Theodore Rex

Edmund Morris has written a king-sized, grab-the-man biography of Theodore Roosevelt, which is well-deserved given his two terms as president (1901–1909). "TR" is a perfect example of the "can do" American; his well-known adage was, naturally, "Speak softly but carry a big stick." Morris uses the voices of the creators and shakers to convey firsthand history. Readers will be enthralled by his thrilling story, which offers much-needed validation that our country can produce presidents who can lead on important problems, stay true to their goals, and influence the course of whole countries.

Following President McKinley's death, the 43-year-old TR was given a difficult administration, one that Morris is a wise advisor on. At home, TR had to persuade Congress to curb competition-stifling corporate trusts, monopolistic transcontinental railroads, and unhygienic food industries that saw consumers as sheep. Conflict over labor and race also challenged him. The Russo-Japanese war threatened significant power changes in the Far East and Europe, the American presence in Cuba and the Philippines drew criticism, and a difficult choice had to be made over the Central American canal route: Panama or Nicaragua? TR conquered every obstacle. He read widely, wrote a lot, and traveled a lot in spite of the responsibilities of family and social life. Finally, TR added the preservation of natural resources and national parks to the legislative agenda.

Prominent contemporaries of TR, such as novelist Owen Wister, historian Henry Adams, robber barons James J. Hill and E. H. Harriman, poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, financier J. P. Morgan, fellow politician William Howard Taft, civil rights activist Booker T. Washington, and naturalist John Burroughs and John Muir, appear onstage, their distinct voices projecting the excitement of the day.

Morris has the creativity and writing skill to create compelling popular history. He presents a narrative that instantly piques curiosity and grabs the attention, without diluting but rather illuminating the occurrences. Readers will observe that throughout TR's administration, American interventionism abroad—today's central issue—was hotly contested as key interventional imperatives posed a challenge to the emerging superpower's longstanding practice of relative moderation in international affairs.

Theodore Rex is the long-awaited second volume of the TR saga. Morris published The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the first book, in 1979. It was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, and Theodore Rex is a good choice for one more.

(Peter Skinner)