TR Bibliography
Prepared by Jim Kratsas, Deputy Director
Curator of Teddy Roosevelt:
A Singular Life
Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Museum
- H.W.
Brands, T.R. The Last Romantic 1997. Highly readable life
story of Theodore Roosevelt looking more at the personality of TR than most
biographies. Brands utilized published letters and correspondence from the
Library of Congress and Harvard for the majority of his research. 897 pages.
- Edmund
Morris, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
1980. 1980 Pulitzer Prize winning account of Theodore Roosevelt’s life from
birth to his ascendancy to the presidency. The best inspection of TR’s early life, very detailed but beautifully written
and entertaining. 920 pages.
- Edmund
Morris, Theodore Rex 2001. New York Times best seller
and second volume of Morris’ life of Teddy Roosevelt focusing on the presidential
years. As in the earlier volume, very detailed but highly readable. When
Morris’s third and final volume focusing on TR’s
post-presidential life is published, the three volumes will surely be THE
account of our nation’s 26th president. 772 pages.
- Nathan
Miller, Theodore Roosevelt: A Life 1992. An easy read lacking
the depth of the above works but still entertaining and informative for
a very good overview of TR. 624 pages.
- David
McCullough, Mornings on Horseback 1982. Pulitzer Prize winner
David McCullough lends his unique style of storytelling to the early life
of Theodore Roosevelt. As with his other works, the author combines great
research with enthralling prose that leaves most other historians far behind
in popularity and readability. Winner of the National Book Award for 1982.
370 pages.
- Louis
Auchincloss, ed., Theodore Roosevelt: Letters
and Speeches Library of America series, 2004. A must for the semi-serious
scholar of TR. Correspondence hits nearly all of the highlights of his life
and some of the more memorable letters from the immense number generated
by TR. 915 pages.
- Louis
Auchincloss, ed., Theodore Roosevelt: The
Rough Riders, An Autobiography Library
of America series 2004. TR’s own accounts of his
“crowded hour” in the Spanish/American War and his life. Provides great
insight into his perception of the battle at San Juan Hill
and doesn’t hide his pride and boasting of his accomplishments—published
right after his return from Cuba. The Autobiography
shows his views on many topics such as his father and mother, his time out
West, America’s future and his love of the
“strenuous life.” 895 pages.
- Louis
Auchincloss, Theodore Roosevelt 2004.The
American Presidents Series, Times Book volume on our 26th president.
Brief overview of his life and accomplishments. 205 pages.
- Margaret
Leech, In the Days of McKinley 1960. Pulitzer Prize winner
focusing on the years that McKinley was president. Not truly a biography
but an engrossing work with plenty of focus on the Spanish/American War.
686 pages.
- Kevin
Phillips, Arthur M. Schlesinger, William McKinley 2003. The
American Presidents Series, Times Books volume on our 25th president.
Brief overview of his life and accomplishments. 208 pages.
- Ivan
Musicant, Empire by Default: The Spanish-American
War and the Dawn of the American Century 1999. Thorough but highly
readable account of the “Splendid Little War” which Musicant
says was anything but splendid and how that conflict ushered America onto the world stage. 740 pages.
- James
Chace, 1912:Wilson,
Roosevelt, Taft and Debs—The Election that Changed the Country 2005.
Points out the uniqueness of this unusual election where four candidates
not just two brought us Woodrow Wilson and our eventual entry into World War I. 336 pages.
- Eric
Raucway, Murdering McKinley: The
Making of Theodore Roosevelt’s America 2003. Interesting work that
makes a good case for Roosevelt murdering the memory of McKinley.
Focuses on McKinley’s assassin Leon Czolgoz’s background, Roosevelt’s initial reaction to the murder
and some on the subsequent years of TR’s administration. Too much emphasis on the assassin
and forensics. 250 pages.
- Warren
Zimmermann, First Great Triumph: How Five AmericansMade
Their Country a World Power 2004. Brilliant study of Roosevelt,
Henry Cabot Lodge, John Hay, Alfred Mahan and Elihu
Root and how they weaved their beliefs and actions together and influenced
America’s role in the world. 576 pages.
Prepared by Grand Rapids Public Library, Youth
Services Division
Jeffers, H. Paul ROOSEVELT
THE EXPLORER: T.R.'S AMAZING
ADVENTURES AS A NATURALIST, CONSERVA-
TIONIST, AND EXPLORER (B R672 J3)
Keller, Morton
THEODORE ROOSEVELT; A PROFILE (B R6735 K2)
Kraft, Betsy
THEODORE ROOSEVELT: CHAMPION OF THE
AMERICAN SPIRIT (jB R677 K8)
Meltzer, Milton THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND HIS
AMERICA
(YA B R6735 M4)
Renehan, Edward THE LION'S PRIDE:
THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND HIS
FAMILY IN PEACE AND WAR (973.911 R293L)
Roosevelt, Theodore
A BULLY FATHER: THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S
LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN (B R6735b)
Roosevelt, Theodore
THE ROUGH RIDERS (973.894 R677r 1999)
St. George, Judith
YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY, TEDDY ROOSEVELT
(jB R677 Sa2)
Walker, Dale L. THE BOYS
OF '98: THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND THE
ROUGH RIDERS (973.894 W151b)