Description
Book SynopsisTheodore Roosevelt (18571919) was the most literary of American Presidents, writing scores of books, including Through the Brazilian Wilderness and African Game Trails. He was also the most active of American writers. In little more than six decades, Roosevelt was, among many of his activities, a rancher, historian, reformer, New York City Police Commissioner, renowned hunter, New York State Governor, conservationist, Vice President of the United States, and 26th President of the United States. What is less known is that Roosevelt was also one of the great epistolary writers, penning more than 100,000 letters. This collection brings together over 1,000 of Roosevelt's most engaging and revealing letters, ones that fully illuminate the private man and the public figure. Herein, Roosevelt corresponds with family, friends, colleagues, and political opponents. He discusses private matters, politics, military strategy, conservation, diplomacy, higher education, women's rights, literature,
Trade ReviewTheodore Roosevelt was at his energetic, opinionated, and delightful best in his correspondence. Brands's admirable edition of his letters is the best possible introduction to one of our greatest presidents. -- Donald Herbert Donald, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Charles Sumner and Lincoln
The letters provide a vivid reminder of Roosevelt's forceful prose and the depth of his reading. For comprehending Roosevelt's volcanic and shrewd temperament, nothing can match reading his correspondence. * Los Angeles Times *
'Teddy' was in many ways the quintessential American, and this collection of more than 1,000 letters to Jefferson Davis, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Booker T. Washington, Woodrow Wilson, and cousin Franklin, to mention just a few of T.R.'s countless correspondents, reveals both the private citizen and public official who shaped America's politics and national character. * Denver Post *
What a treat it is now to be able to enjoy the letters of Teddy Roosevelt, one of the nation's most intellegent, colorful, and important personalities. -- Paul C. Nagel, author of Descent from Glory and John Quincy Adams
With H. W. Brands's briskly and knowledgeably edited The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, readers can tap into TR's inner intellectual and emotional life. . . . Roosevelt is a captivating writer. A reader of extraordinary breadth, he lived a good deal of his life among highly crafted language, and it shows in the sheer pleasure that he took in putting words on paper. -- Christine Stansell * The New Republic *
To immerse oneself in these letters is to understand exactly what Henry Adams meant when he wrote that Roosevelt displayed 'the quality that medieval theology assigned to God—he was pure act.' * Claremont Review of Books *
Brands organizes the letters chronologically into six chapters, with brief introductions to each and minimal annotation. The main criterion for inclusion was 'to illuminate Roosevelt—not necessarily the events or persons of which he wrote'—a goal that Brands admirably achieves. The TR who emerges from these pages appears in all his inquisitiveness, intelligence, energy, and eclectic interests, as well as his stubbornness and biases. Recommended for all libraries. * Library Journal *
These highlights of Roosevelt's voluminous and candid correspondence . . . perfectly reflect the high-hearted combativeness of his spirit. * American Heritage *
Arranged in chronological order from his youth to his dotage, these missives—addressed to an astonishing array of family, friends, and prominent literary, political, and cultural personae—offer an intimate glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of one of the most talented and multidimensional of all the U.S. presidents. Rich in character, context, and content, this superb collection of letters will appeal to both dedicated scholars and casual admirers of Theodore Roosevelt. * Booklist *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Blessed Youth, 1858–1881 Chapter 2: Making His Way, 1881–1889 Chapter 3: Public Servant, 1889–1898 Chapter 4: Hero, 1898–1901 Chapter 5: President, 1901–1909 Chapter 6: The Most Famous Man in the World, 1909–1919
