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Rating: 
Summary: TR as crime fighter - Bully!
Review: Alexander has taken a segment of Theodore Roosevelt's life and done wonders with it. As a police commissioner of New York City, Roosevelt was a mover and shaker and not too popular in some quarters of city government. The author takes this period of TR's life and builds a great tale of 19th century crime. In the first chapter you get a good taste of what it was like to be a child in TR's household as TR is having an interview with his son's teacher. The latter is trying to explain that it might help TR's son if dad was a little less invovled with the details of his homework assignment. TR's "you're taking all the fun out of it" sums up his eternal quest to be a boy again. This seems to sum up TR quite nicely - the adult striving to recapture the best moments of his youth. Maybe this applies to all of us? You also meet the towering figures in the construction of early US submarines, John Holland and Simon Lake. Lake's submarine is stolen so we see a bit of industrial espionage 19th century style as well as plain old fashion murder. You will meet various and sundry of the extended Roosevelt family of several generations. Franklin D. makes and appearence. This is a good detective novel to sit down with. It flows well and informs as well as entertains, but you don't really catch on to the history lessons being delivered. I came to this book more with an interest in TR than in the detective mystery, but I think the author does a fine job of inserting TR into a mystery and doing it well. I highly recommend this book to any mystery buff, without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: TR as crime fighter - Bully!
Review: Alexander has taken a segment of Theodore Roosevelt's life and done wonders with it. As a police commissioner of New York City, Roosevelt was a mover and shaker and not too popular in some quarters of city government. The author takes this period of TR's life and builds a great tale of 19th century crime. In the first chapter you get a good taste of what it was like to be a child in TR's household as TR is having an interview with his son's teacher. The latter is trying to explain that it might help TR's son if dad was a little less invovled with the details of his homework assignment. TR's "you're taking all the fun out of it" sums up his eternal quest to be a boy again. This seems to sum up TR quite nicely - the adult striving to recapture the best moments of his youth. Maybe this applies to all of us? You also meet the towering figures in the construction of early US submarines, John Holland and Simon Lake. Lake's submarine is stolen so we see a bit of industrial espionage 19th century style as well as plain old fashion murder. You will meet various and sundry of the extended Roosevelt family of several generations. Franklin D. makes and appearence. This is a good detective novel to sit down with. It flows well and informs as well as entertains, but you don't really catch on to the history lessons being delivered. I came to this book more with an interest in TR than in the detective mystery, but I think the author does a fine job of inserting TR into a mystery and doing it well. I highly recommend this book to any mystery buff, without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: If you like Indiana Jones...
Review: you'll love this book. Teddy Roosevelt as police commissioner of New York rushes from one crisis to another while not forgetting his children or his wife. The author inserts a large number of historical figures and recognizing them is part of the fun. It gives a good picture of TR's family and early New York. This would make a great movie!
Rating:
Summary: If you like Indiana Jones...
Review: you'll love this book. Teddy Roosevelt as police commissioner of New York rushes from one crisis to another while not forgetting his children or his wife. The author inserts a large number of historical figures and recognizing them is part of the fun. It gives a good picture of TR's family and early New York. This would make a great movie!
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