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Summary: Finest biography of TR's early years available
Review: I cannot moderate my appreciation of this book. Well crafted and expertly researched, it is both history and literature. Reading McCullough, once gets the impression that he knew his subjects intimately -- that he spent long hours with TR and his family to learn their story. After reading this book, you will, too.
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Summary: It was very consistent. It was very consistent. It was ver
Review: I find McCullough's writing a bit intolerable. He uses the passive voice quite frequently. Too me, his work reads more like technical documentation rather than descriptive prose. Perhaps this is typical for biography but I do prefer the livelier writing style of Edmund Morris.
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Summary: starts a bit slow, but stick with it
Review: i found the beginning part contained a bit too much information about other members of roosevelt family . . . but when book turned to theodore's life and especially his involvement with politics, it really picked up . . . my only regret: that author did not write a follow-up; i.e., about rest of roosevelt's life
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Summary: Simply Dull
Review: I have not found this book to be bogged down in frivolous details that I could care less reading about.
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Summary: Insightful review of Teddy Roosevelt's character development
Review: I have read several biographies about Theodore Roosevelt, but none captured the period of his life, his developmental years, as vividly as David McCullough's book.Exceptionally researched and well written, I did not get bogged down in the numerous references, diary and writing quotations cited. From the childhood health problems to the tragic loss of people close to him, a good understanding of the perseverance and stubborness to live life in a big way is illustrated to the reader. I am constantly amazed at the breadth of education, travel and family experiences afforded to many of our past presidents in their childhood years. Comparing the extent to which the Roosevelt parents constantly occupied their children's time in educational experiences to present day, I find equal activity today but less quality of learning. People make history and certainly Theodore Roosevelt created a lot of history. This is no ordinary biography. Easily recommended to any student of Theodore Roosevelt. Highly recommended reading for understanding Theodore's character and personality.
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Summary: What?
Review: I just want to know where I could read some reviews and summaries of this book.
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Summary: Family reveals so very much
Review: I read this book after reading the Pulitzer-Prize winning "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", another excellent biography of TR. When I started "Mornings On Horseback", I felt that I was armed with more information about this President than I had going into "Rise"; however, once I completed "Mornings", I realized that I was armed with an entirely different type of knowledge. David McCullough gets us into the Roosevelt house and makes the people in TR's life come alive. "Nurture" is a vital componant of anyone's development and in this book, one sees just how family shapes a great personality such as his. To truly understand TR from a historical perspective one must examine his roots. This book is a joy to read, very informative and well-paced.
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Summary: Great work
Review: I repeat my review to link it to my new Amazon account: This book offers something new to the history of Theodore Roosevelt: The reader gets a close look at the environment and family life that shaped and molded this great leader. After reading this book you will have new insight into seeing why T.R. acted as he did. The author mentions in the preface that he was told by a relative of T.R. that the one thing all the other bigraphies and books on the Roosevelts lacked was seeing how the family was part of a clan - that this was indeed a huge influence on T.R. This book will show you what this means. Mr. McCullough is a brilliant and entertaining author. This book will also be enjoyable for those of you who enjoyed him in the Presidents series on PBS. Highly Recommended
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Summary: Great author, great subject.
Review: I used to ride horses myself, and every now and then you find a horse whose gait is rocking-horse smooth and the feeling is awesome. McCullough's writing is much the same, and when the subject is T.R., well, you just can't miss. This book looks at T.R.'s early life, from his childhood to his unsuccessful run for Mayor of New York. It is a book then of roughly "the first half", and as such it does an admirable job of reporting his amazing accomplishments, while setting the stage for his incredible "second half". As is the author's habit, peripheral characters are brought to life vividly and their influence on T.R. is made clear. I particularly enjoyed the understanding of the vital roles his father and his elder sister played. McCullough obviously likes Roosevelt, but he doesn't allow his opinion to color the writing too much. The book is, as expected, a gem.
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Summary: a world re-opened for viewing
Review: I was a bit wary when I opened this book, fearing that I would find the kind of second-rate hagiography that popular authors pass off of a sanitized American past. It was with great delight that I discovered I was wrong: McCullough really is a distinguished historian and a terrific writer. He made the era from the Civil War to the eve of World War 1 come alive through the story of one remarkable family. From the standpoint of this rich, elite family, the reader witnesses a panoramic view of the period and all its conventions. In addition, the author covers TR's psychology remarkably well, from his sickly youth to his acceptance of the banner of family honor when his stronger brother proved incapable. Nonetheless, without becoming overly sanitized, at times I sensed that McCullough presented an overly optimistic view of the Roosevelts, much as does Doris Kearns in her (excellent) books. TR's sister Bamie, for example, is mentioned as having a sharp tongue that expertly wounded many around her, though McCullough adds that she "never did any real damage". How could he know that? Does it even mean anything to say such a thing? Moreover, TR's father appears too good and upright to have existed, but then given the Victorian style of positive thinking (and writing), we will never know. This optimism, I guess, reflects McCullough's temperament. Warmly recommended.
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