Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Review

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Overview

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 father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR's first love. All are brought to life to make "a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail", wrote The New York Times Book Review.

A book to be read on many levels, it is at once an enthralling story, a brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. It is a book about life intensely lived, about family love and loyalty, about grief and courage, about "blessed" mornings on horseback beneath the wide blue skies of the Badlands.

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The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks)

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks) Review

Bottom line: this was one of the finest, if not the finest, books I've ever read.

Having read this book's successor, "Theodore Rex," previously (which I reviewed favorably), I figured this book would be similarly dense and, though enjoyable, somewhat challenging at times. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I read this book in about two weeks despite its length (albiet with very little else to do), and I was easily reading over 50 pages in a sitting. Morris tells TR's life story with such passion and vitality that it is easy to forget that you are reading about a real-life character. Early on, some of TR's exploits are hard to relate to, as he was a typical upper-class young man of the day whose experiences are totally foreign, extravagant, and, to be frank, downright strange (the word "twit" kept popping in my mind throughout the first hundred pages or so).

That said, Morris still makes things interesting and it is once Roosevelt starts going on his trips to the West and running for the New York Assembly that the story really comes to light. TR's life is nothing short of incredible, and Morris does such a great job at pointing out the major events in his life that I had no problem distinguishing what TR did during each phase of his life, both professional and personal. My favorite part of the book was towards the end (it kept getting better), when TR becomes Assistant Secretary of the Navy and leads the Rough Riders across Cuba, thought Morris discusses episodes from throughout his life. Punching out deadly cowboys, killing wild beasts, facing down Indians and bandits, and running through a hail of Spanish rifle fire stand out in my mind, but there are countless examples of Roosevelt's unbelivable exploits, all tied together masterfully in this book.

Morris's greatest achievement in this book is making the reader truly want to be like Roosevelt. Especially if you are in some sort of leadership or managerial position, this is a must read. Roosevelt had his weaknesses, to be sure, but his strengths come to light in Morris's account, and I actually found myself striving to be like Roosevelt at work (trust me, this has never happened to me before after reading a book, particularly regarding someone that died nearly a century ago). Roosevelt is the embodiment of a born leader. He overcame adversity (physically, at least) from birth, took unpopular stances consistently throughout his distinguished career, yet still won over those for whom he was responsible and did things others deemed impossible.

I would reccomend this to anybody. Read this book. You won't regret it.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780375756788
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks) Overview

Described by the Chicago Tribune as "a classic," The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt stands as one of the greatest biographies of our time. The publication of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt on September 14th, 2001 marks the 100th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt becoming president.

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