Reviews for The book of American Presidents

The average rating for The book of American Presidents based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-12-05 00:00:00 Michael Easterly This is a brilliant book, and Roosevelt creates a wonderful autobiography. This is required reading for most in the area of American History, begining of the 20th century, and late 19th century. This is wonderful primary source material.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-01-03 00:00:00 Carl Michaelis This book was ridiculously good. Roosevelt was a one-of-a-kind. I wish we had more like him. His 'speak softly and carry a big stick' rhetoric won him the reputation of a war monger but the fact is that in his 7 1/2 year term as president (he took over for McKinley when he was assassinated 6 months into his presidency), America was totally at peace and not one round was fired at an enemy. A couple of other interesting facts about TR: - He lived in Oyster Bay, Long Island. - He started life asthmatic and puny. - He spent in the west driving cattle and working on ranches. - He led the "Rough Riders" in the Spanish-American war in Cuba and came home a war hero. This led to his being elected governor of New York during one of the state's most corrupt periods. - He won his second term election by a true landslide. - Has the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; an honor he was given for brokering peace between Japan and Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. Not bad for a war-loving Republican!! - He authored more than 35 books. - He had a photographic memory. - He was frequently referred to as 'Teddy' but never to his face. He was called that by his first wife, who died young and he had a strong aversion to it. - 'Teddy' bears are actually named after Teddy Roosevelt. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and on one particular trip, he didn't bag any game. It's said that the well meaning guides had captured a bear and wanted TR to shoot it just so he wouldn't have to come home empty-handed. TR refused as it was totally unsportsmanlike. A cartoonist created an image of Roosevelt, shotgun in hand, turning away from a small bear tied to a tree. The image became so famous that children began to refer to small stuffed bears as 'Teddy's Bear.' And the rest is history. Reading his words was like stepping back 100 years in history. It was a long read, but well worth it.