later, to attempt to undermine the pre war policies of Wilson. His bombast and jingoism met their match in the horrors of the First World War, which included personal tragedy for him and his family. Morris' writing is fresh and insightful. Highly recommended.

Der dritte und letzte Teil der Biographie über Theodore Roosevelt, eines Mannes, der nie aufgehört hat, für seine Überzeugungen zu kämpfen. Das Buch setzt nach dem Ende seiner zweiten Amtszeit als Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten im Jahr 1909 ein und findet seinen Höhepunkt in Roosevelts Bruch mit der konservativen GOP und der darauffolgenden Gründung der Progressive Party im Jahr 1912, wodurch TR als Bull Moose unsterblich wurde. Abschluss der Lebensgeschichte eines wahren Patrioten, die nichts an ihrer Aktualität verloren hat.

Great ending to Edmund Morris's saga about Theodore Roosevelt. A must-read! Great lessons about this crucial period of American History

I reviewed very favourable the first two volumes - 'The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt' and 'Theodore Rex' - of Edmund Morris's biographical trilogy on the life and times of the 26th President of the United States. I reviewed them favourable because I thought that they were great works. I have been looking forward to reading the third and final volume, 'Colonel Roosevelt,' and it's just as the others are - great. The paperback book itself contains 766 pages of which about 150 are devoted to source notes. This is proof in itself that Mr Morris has done a massive amount of research, much of it original and hitherto unpublished. Research is vital to success in biographies, no matter how well-known the subject of the biography. Hundreds of books have been written about the first President Roosevelt (a distant cousin of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the second one) and this trilogy must be the definitive study and it is, in my opinion, by far the best that I have read. 'Colonel Roosevelt' takes the reader through the subject's extraordinary adventures (some of them not for the squeamish) in Africa, his 'state visits' to many European nations and his failed attempt to regain the presidency as a Progressive in 1912. The campaign included a serious assassination attempt which 'Bull Moose' Roosevelt brushed off: he just carried on speaking. He succeeded then in humiliating his own Republican protégé, the fat and lazy William Howard Taft, and letting in another political enemy, the then less progressive Democrat, Woodrow Wilson. Smarting from the 1912 election, the Colonel took off for a tour of South America which came close to killing him - again. He campaigned unsuccessfully for the Republicans in the 1916 election and against the over-intellectual and over-idealistic President Wilson subsequent to the election. Despite illnesses stemming in part from his jungle trips, Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt was still considered a likely winner for the GOP in 1920. This was not to be for the Colonel died - of a broken heart (?) - at his home, Sagamore Hill, Cove Neck, New York, on the 6th of January, 1919, at the age of only 60. I'm not an enthusiast for the Republican Party but Colonel Roosevelt, the progressive, was its most remarkable leader. He was truly progressive, well ahead of the thinking of his times. He was almost European in his outlook and his sophistication and, though an enthusiast for the Allies' cause in the so-called 'Great War,' he was also a lover of peace. There has not been a Republican like him since his sad passing. Subsequent GOP and Democrat leaders (including cousin FDR himself) appear as pygmies when measured in historical terms. Edmund Morris's extraordinary and extraordinarily researched and well-written trilogy is an essential for any serious student of American politics and world affairs in the 20th century. A footnote: I was probably mistaken in my suspicions regarding the relationship of Colonel Roosevelt and Major Archibald Willingham de Graffenreid Clarendon (Archie) Butt. The latter, quite possibly a 'gay,' left his former boss and close friend to become just as close to the fat and lazy Taft. Butt went down with the Titanic in 1912 and Taft was truly bereft - as was Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.

In 1912 Roosevelt told an audience which included members of the American Historical Association that without "very accurate, very real and vivid, presentation of the past" historical writing would degenerate into sterile jargon. Mr Morris's biography of the Colonel meets Roosevelt's criteria. It reads like an exciting novel - but one where the reader knows the basic elements of the plot beforehand. And which of us does not re-read a great novel even though we know the story line? I read the first two volumes years ago, but when I enquired about this third volume I was told it had not been published. How glad I was to find recently, after re-reading the other two that it was now available. The whole series is surely one of the finest biographies ever written. Roosevelt was one of the most complex but inspiring of politicians, and Mr Morris lets us enjoy and wonder at his career.