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Theodore Rex (Modern Library Paperbacks) (Audio CD)
by Edmund Morris
| Category:
Biography, Political skills, American history, Great American presidents |
| Market price: ¥ 408.00
MSL price:
¥ 368.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A bully book about a towering epic character, a great president, this awesome biography is simply a historical masterpiece. |
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AllReviews |
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The Washington Post (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
In Edmund Morris, a great president has found a great biographer... Every bit as much a masterpiece of biographical writing as The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
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Times Literary Supplement (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
As a literary work on Theodore Roosevelt, it is unlikely ever to be surpassed. It is one of the great histories of the American presidency, worthy of being on a shelf alongside Henry Adams’s volumes on Jefferson and Madison. |
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The New York Times Book Review (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
Take a deep breath and dive into Theodore Rex, Edmund Morris’s sequel to his 1979 masterpiece, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt... He writes with a breezy verve that makes the pages fly.
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San Francisco Chronicle (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
A shining portrait of a presciently modern political genius maneuvering in a gilded age of wealth, optimism, excess and American global ascension. |
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Bill Slocum(MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
Can historians write literature, meaning not just books but works of art, which inform a reader about a specific historic event or character in a way that is artistically expressive?
Of course, and it's been done as long as histories have been written. These histories-as-art work better when the historian doesn't get carried away with his or her artistic expression, and that is what ended up bothering me, slightly but naggingly, with this otherwise excellent, very readable follow-up to The Rise Of Theodore Roosevelt.
The problem begins right away, when we get a detached opening section detailing the arduous journey Vice President Roosevelt takes after the assassination of President William McKinley. Edmund Morris can write, alright, and he doesn't mind showing off, as he spends 40 pages describing every bit of visual detail and some extrapolated thought balloons from Roosevelt and those around him in those confused early hours leading to his inauguration.
Morris did something very much like this in "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," where he started things with a flash-forward to a reception at the White House. That was a brilliant table-setter. The opening here, far longer and fuller of itself, is more of a snooze-inducer.
Morris can write and he does have a great story to tell, which he does with greater economy after the rough start. His impressive wit and command of the times shine through, as when he notes Roosevelt's early identification with conservatives, "wealthy Republicans who belonged to the Union League Club, read the North American Review, and were coldly polite to butlers."
One of the aspects of Roosevelt's presidency that makes him so fascinating is how that cozy view would be challenged in his time in office, starting with his inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner and then escalating as he hacked away at the trusts that threatened to coil America into plutocratic peonage.
He was the "big stick" president, and Morris shines especially when detailing how Roosevelt applied means fair and foul in gaining for his country a "pathway between the seas" that would launch American hegemony over the hemisphere. Yet Roosevelt could be quite circumspect about his use of power. "We are too big a people to be careless in what we say," he observes as the Germans threaten Venezuela.
Morris has fun with the 1904 election, a blowout for Roosevelt in which he was opposed by a sleepy appeals-court judge Morris describes as "gray enough to defeat the new science of autochrome photography". At times, he OD's on snark with Maureen Dowd-type gusto, giving short shrift to the people around Roosevelt as a means of demonstrating Roosevelt's greatness. He works his thesaurus overtime to get in as many digs on William Howard Taft's fatness as possible; even the poor man's telegrams are described as "Brobdingnagian."
The book took a while to read, but was worth it. If it's not as good as Morris's first book, it's better than most histories I've come across, written in an intelligent, coherent style that at time, yes, approaches high art.
Roosevelt would have approved: "When the history of this period is written down, I believe my administration will be known as an administration of ideals." |
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David Levine (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
This book covers Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, opening with his finding out that President McKinnley died from a gunshot wound and describing Roosevelt's trip from the Adirondacks to Buffalo, NY, where the body lay. Although Roosevelt certainly did not want to ascend to the presidency in that manner, it was an office that he aspired to and he assumed his new duties with great enthusiasm. As he took the oath of office, Roosevelt became the youngest president ever, as he was only 42 years old. Since McKinnley died fairly early in his second term, Roosevelt was left with nearly a full term.
Author Edmund Morris paints a portrait of Roosevelt as an outgoing character who still had a bit of the child in him. For example, when he was happy about something, he chortled "hoo hoo" in a falsetto voice. When playing tennis, he was seen hopping on one leg and gloating good naturedly. Yet, he was a formidable figure who set out an ambitious agenda. He seemed to have had good instincts in race relations. He almost immediately met with Booker T. Washington after he took office and then shortly thereafter, he had Washington as a dinner guest in the White House. Unfortunately, there was backlash from many whites and from many in the south. Ultimately, in his second term, Roosevelt seemed unable to deal with the pressure on this issue and dishonorably discharged every member of a black army unit in Brownsville, TX after allegations that some of the soldiers had rioted and engaged in gunfire that led to fatalities. This was done without hearings for each of the individuals discharged. Soldiers who were not allegedly involved were still discharged since it was assumed that they must have known something and were engaging in a coverup.
There were several crises during his two terms including the Russo-Japanese War which he successfully mediated. For that, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. When he took office, there were allegations of prisoner abuse by American forces in the Philippines. There were calls for investigations. Hmmm, it seems that things don't change as the same allegations, about American forces in another part of the world, are made today (I am not passing on the validity of the allegations, but rather, am commenting on the similarity of the issues). In attempting to get a treaty approved by Columbia, regarding the construction of a canal across the isthmus, Roosevelt gave covert support to Panamanians in their revolt against Columbia. Accordingly, Panama became an independant nation and the long stalled canal project finally got moving. Roosevelt also had to deal with a major crisis when Germany threatened Venezuela in order to collect a debt that was owed. Roosevelt responded by invoking the Monroe Doctrine and adding a corollary stating the the United States could intervene to enforce debts owed to other nations.
Roosevelt's domestic agenda was full also, as he enforced antitrust laws and mediated a serious labor dispute in the anthracite coalminers strike. Roosevelt also acquired lands for national parks. Indeed, in a short time, he more than doubled the acreage of parkland.
Roosevelt groomed Secretary of War William Howard Taft to be his successor. There was a movement to draft Roosevelt for a third term but he vigorously resisted these efforts. When Taft was nominated, he somewhat distanced himself from Roosevelt in order to appear to be his own man. Perhaps this planted the seeds of a later split between Taft and Roosevelt but, to find out, we must await another volume about Roosevelt's post presidential years since the book ends with his leaving office. There is an earlier volume, written by Morris, on Roosevelt's prepresidential years. However, this book stands well on its own and can be read without reading "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" first.
Morris also gives portraits of Roosevelt's family. Most interesting was his daughter Alice, the only child from his first marriage. She was, in today's pallance, "high maintenance" and must have been quite a handful for Roosevelt. For example, she wanted a very expensive red roadster.
This book is fast moving and I truly felt that I got to know Roosevelt and his personality. I highly recommend Theodore Rex. |
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Erica Boros (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
Edmund Morris captures the times and the person with marvelous descriptions of contemporary events, people, places and the newsmaking headlines of the era. What struck me most about the book is how personable Theodore Roosevelt seemed to be... although born to wealth, he seemed in touch with the common people, too. He had a sense of how unique the United States was on a global scale in terms of world events and politics. He had a rare genius for balancing the interests of the rich and the ordinairy hard-working man... This skill and gut instinct knowledge no doubt earned him re-election to the Presidency for a second term. It is something *ALL* elected officials today could stand to develop and apply in modern times.
Many controversial concerns of the era captured my attention: some outstanding ones were how the U.S. presence in the Phillipine Islands made headlines as news of misconduct by U.S. soldiers toward Phillipine guerilla fighters was published in the newspapers. Another headline making event was when Theodore Roosevelt invited Dr. Booker T. Washington (a black man) to dinner at the White House, without consulting anyone or thinking about how this might play out politically (he needed Southern votes for certain issues). Despite being a highly educated man, Theodore Roosevelt had a unique personality that made him jump in feet first and consult later of what the consequences of his actions were. This open and honest personality trait no doubt earned him the respect of the majority of the public.
Some of the most difficult issues of his day involved creating a satisfactory treaty with Columbia regarding the Panama Canal, at the time Panama belonged to Columbia. Nicaragua was the second choice for the canal which would link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and ease up shipment of goods throughout the world ... The revolution in Panama to break from Columbia placed the U.S. in a very delicate position on the world scene ... Roosevelt, his Ambassador to Columbia, and the U.S. Navy circumvented the problems to meet U.S. and global trade interests. The times were indeed very unique but on many levels not too different from today ...
Two other areas thoroughly covered by Morris are the Anti-trust laws which were passed after much heated debate and political clashes. The law prevented the wealthiest men from creating monopolies within certain industries ... mainly the railroads and fuel/oil. Another well rendered account in the book was the coal miner strike in Pennsylvania which could have had very grave consequences for the nation. It mostly affected the northern states, since coal was the sole source of fuel and heat during the winter months.
Overall, this was a highly fascinating book which covered a great deal of important U.S. history as it was lived and created by one of the most flamboyant and energetic U.S. presidents: Theodore Roosevelt. Morris interspersed interesting side-lights about his second wife Edith, eldest daughter Alice, and sons, Quentin and Teddy. Some of Roosevelt's hunting expeditions and visits out West were described. One of the most important ideas espoused by Roosevelt was conservation, to set aside specific public land for future generations to enjoy. We can thank Theodore Roosevelt for preserving the Grand Canyon as a national park. He is the first President who can be properly labelled an "environmentalist" (despite enjoying hunting wild animals). Lastly, Morris does a superb job of describing Roosevelt's relations with some of his selected Cabinet, Elihu Root, Secretary of War, for example, and other political contemporaries, for instance, William Howard Taft, who succeeded him as President. Considering the vast and complex subject matter, this book is an outstanding reading experience. |
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Ralph White (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
It is difficult to imagine how different the world would be now if not for Theodore Roosevelt. He was driven by a moral certitude which may have disappeared forever from the American political landscape, and he changed the country and the world for the better. When concensus proved impossible, he forced his will through, reforming the essense of Americanism. See the last two pages for Edmund Morris's lengthy catalog of the achievements of Roosevelt's administration, and try to imagine how he achieved them, mostly in the face of implacable opposition. Morris's book is scholarly, yet accessible, and every one of it's 555 pages of text is entertaining. For instance, in the course of this history book, you will learn how the Teddy Bear came to be named. This story of eight years in the making of America will make you proud. |
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J. Minde (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
Theodore Rex, Edmund Morris' second volume in a planned three volume biography of TR, begins seamlessly where The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt ended: At the pinnacle of Mount Marcy, highest point of New York State with TR looking west toward Buffalo, where the mortally wounded William McKinley lay dying.
Theodore Rex begins with TR climbing down a mountain in motion toward the White House and it ends with TR on a train in motion away from the White House. The intervening 600 pages are a study in constant motion, as the youngest President of the United States became the catalyst of world-altering change. The United States entered his first term as a provincial hemispheric democracy; it exited his last term as a cosmopolitan world superpower. Much of the reason for that was TR by himself, who dragged the rest of the country (including an often-recalcitrant Congress) behind him, a comet and its tail.
Unlike The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt , which focused powerfully on the personal elements which formed this extraordinary man, Theodore Rex is less a biography of TR during his Presidency as it is a biography oF his Presidency. The Roosevelt family, so crucial to him, are largely relegated to the background; only his wife Edith and his daughter Alice are fully fleshed out in these pages, Alice somewhat more so than her stepmother (despite the reputed influence that "Edie" had on so many of TR's decisions). This seems an odd lacuna, but a footnote buried in the back refers the reader to (Mrs. Edmund) Sylvia Morris's biography of Edith Roosevelt for a fully-formed picture of family influence upon the President.
For the reader, Theodore Rex is more remote and dignified than the young "Teedie" Roosevelt who was a-rising, but that may be as much the result of Morris's necessary reliance on "official" records and the nature of Presidential hautre, as much as any element in Roosevelt himself during this era in his life.
This short shrift aside, Morris does a splendid job of recreating the halcyon era of the first President Roosevelt. He was a man far ahead of his time, concerned with race relations, conservation, foreign affairs, and controlling the untrammeled growth of monopolies. Morris's scholarship of TR's two terms is exhaustive. The endnotes form a small book, and are interesting, in themselves.
Roosevelt made errors (he invited Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House, inflaming Dixie passions to a fever pitch just as he took office, and later dismissed a Black regiment at Brownsville, Texas en masse for insurrection on highly questionable, highly incomplete evidence, setting a destructive precedent in African-American relations with the Federal government), and was often tactless, both with some more conservative sectors of the public who began to think him a madman, and with members of Congress, some of whom grew to hate him outright: "Nobody likes him except the voters."
But Roosevelt was also the most dynamic of the Presidents, excepting Lincoln and his own cousin FDR, in that he dramatically expanded the powers of the Presidency and the influence of the Federal government in regulating business and the economy. Laws establishing general labor standards and health standards were passed (often by main force) during his time. These laws, collectively the "Square Deal," were the underpinnings of FDR's New Deal three decades later. He created the Panama Canal, the technological miracle of the age.
Roosevelt delayed the start of the First World War by brokering a peace between Russia and Japan (winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts), by masterminding the Algeciras Conference between the European Powers, and by creating a new United States Navy of all-steel battleships, the Great White Fleet.
TR enjoyed being President. He was a genial, playful, childlike, and sophisticated renaissance man with a golden heart, a sense of noblesse oblige, and the force of temperament needed to lead the United States into the twentieth century. It was impossible not to have an opinion about TR. As one observer said, "You meet him, go home, and wring the personality out of your clothes."
Some of TR's problems sound strangely familiar and modern: He worked to curb the growing self-interested economic, social and political power of Trusts, those giant corporations that controlled the American economy (some still do). He engaged in gunboat diplomacy with a Middle Eastern government over the fate of an American hostage. He squabbled with the conservatives in his own Republican Party about the bounds and balance of power. He faced economic crises that put Wall Street at risk. His was the first modern Presidency.
His answers to the problems of the day were moral and ethical and offered America a new vision of itself. He saw the White House as "a bully pulpit" to address the American people. He led by his own example and by his own convincing arguments. Morris clearly adores his subject, but it would be hard not to find such a man engaging.
It would not be stretching the point too far to say that our present leadership could learn a few things from emulating Theodore Roosevelt. |
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Dennis Philips (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
Edmund Morris has done an admirable job in this book of detailing the presidential years of Teddy Roosevelt. Be aware however that there are a number of things that Morris does not handle well. For example, Roosevelt's relationship with his family is seldom mentioned. Basically, the Roosevelt family is pretty well ignored. His eldest daughter, Alice gets some attention but not much. To Morris' credit, Roosevelt's very intense relationship with his family would have been impossible to fully cover in this volume. An entire book could be written just about the father-daughter relationship with Alice, let alone Edith and the rest of his brood. When Edith is covered she comes across as a pretty hard to like snob. Maybe she is left out so as not to muddle the warm feeling the reader will develop for T. R. Still, Morris could have given a little more attention to what T. R.s family was up to and how it might have influenced him. One of the very things that makes David McCullough's biographies so wonderful is his ability to weave his subject's family life into their professional life. Morris has done a good job but he is no David McCullough.
Morris however does an excellent job of including Roosevelt's associates in his narrative. John Hay in particular comes across as someone who is somewhat uncertain of how to take T.R. and is often swept aside by his sometimes rash boss. On the other hand, the reader will easily begin to see that Hay and Roosevelt bonded in such a way as to end in a deeply affectionate relationship. His relationships with the rest of his entourage are well covered also as one gets a pretty full picture of their interaction. Morris has also done an excellent job of presenting Teddy's relationship with several members of Congress, including GOP stalwarts such as Mark Hanna and Joseph Foraker, along with a few Democrats like "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman. Through these relationships one gets a very clear picture of the President as he moves with great political skill, picking a fight here, and spreading manure there to get his way. It becomes very clear very early in this book that Theodore Roosevelt was one of the great politicians of all time.
The Roosevelt foreign policy is a little harder to figure as his decision making process, if indeed there was one, is a little hard to fathom. It is clear of course that he is an imperialist but some of his actions regarding conflicts in Europe defy description. Although he spent a large amount of time in Germany in his youth, Roosevelt come across as very anti-German. In a sad comment on Roosevelt's style of leadership, he seems to have sometimes made judgments based on the advice of his favorite tennis buddies. The French Ambassador being one of his favorite tennis opponents might help to explain the President's attitude toward Germany.
After being elected on his own in 1904, Roosevelt made a leftward shift and began pushing even more progressive reforms. The shift is clear in this book but not much discussed and in fact much more than half of the book is taken by the first term. In dealing with the second term the author seems to dwell on the President's legislative successes and mostly ignores the many things Roosevelt unsuccessfully tried to push through Congress. Unfortunately, the failures may much more clearly illustrate the real Roosevelt than the successes and again an opportunity to more fully understand the subject of the book is lost. Morris does however touch on Roosevelt's growing admiration for William Jennings Bryan, a clear indication of the President's leftward shift.
Morris has put together a book that is sometimes very informative and sometimes a little lacking in depth. It is overall a very good book and is a well-written and easy to read volume. Some of the more personal antidotes dealing with T. R. are excellent and Morris certainly had an interesting subject to work with. Unfortunately, one never gets the feeling of really knowing Roosevelt. There is a lot of fascinating information here but I can't help but feel that something is missing. Still, I highly recommend this book because while it may come up a little short of the mark, it is no doubt the best work on Roosevelt's presidency to date. |
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