Edmund Morris and Jonathan Marosz - Theodore Rex

Pros: very in depth account of a great president
Cons: Only covers seven and a half years

Theodore Roosevelt is a historical figure that has always intrigued me. Among the American presidents, he has always been one of the more interesting ones. Roosevelt remains one of the most intriguing and charismatic figures in all of American ...

Pros: Scholarly without being stuffy; highly entertaining; fair and balanced.
Cons: None

My most recent literary sojourn into the world of Theodore Roosevelt (TR) ended when I finished the 555th – and last – page of Theodore Rex, the masterful second volume of Edmund Morris’s planned three-volume biography of the 26th...

Pros: elegant writing, fascinating insights, full of interesting incidents and people
Cons: nothing much I can think of...

"Theodore Rex" is part two of historian Edmund Morris' planned trilogy on the life of Theodore Roosevelt. The first volume, 1979's Pulitzer winner "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", focused on Roosevelt's pre-White House career, his days as a Rough Rider...

Pros: Interesting narrative of Theodore Roosevelt's Presidential administration.
Cons: The complex political situations require your full attention.

Theodore Roosevelt felt that he deserved the presidency. He was a man of vision who had great plans for the United States, but he ended up getting roped in as William McKinley’s vice-presidential candidate. Providence intervened when an anarchist named...

Pros: Quite fair and balanced, with a ton of supporting facts
Cons: Overwritten in spots

Here's the first bit of good news regarding Edmund Morris' book on Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, "Theodore Rex": There's no imaginary narrator. You might recall that Morris used one in his biography of Ronald Reagan, and he received a great deal of...

Pros: Probably the most complete contemporary biography of TR.
Cons: May be a little too deeply detailed for some.

What an experience to be President during one of the best periods of American life -- before the Depression and World Wars, when America was young and optimistic. I have always liked the period in American history from 1880 to 1910 -- despite problems,...

Pros: Excellent quality of writing. A masterful job of research.
Cons: The few illustrations were great, but would have liked more.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Rex and a future volume on TR's later years will eventually comprise a trilogy written by Edmund Morris on the man. The first book won the Pulitzer Prize for Morris in 1980. This second version is certainly worthy...