The Rough Riders (Modern Library War)

Rating:
Summary: Roosevelt's Place in History
Review: While prior reviews have criticized Mr. Roosevelt's writing style, and justly so, he never claimed in the book to be a novelist by trade. But his description of the way the military operated before the turn of the century is very insightful into a time long gone which will never return. Today, there is no way the US Military would accept civilian volunteers with only 30 days training to fight on the front lines against battle hardened soldiers from Spain or anywhere else. To fully appreciate this book, you need to read it in context of that changing time between the Civil War and WW-I. Indeed, the way the US Military accepted back into its ranks former Confederate Officers was almost a shock to read, but understandable given the desire for the nation to heal its wounds after the Civil War. For those individuals who appreciate learning history from participants instead of modern, revisionist historians who have never spent a day in the military, I would highly recommend this book. This book is one I'll read again.