The May book pick for the Official Future Female Leaders Book Club is American Princess, a novel of Alice Roosevelt, by Stephanie Marie Thornton. Alice Roosevelt was the lively, trouble-making daughter of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt’s giant faces graces Mount Rushmore, but many conservatives don’t know that much about him, besides from his face on the mountain and his tendency to carry a big stick.
It is my hope that reading American Princess, or simply hearing about it, will inspire history lovers to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president. These books are a great place to start.
The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt
Regarded as one of the greatest Presidents of The United States, Theodore Roosevelt led a full and vibrant life that reflected his storied personality and presence. “The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt” is an invaluable literary work and a true gift to readers, as it is a glimpse into the psyche of such an enigmatic historical figure. Roosevelt led a life rich in accomplishments not limited to his being the youngest president in United States history.
Mornings on Horseback
Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as “a masterpiece” (John A. Gable, Newsday), it is the winner of the Los Angeles Times 1981 Book Prize for Biography and the National Book Award for Biography. Written by David McCullough, the author of Truman, this is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and almost fatal asthma attacks, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household in which he was raised.
The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform American Capitalism
Richly detailed and propulsively told, The Hour of Fate is the gripping story of a banker and a president thrown together in the crucible of national emergency even as they fought in court. The outcome of the strike and the case would change the course of our history. Today, as the country again asks whether saving democracy means taming capital, the lessons of Roosevelt and Morgan’s time are more urgent than ever.
Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense
“No more dramatic courtroom scene has ever been enacted,” reported the Syracuse Herald on May 22, 1915 as it covered “the greatest libel suit in history,” a battle fought between former President Theodore Roosevelt and the leader of the Republican party. Following the case through court transcripts, news reports, and other primary sources, Dan Abrams and David Fisher present a high-definition picture of the American legal system in a nation standing on the precipice of the Great War, with its former president fighting for the ideals he held dear.
The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History
Drawing on Roosevelt’s diaries and travel journals as well as Lunde’s own role as a leading figure in museum naturalism today, The Naturalist reads Roosevelt through the lens of his love for nature. From his teenage collections of birds and small mammals to his time at Harvard and political rise, Roosevelt’s fascination with wildlife and exploration culminated in his triumphant expedition to Africa, a trip which he himself considered to be the apex of his varied life.
The Crowded Hour: Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and the Dawn of the American Century
Both a portrait of these men, few of whom were traditional soldiers, and of the Spanish-American War itself, The Crowded Hour dives deep into the daily lives and struggles of Roosevelt and his regiment. Using diaries, letters, and memoirs, Risen illuminates a disproportionately influential moment in American history: a war of only six months’ time that dramatically altered the United States’ standing in the world. In this brilliant, enlightening narrative, the Rough Riders—and a country on the brink of a new global dominance—are brought fully and gloriously to life.
The Attempted Murder of Teddy Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt had been president for less than a year when on a tour in New England his horse-drawn carriage was broadsided by an electric trolley. TR was thrown clear but his Secret Service bodyguard was killed instantly. The trolley’s motorman pleaded guilty to manslaughter and the matter was quietly put to rest.
But was it an accident or an assassination attempt…and would there be another “accident” soon?
The Attempted Murder of Teddy Roosevelt casts this event in a darker light. John Hay, the Secretary of State, finds himself in pursuit of a would-be assassin, investigating the motives of TR’s many enemies, including political rivals and the industrial trusts. He crosses paths with luminaries of the day, such as best-pal Henry Adams, Emma Goldman, J.P. Morgan, Mark Hanna, and (as an investigatory sidekick) the infam ous Nellie Bly, who will help Hay protect the man who wants to transform a nation.
Theodore Roosevelt: A Literary Life
Of all the many biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, none has presented the twenty-sixth president as he saw himself: as a man of letters. This fascinating account traces Roosevelt’s lifelong engagement with books and discusses his writings from childhood journals to his final editorial, finished just hours before his death. His most famous book, The Rough Riders—part memoir, part war adventure—barely begins to suggest the dynamism of his literary output. Roosevelt read widely and deeply, and worked tirelessly on his writing. Along with speeches, essays, reviews, and letters, he wrote history, autobiography, and tales of exploration and discovery. In this thoroughly original biography, Roosevelt is revealed at his most vulnerable—and his most human.
1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft and Debs -The Election that Changed the Country
Four extraordinary men sought the presidency in 1912. Theodore Roosevelt was the charismatic and still wildly popular former president who sought to redirect the Republican Party toward a more nationalistic, less materialistic brand of conservatism and the cause of social justice. Chace recounts all the excitement and pathos of a singular moment in American history: the crucial primaries, the Republicans’ bitter nominating convention that forever split the party, Wilson’s stunning victory on the forty-sixth ballot at the Democratic convention, Roosevelt’s spectacular coast-to-coast whistle-stop electioneering, Taft’s stubborn refusal to fight back against his former mentor, Debs’s electrifying campaign appearances, and Wilson’s “accidental election” by less than a majority of the popular vote.
Now, two books for younger readers to learn about the man, the myth, and the president, or for older readers to dip their toes into the subject!
Who Was Theodore Roosevelt?
He was only 42 years old when he was sworn in as President of the United States in 1901, making TR the youngest president ever. But did you know that he was also the first sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize? The first to ride in a car? The first to fly in an airplane? Theodore Roosevelt’s achievements as a naturalist, hunter, explorer, author, and soldier are as much a part of his fame as any office he held as a politician. Find out more about The Bull Moose, the Progressive, the Rough Rider, the Trust Buster, and the Great Hunter who was our larger-than-life 26th president in Who Was Theodore Roosevelt?
Teddy: The Remarkable Tale of a President, a Cartoonist, a Toymaker and a Bear
The story goes that on a hunting trip in 1902, President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear. A political cartoonist shared the story in the newspaper and then, impressed by the president’s big, warm heart, shopkeepers Rosie and Morris Michtom decided to create a “Teddy” bear in his honor to sell in their store. The bear was so popular, they made another. And another. And before they knew it, they needed to build a factory: it seemed every child wanted a teddy bear of their own!
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