The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

A winner of the National Book Award, Morris’ majestic work is the first in a trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt.

A wonderful stylist and prodigious researcher, the author focuses on the formative years of (1858-1901) the man who became the nation’s 26th president. Morris develops a gripping narrative that demonstrates the incredible intellectual and physical vitality that made T.R. such a legendary figure.

While I enjoyed Morris’ prose it was his incredible research that helped me the most. Investigating every archive relating to Roosevelt, Morris’ book allowed me to discover a source that was critical in articulating my argument about… show more.

No one has ever attacked life with fervor like Theodore Roosevelt, and that caused him to descend into increasing darkness every year after his presidency. Morris spent the better part of his adult life researching and writing about his subject, and he found the core of TR and painted the ultimate work picture of him with a marvelous flair for description.

A landmark of political biography, Morris’s trilogy is epic in scope and length. Among its many strengths is Morris’s ability to match wits with Roosevelt, clearly and compellingly explaining his forays into everything from ranching to antitrust policy to international diplomacy. There is a touch of hagiography here, though not wholly unwarranted.