Jundt, Duane G. (Duane Gerald), 1965-

Duane G. Jundt finds flaws and strengths in two books that chronicle Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the Dakota Badlands. Jundt notes that Michael F. Blake’s The Cowboy President: The American West and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt lacks historical objectivity and contains numerous factual errors while Christopher Knowlton’s Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West places Roosevelt and his ranching experience in the wider context of the American West. Jundt highlights both books’ treatment of Owen Wister’s 1902 novel The Virginian. Jundt also examines certain aspects of these books against works by other Roosevelt biographers, and he asserts that both books emphasize the importance of Roosevelt’s time in Dakota to developing his conservation conscience.

The front cover illustrations for both works under review and a postcard of a cattle branding scene accompany the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2020

Duane G. Jundt praises Michael R. Canfield for providing context for the development of Theodore Roosevelt as a naturalist and for a nuanced discussion of his hunting in Theodore Roosevelt in the Field. Jundt also praises Canfield for his exhaustive research and for his frequent use of examples from Roosevelt’s journals and notebooks to illustrate his work. Jundt indicates that the book plows familiar ground, and he faults Canfield for not providing maps to Roosevelt’s many outdoor adventures and for not discussing the importance of eyeglasses to Roosevelt’s development as a naturalist.

Five excerpts from Roosevelt’s natural history notebooks and journals, a photograph of Roosevelt, a letter, and the front cover of Canfield’s book populate the review. A text box with the mission statement of the Theodore Roosevelt Association appears at the end of the essay.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2018

In his review of A Most Glorious Ride: The Diaries of Theodore Roosevelt, 1877-1886, Duane G. Jundt takes stock of the content of the diaries, highlighting aspects like Theodore Roosevelt’s religious life before and after the death of his parents and first wife. Jundt asserts that the diaries provide glimpses into the evolution and maturation of Roosevelt, and praises the contextual essays penned by the editor Edward P. Kohn, but takes issue with Kohn’s grasp of Roosevelt’s time in the West and his contention that Roosevelt’s life in the eastern seaboard proved more important than his tenure in Dakota and the larger West.

An excerpt from the diaries, three photographs, and the front cover of the book accompany the review. An advertisement for a book about Ronald Reagan by Theodore Roosevelt Association Trustee Gene Kopelson appears on the last page of the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2015

Duane G. Jundt chronicles Theodore Roosevelt’s life-long fascination with birds, extending from his youth to his executive action as president in establishing the nation’s first fifty-one bird preserves. Jundt highlight’s Roosevelt’s penchant for identifying birds by their songs and calls, and he notes Roosevelt’s fondness for the meadowlark and his ability to observe and write eloquently about the birds he encountered. Jundt describes the context that led Roosevelt to establish bird refuges, including the threat to birds posed by the women’s hat industry and his views on presidential power. Jundt concludes his essay with a discussion on Roosevelt’s fondness for birding at his Long Island home, Sagamore Hill.

Two photographs, two Power Point slides created by Jundt, four antique bird conservation card illustrations, and a stereoscope card populate the essay.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Duane G. Jundt reviews two large format picture books, a biography, and a special issue of Cobblestone magazine, all devoted to the topic of Theodore Roosevelt. Jundt finds that the illustrations outshine the text in both To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt and in The Camping Trip That Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks. Jundt finds fault with some of the works for assigning heroic qualities to all of Roosevelt’s actions, but he notes that the works do reflect changes in historiography with their emphasis on Roosevelt’s commitment to conservation. He closes the review by sharing that all of the works under consideration highlight Roosevelt’s role as a father. 

A stereoscope card showing Roosevelt speaking, the front covers of Who Was Theodore Roosevelt? and Cobblestone magazine, and the logo of the Theodore Roosevelt Association populate the essay.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2014

In his review of John J. Miller’s The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football, Duane G. Jundt notes that Theodore Roosevelt does not figure prominently in its discussion of the problems facing college football in the early twentieth century until relatively late in the book. Jundt praises Miller for providing a well-written examination of the place football occupied in American culture, but he contends that Miller relies too much on speculative language in describing a football summit organized by Roosevelt, and he also asserts that Miller overstates Roosevelt’s role in saving football from those who would have banned it. 

Photographs of the football coaches of Yale and Harvard and the front cover illustration from The Big Scrum supplement the text.

Duane G. Jundt reviews six children’s books on Theodore Roosevelt for readers ages four and up. The titles include a novel, graphic novel, a large format picture book, and biographies. Jundt assesses each work with an emphasis on each title’s attention to historical accuracy, and he highlights the illustrations and their effectiveness in conveying the story found in each book. Jundt finds the oversized picture book biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, What to Do About Alice?, the best title in the group due largely to the illustrations of Ed Fotheringham. 

The essay is populated with seven illustrations from Cheryl Harness’s The Remarkable Rough-Riding Life of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Empire America.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2010

Duane G. Jundt reviews six children’s books on Theodore Roosevelt and one on Ethel Derby Roosevelt published between 2003 and 2006 and intended for readers ages five to fourteen. Jundt looks at the historical errors and shortcomings of the titles, and he emphasizes the importance of the illustrations to these works aimed at young readers. Jundt also highlights the strengths of each title, and he notes where some works fall short not by what they include but by the topics they fail to address. A photograph of Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt reading to two of her sons accompanies the review essay.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2007

Creator(s)

Jundt, Duane G. (Duane Gerald), 1965-