Remembering Theodore Roosevelt: Reminiscences of his Contemporaries

by Michael Patrick Cullinane, David B. Woolner (Series Editor)

This book sheds new light on the life and times of Theodore Roosevelt, drawing on a remarkable set of oral histories gathered in the 1950s from those who knew him. "Remembering Theodore Roosevelt" presents fourteen intimate interviews with Roosevelt’s friends, family, and contemporaries. Never before published, the transcripts reveal colorful details about the famous Rough Riders, the political scene in New York City, the lives of his extended family, including the Hyde Park Roosevelts Franklin and Eleanor, and how the former president inspired successive generations. The book benefits from the author’s discerning annotations and commentary that provide the reader with lesser-known facts and a full appreciation of the oral history project.

295 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2021

About the author

Michael Patrick Cullinane is a reader in modern U.S. history at Roehampton University, London.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of interviews with family and acquaintances of President Teddy Roosevelt. The interviews ranged from gossipy to historically informative, and they included accounts of Roosevelt’s family and even FDR’s branch of the family. The more enjoyable interviews were of people who had insight into Roosevelt’s stint out west and with the Rough Riders, or in the world of politics. The interviews which were focused on TR were riveting, but there was an overall inconsistency in narrative quality. I particularly liked the interview with William Chadbourne — a political lawyer and founder of a prominent NYC law firm, and of course, the interview with the Last Rough Rider, which was larger than life and very much what one would expect from a collection of TR essays. The disappointing aspect is that we only get glimpses of Roosevelt through this account, and there was enough TR adventure stories. Still a valuable book.