The Rise of Theodore RooseveltThe Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Score Classic
What it's about
The first volume of Edmund Morris's three-part life of Theodore Roosevelt follows him from a sickly, asthmatic boy in 1850s New York to the man who became the youngest president in American history at forty-two. In between, he is a Harvard naturalist, a grieving young widower, a cattle rancher in the Dakota Badlands, a reforming police commissioner, assistant secretary of the Navy and a Rough Rider charging up Kettle Hill in Cuba. Morris shows how all of those men combined into one.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and is on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction ever written. Few biographies move this fast, and Roosevelt's appetite for life makes him one of the most entertaining subjects any biographer has had.
You'll love it if you liked
The Path to Power
John Adams
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham LincolnGood to know
It's long, but it reads like an adventure story. It ends as he takes office, and Theodore Rex and Colonel Roosevelt continue the story.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #27 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #43 of the 762 classics we rank
- #146 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and is on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction ever written. It ranks #146 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt about?
The first volume of Edmund Morris's three-part life of Theodore Roosevelt follows him from a sickly, asthmatic boy in 1850s New York to the man who became the youngest president in American history at forty-two. In between, he is a Harvard naturalist, a grieving young widower, a cattle rancher in the Dakota Badlands, a reforming police commissioner, assistant secretary of the Navy and a Rough Rider charging up Kettle Hill in Cuba. Morris shows how all of those men combined into one.
How long does it take to read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt?
About 24 hours (960 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt won?
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (1980).
What should I read after The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt?
If you liked it, try The Path to Power by Robert Caro, John Adams by David McCullough or Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin.