Stacey A. Cordery reviews the final volume of Edmund Morris’s trilogy of the life of Theodore Roosevelt, Colonel Roosevelt. Cordery contends that with his final volumes on Roosevelt, Morris has restored his reputation as a biographer which had been damaged by his inventive biography of Ronald Reagan, Dutch. Cordery praises Morris for his “marvelous prose” and his ability to set a scene, but she balks at some of the language he employs, especially references to sexuality and race. Cordery asserts that Morris handles politics poorly, and that he pays insufficient attention to the women in Roosevelt’s life, especially his wife Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. Cordery believes that Morris has not adequately incorporated the latest in Roosevelt scholarship, but she recognizes that his work has made Roosevelt known to legions of readers and elevated his place in American culture. 

 

The front cover illustrations for all three volumes of Morris’s trilogy appear in the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2012

Creator(s)

Cordery, Stacy A.

Language

English

Period

Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)

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:

A splendid storyteller completes his magnum opus. [2012]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308480. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Cordery, Stacy A.. A splendid storyteller completes his magnum opus. [2012]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308480.

APA:

Cordery, Stacy A.., [2012]. A splendid storyteller completes his magnum opus.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308480.

Cite this Collection

Chicago:

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

MLA:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.

APA:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.