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Colonel Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt #3)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 2,858 ratings · 282 reviews

Of all our great presidents, Theodore Roosevelt is the only one whose greatness increased out of office. When he toured Europe in 1910 as plain “Colonel Roosevelt,” he was hailed as the most famous man in the world. Crowned heads vied to put him up in their palaces. “If I see another king,” he joked, “I think I shall bite him.”

Had TR won his historic “Bull Moose” campaign...more Of all our great presidents, Theodore Roosevelt is the only one whose greatness increased out of office. When he toured Europe in 1910 as plain “Colonel Roosevelt,” he was hailed as the most famous man in the world. Crowned heads vied to put him up in their palaces. “If I see another king,” he joked, “I think I shall bite him.”

Had TR won his historic “Bull Moose” campaign in 1912 (when he outpolled the sitting president, William Howard Taft), he might have averted World War I, so great was his international influence. Had he not died in 1919, at the early age of sixty, he would unquestionably have been reelected to a third term in the White House and completed the work he began in 1901 of establishing the United States as a model democracy, militarily strong and socially just.

This biography by Edmund Morris, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award–winning author of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, is itself the completion of a trilogy sure to stand as definitive. Packed with more adventure, variety, drama, humor, and tragedy than a big novel, yet documented down to the smallest fact, it recounts the last decade of perhaps the most amazing life in American history. What other president has written forty books, hunted lions, founded a third political party, survived an assassin’s bullet, and explored an unknown river longer than the Rhine?

Colonel Roosevelt begins with a prologue recounting what TR called his “journey into the Pleistocene”—a yearlong safari through East Africa, collecting specimens for the Smithsonian. Some readers will be repulsed by TR’s bloodlust, which this book does not prettify, yet there can be no denying that the Colonel passionately loved and understood every living thing that came his way: The text is rich in quotations from his marvelous nature writing.

Although TR intended to remain out of politics when he returned home in 1910, a fateful decision that spring drew him back into public life. By the end of the summer, in his famous “New Nationalism” speech, he was the guiding spirit of the Progressive movement, which inspired much of the social agenda of the future New Deal. (TR’s fifth cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt acknowledged that debt, adding that the Colonel “was the greatest man I ever knew.”)

Then follows a detailed account of TR’s reluctant yet almost successful campaign for the White House in 1912. But unlike other biographers, Edmund Morris does not treat TR mainly as a politician. This volume gives as much consideration to TR’s literary achievements and epic expedition to Brazil in 1913–1914 as to his fatherhood of six astonishingly different children, his spiritual and aesthetic beliefs, and his eager embrace of other cultures—from Arab and Magyar to German and American Indian. It is impossible to read Colonel Roosevelt and not be awed by the man’s universality. The Colonel himself remarked, “I have enjoyed life as much as any nine men I know.”

Morris does not hesitate, however, to show how pathologically TR turned upon those who inherited the power he craved—the hapless Taft, the adroit Woodrow Wilson. When Wilson declined to bring the United States into World War I in 1915 and 1916, the Colonel blasted him with some of the worst abuse ever uttered by a former chief executive. Yet even Wilson had to admit that behind the Rooseveltian will to rule lay a winning idealism and decency. “He is just like a big boy—there is a sweetness about him that you can’t resist.” That makes the story of TR’s last year, when the “boy” in him died, all the sadder in the telling: the conclusion of a life of Aristotelian grandeur.(less)

Hardcover, 784 pages

Published November 23rd 2010 by Random House (first published 2010)

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Jan 10, 2011 Jay Connor rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the third and final volume of Edmund Morris’ superb Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Though the period covered here is a mere eight years (1910 to 1919) from post-presidency to death, it exhibits all of the range, excitement and exuberance of the two earlier volumes because at its core it has the larger than life – the “polygonal personality” – of sportsman, explorer, author, speechmaker, statesman, politician Teddy Roosevelt. What a romp!

After a five month Africa...more

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May 07, 2012 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the long-anticipated trilogy completion of Edmund Morris' masterful biography of Theodore Roosevelt. He wrote the first installment, "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" in 1979; the story was continued with "Theodore Rex" in 2001.

"Colonel Roosevelt", reflecting the manner in which he preferred to refer to himself, starts when Theodore's life seems to be reaching its fulfillment, at age fifty, in 1909. Roosevelt had just handed the reigns of the United States government to his good friend W...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Edward rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, history

“The dust is dancing with the dust, the dead are whirling with the dead.”—Oscar Wilde, “The Harlot’s Ghost.”
Recalled by Theodore Roosevelt in Edmund Morris’s Colonel Roosevelt.
In our era, ruled as we are by an assembly of sound bites and video clips, it might be difficult to imagine a president quoting poetry, especially the poetry of Oscar Wilde. And especially when that president is Theodore Roosevelt, better known as a trust buster, Rough Rider, and a walking advertisement for masculinity.
We...more “The dust is dancing with the dust, the dead are whirling with the dead.”—Oscar Wilde, “The Harlot’s Ghost.”
Recalled by Theodore Roosevelt in Edmund Morris’s Colonel Roosevelt.
In our era, ruled as we are by an assembly of sound bites and video clips, it might be difficult to imagine a president quoting poetry, especially the poetry of Oscar Wilde. And especially when that president is Theodore Roosevelt, better known as a trust buster, Rough Rider, and a walking advertisement for masculinity.
We just don’t elect presidents like that anymore.
Edmund Morris’s Colonel Roosevelt, a profile of the post-presidential career of the fourth “face” of Mount Rushmore, is compelling for a number of reasons, but primarily because of the personal brilliance of its subject.
Roosevelt was a man of action—a hunter, a soldier, a charismatic public speaker—when compared to his political opponents, especially the brooding Woodrow Wilson. But by today’s standards he was also an intellectual—a prolific reader and writer who carried cases of books (mainly the classics) with him on a hunting trip to Africa.
He could be a vociferous booster of American nationalism and of military preparedness. But he was also was a driving force behind the progressive movement that so heavily influenced the Republican party just before World War I.
And his combative approach to politics, and his rhetorical fire, would have been right at home in today’s Washington.
I think Morris’s treatment is brilliant. His depiction of the politics and personalities of the early years of the 20th century resurrects an era obscure to most contemporary readers—and demonstrates how the crucial social and political developments of that era are the foundations of modern American society. And his thorough examination of Roosevelt’s post-presidential influence provides plenty of parallels to our current cults of political celebrity.
Well worth reading for anyone interested in American history—or in finding some explanation for how we got to where we are today.
“So he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side.”
—John Bunyan, “Pilgrim’s Progress.”
Henry Cabot Lodge, at Theodore Roosevelt’s memorial service in Washington DC. Excerpted from Edmund Morris’s Colonel Roosevelt.(less)

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May 12, 2012 Maureen rated it 5 of 5 stars

It took me awhile, but I finally finished this, the final section in Edmund Morris's splendid tripartite biography of Theodore Roosevelt. In some ways, I guess after leaving office, TR found the approval in the rest of the world that he could not as readily find at home. Whether he was killing hundreds of animals on safari in Africa, going on a quest in South America to map an uncharted river (and nearly dying in the process), or attending the state funeral of King Edward VII, Roosevelt found a...more It took me awhile, but I finally finished this, the final section in Edmund Morris's splendid tripartite biography of Theodore Roosevelt. In some ways, I guess after leaving office, TR found the approval in the rest of the world that he could not as readily find at home. Whether he was killing hundreds of animals on safari in Africa, going on a quest in South America to map an uncharted river (and nearly dying in the process), or attending the state funeral of King Edward VII, Roosevelt found a way to relate to the people around him on a level that touched them deeply.

TR was very much a man of his time, and the last ten years of his life in particular, the times were changing. For example, he went to the famous Armory show in New York, puzzling his way through art forms totally alien to the Belle Époque style to which he was accustomed. To his credit, he was able to find artists in the show with whom he shared a resonance and (mostly) favorably reviewed the show in a national magazine. Also, when the world turned its back on Edgar Lee Masters, TR found him small government jobs for years to keep Masters from starving to death. Both felt vindicated when The Spoon River Anthology was a success.

Much of this book is taken up with politicking, because TR never stopped, or people would never let him stop, being immersed in politics. At Edward VII's funeral, heads of state were seeking his counsel, and many believe that if he had been more involved in American diplomacy, he could have prevented World War I. TR also had an ongoing sour/sweet relationship with William Howard Taft, who followed him as President. Then, of course, there is TR's campaign for President on the Progressive Party ticket, and the fact that had he lived, he probably would have been a candidate for President again on the Republican Party ticket in the subsequent election.

Roosevelt was impulsive: he tended to leap, then look. He made a number of mistakes both in and out of office. However, he was a man of boundless energy, charisma, curiosity, and charm. He was also a voracious reader, a prodigious writer, and a devoted family man. At the end of his days, World War I claimed the life of one of his sons, and two others were wounded. That experience, along with a lifetime of injuries, infections and sicknesses, led to a weakening of his heart. It was said that he "died of a broken heart in more ways than one."

Although biographies of Roosevelt continue to be written, Morris's work is that against which all others will be measured. As TR himself might have said, Morris did a "bully" job of depicting the life and times of a man whose world view was so vastly panoramic, it stretched damn near to infinity.(less)

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May 14, 2013 Christina Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not going to lie -- this book took me seven months to read (although I suppose I probably did put it down for a month or 6 weeks at a time a few times). I didn't really start motoring through it until I was eating out by myself a lot and was using my Kindle as a social crutch. Colonel Roosevelt would not have approved! There are some parts of this book that I found it hard to get through -- despite his modern reputation as a conservationist, the accounts of how many animals he shot (for no appar...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Paul Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

The final book in his planned trilogy chronicling the life of the 26th president, Edmund Morris gives the reader COLONEL ROOSEVELT, which tells of the final years of TR, beginning immediately after leaving the White House in March of 1909. The book is every bit as good as THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT and THEODORE REX, but, at this point, the reader feels an almost inescapable sense of anti-climax--not because of Morris or the subject matter, but because the reader knows that this is the final...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Alexander Mo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have a tendency to read the last thing in a series and move back from there. I like to know how things end before they start. Anyways I find the life and times of Theodore Roosevelt extremely interesting because of how similar they parallel are own in the 21 century. We live in uncertain times and fast changing technologically as it was 100 years ago. Getting a bearing of how our ancestors dealt with it gives some clarity on how to deal with my our own uncertain times. Morris does a superb job...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Bobscopatz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Third in Morris' biographical trilogy covering the life of Theodore Roosevelt. As with the first two books, the writing is crisp and the research is thorough. This book is harder to read only because it clearly has to end with TR's death (that isn't a spoiler, is it?). The anticipation of that event does necessarily color so much of the coverage here that it made me grateful that there were so many pages of notes at the end-- I feel I was subconsciously judging how much time was left to TR by ho...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Edmund Morris offers a quintessential and rich narrative of one of our greatest presidents of the 20th century. His trilogy on President Theodore Roosevelt provides a literary masterpiece of the trials and tribulations of a man who shaped the American political and world stage through public service. Starting with "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" we learn of a young boy who grows up in a loving family to rise through the New York political circles, eventually becoming governor, not before he is...more Edmund Morris offers a quintessential and rich narrative of one of our greatest presidents of the 20th century. His trilogy on President Theodore Roosevelt provides a literary masterpiece of the trials and tribulations of a man who shaped the American political and world stage through public service. Starting with "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" we learn of a young boy who grows up in a loving family to rise through the New York political circles, eventually becoming governor, not before he is appointed police commissioner, and being selected as President William McKinley's vice president. Upon McKinley's assassination, the young and green vice president finds himself the unexpected occupant of the Oval Office.

The second volume "Theodore Rex" gives readers a richly written biography of President Roosevelt's two terms in office. An administration not without challenges, but a multitude of resounding successes ends with the republican president being praised on both sides of the political spectrum for his efforts of fiscal conservatism, a national parks preservation movement, an even-handed peaceful foreign policy that brought our allies to our shores to support Theodore Roosevelt's belief of being able to "speak softy and carry a big stick" TR's unprecedented ability to achieve great things for a nation at the turn the century places him by several historians estimations as fourth amongst our greatest presidents behind George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt.

The final work in the Morris series - "Colonel Roosevelt" depicts Teddy's post presidential life which saw his sons and grandsons grow up and fight for their country in both World Wars, a bitter discord between Roosevelt and his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft, and the potential to make a third run for the White House in 1912 on the Bull Moose ticket. The inauguration of former New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson saw the decided shift in liberal leaning of a nation on the brink of "The Great War" which brought out some of the best in Theodore Roosevelt to provide a stark contrast in foreign policy, urging the Wilson administration to focus on military build up for a conflict approaching our shores.

A life ended with grace at his beloved Sagamore Hill estate in New York, with his wife Edith by his side. A grief-striken widow overcome with emotion at the loss of her husband. All in all, Edmund Morris works on telling the story of our 26th president's life and times of world renown is not to be missed by anyone who appreciates a stellar depiction of a great American life who has shaped the world for decades to come and is reviled by many still today.(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Paul Signorelli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: america, biography, history, leadership

Reaching the final pages of the concluding book in Morris's magnificent trilogy on the life of Theodore Roosevelt produces nothing less than an intense feeling of sadness at the passing of a person referred to by one of his contemporaries as "the most famous man in the world." And the fact that the death occurred nearly 100 years before we have immersed ourselves in Morris's wonderful exploration of the life and times of his subject shows us, once again, how effectively the author has brought Ro...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Checkman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographical-memoirs, history, non-fiction

Solid biography of Roosevelt's last ten years of life. His "retirement" would be considered a lifetime of experiences for most people and that probably contributed to his relatively early death. He simply was unable to slow down and adjust his activity level as he grew older.Between the African safari, Amazon expedition (where he almost died) and a brutal presidential campaign Roosevelt made demands on himself that his aging body was unable to meet - he literally burned out. Possibly he simply n...more Solid biography of Roosevelt's last ten years of life. His "retirement" would be considered a lifetime of experiences for most people and that probably contributed to his relatively early death. He simply was unable to slow down and adjust his activity level as he grew older.Between the African safari, Amazon expedition (where he almost died) and a brutal presidential campaign Roosevelt made demands on himself that his aging body was unable to meet - he literally burned out. Possibly he simply never wanted to live past seventy, but that is all speculation.

Morris does his usual outstanding work. The book is dense and covers the last decade of Roosevelt's life with a microscope. At times it bogs down in the minutiae and I found myself not liking Roosevelt when reading this installment, which was not a feeling I had with the first two books. I wanted to grab hold of the man and tell him that now it was time to live his life with his wife and simply stop to smell the roses. But ,of course, I couldn't do that - no more than Roosevelt could slow down. So while an interesting look at the end of his life it's a frustrating look. The mountains had been climbed and the giants slain, but still Roosevelt was looking for other conquests and challenges.

Many readers of the trilogy prefer the first installment. It's understandable. The first book covers Roosevelt's first 42 years. The young man in a hurry overcoming personal tragedy, moving up the political ladder, adventuring in the Dakotas and fighting a war in Cuba. Thrilling stuff. The second book is a political bio and while it might not be as exciting it's a book about Roosevelt at his pinnacle. This installment ,as I have already noted, isn't as satisfying. Endings are bittersweet at best. But Morris obviously admires Roosevelt and he gives as much effort to the end as he gave to the beginning. It's a good bio and well deserving a place on your shelf next to the first two books as well as other well written biographies. (less)

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Feb 21, 2012 ***Dave Hill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, audiobook

The final volume of Edmund Morris excellent and exhaustive biography of Theodore Roosevelt is as marvelous as the first two.

He picks up up with TR, having passed the Progressive mantle over to Taft, heading off for a lengthy African safari / naturalist expedition, followed by a grand tour of Europe, meeting crowned heads and getting a sense of the growing tensions on the Continent. Returning to the US, he discovers Taft is botching things, becoming beholden to the old GOP corporatist powers. Th...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Mj rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished this biography realizing that there is much I do not know about the early 20th Century US history. Morris tells the story of Teddy Roosevelt after his presidency which includes the story of the Progressive Party and the build up to WW I. I found some of the book difficult to follow due to this lack of background, nevertheless, most of Roosevelt's story is very interesting. The political climate of the period after Roosevelt's last term and the end of the WWI has parallels with the 201...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Abe rated it 4 of 5 stars

The third and final installment in Morris’s biography of the great man, this book was not as good as the first two, but still worth the read.

It takes us from the beginning of Teddy’s “retirement” in 1909 until his death in 1919. While the first book was absolutely fantastic in introducing us to this most amazing American, and the second book covered momentous events of which he was the architect as President, this book doesn’t have as much external excitement going for it. While it covers WWI, R...more

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Nov 14, 2011 D.M. Kenyon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

It is hard for someone of the modern generation to fully appreciate how immensely popular and powerful Theodore Roosevelt was in his own time. The international celebration of the election of Barack Obama to the United States presidency pales in comparison to Roosevelt's extended tour of Europe following his departure from public office. Another substantial difference is that Obama's celebrity occurred before he had suffered the slings and arrows of public office while Roosevelt's celebrity was...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

It has been so long since I read Morris' previous volumes on Theodore Roosevelt and I've been waiting for this volume for so long that I had forgotten just how wonderfully written this whole series has been. Theodore Roosevelt, the Lion of American history, has been fully realized by this author and this volume along with the preceding ones deserve to be considered as THE definitive works on the man's life. This final volume covers the last ten years of Roosevelt's life following his departure f...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fitting third book in the series, which chronicles the post presidential years of this most amazing man. By sheer force of will and personality, (combined with the luxury of being born into a rich family) Roosevelt overcame physical handicaps of poor eyeights, chronic asthma, lurking rheumatoid athritis, malarial outbreaks, to become a master journalist, philosopher, naturalist, Nobel Peace prize winner (accomplishing, for his prize, just a tad more than did our 44th president) and President....more

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Sep 03, 2011 Bap rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

This was definitely the weakest of the three volume bio of Teddy Roosevelt. Not for lack of good material. Teddy started out his retirement by embarking on a year long safari in Africa with his son Kermit. Teddy slaughtered hundreds, then thousands of animals, the numbers mind boggling and discouraging.. He then returned to the states and decided that his hand picked guy forth white house, the portly Taft, was not worthy. Teddy ran in the 1912 election. Rebuffed GOP, he ran as a Bull Moose progr...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Spencer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

The incredible life of Teddy Roosevelt can best be summed up by a something he once wrote to a friend: "I have already lived and enjoyed as much of life as any nine other men I know." And such it would seem to me, after finishing this third and final volume of Edmund Morris' excellent biographical trilogy of the former president. The first book in the series, "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", came out the year I was born, in 1979, and won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. "Theodore Rex...more The incredible life of Teddy Roosevelt can best be summed up by a something he once wrote to a friend: "I have already lived and enjoyed as much of life as any nine other men I know." And such it would seem to me, after finishing this third and final volume of Edmund Morris' excellent biographical trilogy of the former president. The first book in the series, "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", came out the year I was born, in 1979, and won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. "Theodore Rex", the title of volume two which covered the presidency years, came out 22 years later, in 2001. And now, "Colonel Roosevelt", describing the post-presidency years, was released late last year. In other words, this trilogy took over 30 years to write, which makes sense when you realize that TR did as much in his life as nine other men. Truly, I have never read about a more fascinating, accomplished, awe-inspiring person (in addition to Morris' trilogy, I would also recommend David McCullough's "Mornings on Horseback" and Candice Millard's "River of Doubt" - both also very good). To give you some idea, here is a small sampling of what Teddy did AFTER being President (all of which are covered in this book): embark on an extensive specimen collecting safari through Africa, lead an expedition to explore an unknown river in the Amazon jungle (wherein he nearly died), survive an assassination attempt (and proceed to deliver his address that evening before seeking medical attention!), establish a new political party and run for President as its chosen leader, publish numerous books on an incredibly variety of topics, and request permission from President Woodrow Wilson to form and lead a volunteer regiment of soldiers to fight in the Western front of World War I. It's amazing to think that all this, and many other things I didn't mention, were accomplished after leaving the White House, in only 10 years time, before Roosevelt passed away at the age of 60. If you have never read about this fascinating man (and are still slogging through this review), I would encourage you to read a book about this man. If you are up to it, I would most highly recommend Edmund Morris' excellent trilogy covering Roosevelt's full life. I'm sure you will enjoy each book as much as I did.(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 rmn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

This is the third and final volume of Edmund Morris’ epic look at the life of Teddy Roosevelt and much like the first two, it reads like a work of fiction given Morris’ lively writing style and his ability to craft a story. Plus Roosevelt’s life was so extraordinary that it is unlikely even the greatest of novelists could have dreamed it up, so Morris had incredibly rich material with which to work.

The book focuses on Roosevelt’s life post-Presidency and much like the first volume, it follows hi...more This is the third and final volume of Edmund Morris’ epic look at the life of Teddy Roosevelt and much like the first two, it reads like a work of fiction given Morris’ lively writing style and his ability to craft a story. Plus Roosevelt’s life was so extraordinary that it is unlikely even the greatest of novelists could have dreamed it up, so Morris had incredibly rich material with which to work.

The book focuses on Roosevelt’s life post-Presidency and much like the first volume, it follows him on his unique exploits such as a journey down the Amazon River (and not a “hey, let’s take a relaxing vacation” journey but a “hey, there’s probably a reason no one has ever been here” journey), an African hunting safari followed by a grand tour of Europe where he was greeted like a King, and an attempt to create a third political party.

Roosevelt was a true renaissance man, the likes of which we will likely never see again, and his ability to see issues four or five steps ahead of the rest of the world while not being afraid to speak up for what he thought was right made him a political, moral, and social force.

Through diligent and exhaustive research (the book was ~9 years in the making), Morris follows Roosevelt as the ex-President ages, deftly showing how Roosevelt’s spirit never died, even as he faced disappointments, adversity, and scrutiny. Roosevelt wasn’t just a fascinating person and didn’t just live in an important time, but he shaped the national dialogue for years all while standing up for his convictions and leading the life of an adventurer.

Edmund Morris won a Pulitzer for the first book in this series and he deserves one for this book as well. If you want to read a lively, engaging, suspenseful, and even educational series, put down the Twilight crap and pick up The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. You will not regret it, and heck, if you stick around for this final book (and you will), you will even get your fill of vampires when Woodrow Wilson shows up.
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Jun 09, 2011 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Colonel Roosevelt is the third and final volume in Morris’s biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Morris perhaps questionably devotes the entire third volume (and thus one third of the complete biography) to TDR’s life after leaving the presidency. However, as former presidents go, TDR led a volume-worthy post-presidency life.

The first chapter (covering TDR’s African safari that famously overshadowed his successor’s early days in office) is written in a strange and stilted voice that makes it difficu...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Sherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The life of Theodore Roosevelt is like reading an ongoing paradox. The man loved to hunt and kill big game, and yet, embraced the notion of conservation of the species. He glorified war, and yet, helped settle the Russian-Japanese conflict. He was the quintessential parent, and yet, when his first wife died (on the same day as his mother) he left his daughter in the care of family and went west to assuage his grief. His grief for the loss was so great that he did not speak of her and a great rif...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mar-apr-2011

"Now with Colonel Roosevelt," announced the New York Times, "the magnum opus is complete. Morris's balanced examination of the final years of Roosevelt's life highlights the slow but inexorable waning of his political and, ultimately, physical power. Equally adept at political explication and recounting adventure tales, Morris injects new life, and even suspense, into some familiar stories with his wry, minimalist prose -- perfectly suited to his subject's volatile personality -- and an abundanc...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Steven Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful conclusion to Edmund Morris' trilogy, the biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Here he is, warts and all (and there are surely warts to be seen).

The work starts off after TR has left the White House to become "citizen Roosevelt." We see him leaving for an African tour, replete with many animal trophies from his hunting prowess. He made a tour of Europe, in which he was hailed by national leaders of all stripes--from monarchs to democratically elected officials. The visits from one count...more A wonderful conclusion to Edmund Morris' trilogy, the biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Here he is, warts and all (and there are surely warts to be seen).

The work starts off after TR has left the White House to become "citizen Roosevelt." We see him leaving for an African tour, replete with many animal trophies from his hunting prowess. He made a tour of Europe, in which he was hailed by national leaders of all stripes--from monarchs to democratically elected officials. The visits from one country to another were a great event in the Old World, with TR being lionized. Some of his speeches ruffled feathers, as he was not always diplomatic. But that seemed itself to energize responses to him. One chapter, indeed, is entitled "The Most Famous Man in the World."

Upon his return to the United States, we learn of the slow dissolution of his relationship with then President William Howard Taft. The two were simply very different people, with distinct temperaments, energy levels, and policy views. What was a rift became a chasm, and the book tells the story well of how Roosevelt and Taft went from somewhat friendly to political enemies, culminating in TR's quixotic bid to win the Republican nomination in 1912. Roosevelt felt that Taft had betrayed key principles of progressivism and sought to wrest party control away from Taft and his allies. The political turbulence described in the book also includes Roosevelt's effort to reform the New York state Republican policy; he ended up bruised and defeated. The point? Roosevelt had a hard time getting politics out of his blood.

After his failure to win the Republican nomination, of course, he rapidly (and it appears nearly miraculous that he did it with the help of key supporters) created a "third party" and ran as what came to be called the "Bull Moose party." He understood that he was unlikely to win, but felt that the effort was necessary for the political system. The end result? Woodrow Wilson became the first Democratic president since Grover Cleveland's second term.

The book continues with the post-election life of Roosevelt. He was proud that his sons joined the military in World War I, and experienced tragedy as a result. Then, the book concludes with his precipitous physical decline, stunning for one so physical and his death at sixty--the age at which he had predicted his own death so many years before.

Morris, as a biographer, can be idiosyncratic. He is capable of being very judgmental (note his negativity toward Taft). However, this work is extremely well done and concludes most successfully his mammoth biographical project.
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Oct 21, 2010 Bill Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, history

And now, at last, the third and final act of one of the greatest accounts of one of the most remarkable lives in American history.

“Colonel Roosevelt” brings to a close Edmund Morris’ trilogy on the life of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, prolific author, naturalist, cowboy, husband and father. It picks up where the story left off at the end of volume two—Roosevelt’s departure from the presidency in March 1909 and closes with his death in January 1919. The last decade of...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Paul Lunger rated it 5 of 5 stars

The 3rd book in Edmund Morris's trilogy dealing with the life of Theodore Roosevelt, "Colonel Roosevelt", examines the final decade in the life of our 26th President from 1909 until his death in January 1919 @ age 60. It covers Roosevelt's expeditions to Africa & South America as well as his run for the White House in 1912 as what would become the most successful 3rd party candidate in American history as well as showing the disconnect between he & his handpicked successor, William Howar...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Charlie rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is impossible to fault this book. Often going day by day, Morris has done a masterful job of documenting all we can know of TR's thinking.

For me the book creates a longing: For a time when intelligence did not disqualify a candidate for the presidency; for a time when "progressive" could describe a Republican; when a presidential candidate was expected to articulate a reasoned view of America's future. It is especially disheartening in 2012 to look back at the election of 1912, when the cent...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-history, biography

Coming to this end of the book I felt like I was bidding farewell to a cherished friend. Not just in reading of the death of Teddy Roosevelt (although that was bad enough and, I confess, I cried), but in parting ways with this man whose life I had spent two weeks and 2,500 pages exploring. And also coming to the end of possibly the best biography I have ever read.

This last volume covers TR's years after the Presidency - his literary exploits, his near-fatal adventures in South America, his somew...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Morris returns to the story of TR, and less panic about subtle internal politics of the early 20th century. I'm going to let TR take it from here, "It is not the critic who counts; nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort with...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, digital, own-it, unabridged, biography, history, non-fiction, my-review

I have read all three Morris biographies. I am a fan of Roosevelt and enjoy the historical detail and context that Morris conveys in all three biographies.

One negative about this volume is Morris' obsession for demonstrating a high level command of English, French and German vocabulary. He desires to impress the reader of this fact, over and over again. It was the most distracting aspect of the book.

In another review, a reader commented, in this third Morris volume, the author tired of the sub...more

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About Edmund Morris

Edmund Morris is a writer best known for his biographies of United States presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Morris received his early education in Kenya after which he attended Rhodes University in South Africa. He worked as an advertising copywriter in London before emigrating to the United States in 1968.
His biography The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt won the Pulitzer Prize and Natio...more

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“Norway...looked to Roosevelt "as funny a kingdom as was ever imagined outside of opera bouffe....It is much as if Vermont should offhand try the experiment of having a king.” — 5 people liked it

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Colonel Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt #3)

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