Tweed Roosevelt examines five different types of books about Theodore Roosevelt, ranging from biographies to other works in which he plays only a marginal role, and Roosevelt cites several examples of each. Roosevelt also identifies four “really, really bad books” about Theodore Roosevelt, but he focuses on James Bradley’s The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War. Roosevelt details some of the shortcomings of Bradley’s book, including unnecessary numbers of footnotes, unsubstantiated claims against Theodore Roosevelt, and selective use of quotations. Roosevelt also considers how authors manage to publish and publicize such bad books, and he cites the unwillingness of reviewers to write negative reviews and the historical ignorance of those who interview the authors.

Eight photographs and two illustrations supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2010

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Tweed

Publication Date

2023-10-05

Language

English

Period

Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)

Original Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Page Count

6

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

Cite this Record

Chicago:

Forgotten fragments (#8): Really, really bad books. [October 29, 2025?]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308384. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Roosevelt, Tweed. Forgotten fragments (#8): Really, really bad books. [29 Oct. 2025?]. Image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308384.

APA:

Roosevelt, Tweed.: , [2025, October 29?]. Forgotten fragments (#8): Really, really bad books. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308384.

Cite this Collection

Chicago:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.

APA:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.