History--Book reviews

Thomas R. Lounsbury thanks Theodore Roosevelt for writing regarding his book on Robert Browning and recent article published in Harper’s Weekly. Lounsbury believes the fervor around Browning has died out, but enjoyed a review in the North American which called Lounsbury “the apostle of lawlessness” in language. Lounsbury does not believe composition should be abolished in colleges, but does think forcing students who do not gain from it is a waste of time for the student and instructor. Lounsbury is pleasantly surprised by the letters he has received sympathizing with his opinion in his published article, something he has not experienced before.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-15

Creator(s)

Lounsbury, Thomas R., 1838-1915

Police Commissioner Roosevelt believes that Professor Frederick Jackson Turner was correct about the inadvisability of the tone Roosevelt used when writing about Thomas Jefferson. Roosevelt compliments Turner’s article in The Atlantic Monthly and discusses the West. He asks Turner to let him know in advance when he plans to visit New York so that they can have lunch.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1896-12-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Police Commissioner Roosevelt responds to Professor Frederick Jackson Turner’s review of his fourth volume (most likely referring to The Winning of the West), explaining that he was not able to conduct a more thorough historical investigation because he was busy with other work. He argues that his judgment was sober in relation to his views of Thomas Jefferson.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1896-11-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Civil Service Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt was pleased to discover that Professor Frederick Jackson Turner was the reviewer for The Winning of the West. Roosevelt agrees that there are new fields for research in Western history, although he “has always been more interested in the men themselves than in the institutions through and under which they worked.” He admires Turner’s pamphlet and hopes that Turner will write a serious work on the subject. Thanking Turner for his references to the Canadian Archives, he notes that the land companies were perhaps “more important on paper” than in their actual effects. Roosevelt mentions that he is a busy man and that he is tempted to “get entirely out of political life.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1895-04-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Civil Service Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt discusses Professor Frederick Jackson Turner’s review of two volumes of The Winning of the West. Although Roosevelt planned to write about the Yazoo land claims in the fourth volume, Turner’s criticism has led him to believe that he did not put enough emphasis on the proceedings of the different land companies in his previous volumes. Roosevelt asks where he can find descriptions of land companies in the Canadian archives. He notes that he was not able to use the Draper manuscripts for the first two volumes, although he has since been able to obtain copies of the originals.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1895-04-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

This is a book review for Marquis de Barral-Montferrat’s de Monroë à Roosevelt (From Monroe to Roosevelt). This review appears in the “histoire” (history) section of De la librairie plon (From the Plon bookstore). The book examines President Theodore Roosevelt and the Monroe Doctrine.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-01

Creator(s)

Unknown

Many recent reviews of Luther Hess Waring’s book, The Political Theories of Martin Luther, draw parallels between Luther and Theodore Roosevelt. Accordingly, Waring sends Roosevelt a copy of the book with his compliments, and hopes he finds it interesting.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-06

Creator(s)

Waring, Luther Hess, 1865-1941

Confederate Army General Wright attests to the accuracy of Archibald Gracie’s manuscript “The Truth About Chickamauga.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-18

Creator(s)

Wright, Marcus J. (Marcus Joseph), 1831-1922

Lyon Gardiner Tyler sends President Roosevelt a copy of his new book on Williamsburg, Virginia with pleasure. It includes a chapter on William and Mary College, which Roosevelt expressed kind sentiments about during a luncheon they both attended. Tyler would appreciate if Roosevelt could take the time to write a commendation for the book.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-15

Creator(s)

Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, 1853-1935

James M. Strock reviews Jon Knokey’s Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of American Leadership and praises it for its treatment of Theodore Roosevelt’s leadership of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War. Strock notes that the book traces the dual emergence of Roosevelt and the United States as leaders, and he commends the work for its treatment of Roosevelt’s early years. Strock concedes that much of what is covered in Knokey’s book is familiar, but he deems it worthwhile because of Knokey’s perspective as a younger scholar.

The front cover illustration of the book accompanies the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

In his review of Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense: The Courtroom Battle to Save His Legacy, James M. Strock notes that its authors, Dan Abrams and David Fisher, are especially well-suited to tackle this subject because of Abrams’s extensive legal background and Fisher’s work on a prior courtroom drama book. Strock praises the authors for placing Theodore Roosevelt and his testimony in a 1916 libel trial at the center of the work, and he notes that Roosevelt handled himself well during the trial given his familiarity with legal issues stemming from his time as a law student at Columbia University to his friendship with the highly respected lawyer Elihu Root.

The cover illustration from Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense and a photograph of Roosevelt supplement the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2020

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

In his review of Theodore Roosevelt: A Literary Life, Joseph R. Ornig highlights the remarkable number of books written by and about Theodore Roosevelt, and he finds that the latest entry, a literary biography penned by Thomas Bailey and Katherine Joslin, fills a niche and reminds readers of Roosevelt’s impressive intellectual range. Ornig reviews the few other works that have addressed this topic, including his own, and he provides an overview of the careers of Bailey and Joslin. Ornig concludes his essay by reviewing the wide range of works produced by Roosevelt in the course of his writing career.

Four illustrations supplement the text, including a photograph of Roosevelt and the front cover of Theodore Roosevelt: A Literary Life.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2019

Douglas Eden dismisses Stephen Kinzer’s The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of the American Empire as a piece of polemical journalism that should not be taken seriously as a work of history. Eden asserts that the work will appeal to certain segments of the academy and media, and he highlights episodes from the early years of the Cold War to demonstrate the author’s bias and lack of understanding of key events of that era, such as the start of the Korean War. Eden also notes that despite appearing in the book’s title, Mark Twain does not figure prominently in the work. The front cover of the The True Flag and one of its photographs supplement the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2018

Creator(s)

Eden, Douglas

Gregory A. Wynn writes that his criticisms of Michael Cullinane’s Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost: The History and Memory of an American Icon amount to “merely quibbles,” and he states that it is thoroughly researched and well-written. Wynn highlights the work of Kathleen Dalton, Henry F. Pringle, and John A. Gable in his review, and he describes the wide ranging topics addressed by Cullinane, including the work of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) in safeguarding the memory of Theodore Roosevelt. Wynn notes that Cullinane’s work should serve as an inspiration to members of the TRA to continue the organization’s work.

Two photographs, including one of Cullinane, supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2018

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

Mark E. Episkopos asserts that Theodore Roosevelt resides at the center of Mark Lee Gardner’s Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill to such a degree “that it doubles as a partial biography of Roosevelt.” Episkopos highlights Gardner’s treatment of the unity of the Rough Riders, despite class differences between its cowboys and eastern college graduates, Roosevelt’s advocacy on behalf of his troopers after the war, and the various voices that tried to dismiss Roosevelt’s heroism in battle. A photograph and a painting of the Rough Riders and the front cover of the book illustrate the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2016

Creator(s)

Episkopos, Mark E.

In his review of Geoffrey Cowan’s Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary, James M. Strock highlights Cowan’s treatment of Theodore Roosevelt’s relationship with African-Americans, especially during his 1912 Progressive party campaign, and he takes issue with Cowan’s interpretation of Roosevelt’s anti-trust record. Strock also believes that Cowan places too much stock in contemporary sources, and he believes that Cowan does not see Roosevelt, or other political leaders, in a heroic light. Strock provides a brief overview of Roosevelt’s campaign and notes the consequences for himself and the Republican party.

Two photographs and the front cover of Let the People Rule accompany the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2016

In his review of Darrin Lunde’s The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, a Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History, Lowell E. Baier identifies the two theses that animate the book: that Theodore Roosevelt was a world class museum naturalist and that he was the most important conservationist of his time. Baier provides context for and discusses many of Roosevelt’s encounters with the natural world, and he lists many of the explorers, writers, conservationists, and fellow hunters who shaped his thoughts and actions. Baier praises Lunde for placing Roosevelt’s hunting in the context of his times and for acknowledging that Roosevelt hunted for both sport and science, but he faults Lunde for not recognizing the adrenaline rush of hunting and for not treating Roosevelt’s conservation record as president in greater detail.

The front cover of Lunde’s book, two photographs, and three paintings by John Seerey-Lester populate the review.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

In her review of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism, Alice L. George notes that the book provides biographies of both presidents, as well as pointing out their differences and similarities. In keeping with the structure of Goodwin’s work, George emphasizes the 1912 campaign and the schism between Roosevelt and Taft. Goodwin also chronicles each man’s relationship with the press, a process mastered by Roosevelt and neglected by Taft. George acknowledges Goodwin’s “writing prowess,” but asserts that the book is too long and should have been shortened by at least 100 pages. 

The front and back covers of The Bully Pulpit illustrate the essay. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2014