Finished January 2024 – Audible
This book is one of the top biographies I have ever read. Starting the book I knew relatively little about Theodore Roosevelt’s life. The Rise is the first part of a three-volume series about Theodore Roosevelt. It covers his life from birth to the moment he heard the news of the death by assassination of President William McKinley, making him the new president. Edmund’s writing is elegant and poignant, narrative biography at its finest.
Born and raised in New York, Roosevelt was an asthmatic, fragile child who worked hard to become a man. His journey from boyhood to adulthood is a story of virtue, ambition, and determination. He was both a scholar and a rugged outdoorsman. Growing up in an affluent family and being homeschooled gave him opportunities to travel the world and pursue various ventures. Roosevelt fell in love with the Dakotas, spending lots of time hunting in the untamed west. He built a ranch in North Dakota, adding to his cowboy persona. Yet, he also became a Harvard graduate, accomplished historian, and popular author. A book was never far away from young Theodore.
Roosevelt’s early life was not without tragedy. His first wife, Alice, died suddenly of undiagnosed kidney failure shortly after the birth of the couple’s only child in 1884. To add more agony, Roosevelt’s mother passed away coincidently within hours of Alice. The next day Roosevelt made a journal entry marked with an X saying, “The light has gone out of my life.” Overcome by grief he would rarely speak of Alice for years.
One of the most interesting sections of the book describes Roosevelt’s time as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary of the Navy, John D. Long, routinely left major decisions to Roosevelt. He used this influence to lead the US into a major naval buildup culminating in a conflict called the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt was resolved to experience battle in Cuba and formed a special new army regiment nicknamed the “Rough Riders.” After the war he became the governor of New York and the Vice-President of the United States.
I enjoyed this page turner very much. I give it a 10 out of 10.
Page Turner Book Blog by Kyle Page 