Book Reviews

A collection of Theodore Roosevelt’s speeches in North Dakota and two novels, a Western and an account of the Spanish American War in Cuba, comprise the works under scrutiny in the “Book Reviews” section. John A. Gable praises James F. Vivian’s The Romance of My Life: Theodore Roosevelt’s Speeches in North Dakota because it brings to life speeches which had not previously been published and because it demonstrates Roosevelt’s “long and affectionate relationship with the state and people of North Dakota.” Elizabeth E. Roosevelt likes Brian Garfield’s Western “Manifest Destiny” which portrays the people and events of Roosevelt’s time in Dakota from 1884 to 1886, with the Marquis de Mores playing the role of the villain. Perry D. Floyd also likes Remember Santiago, which he calls “fictional oral history,” despite the fact that Roosevelt and his Rough Riders are largely absent from the story.

Gable concludes the section with an essay, “TR in Fiction,” in which he argues that the revival of interest in Roosevelt has led to his appearance in many novels and may lead to readers searching out more nonfiction titles about him. But Gable also warns that there is a danger that the fictional portrayals will lead to a distorted picture of Roosevelt in the public mind.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1989

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.; Roosevelt, Elizabeth E.; Floyd, Perry D.

Language

English

Period

Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)

Page Count

3

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Magazine article

Rights

No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.

Citation