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The Bully Pulpit ~ October 2015
Re: Taft's weight issues...Alias, I wondered as I read the item you posted whether Taft's obesity was at least partially a function of the enormous stresses in his life and the manner in which he dealt with them? He internalized his worries. And he was always trying to live up to his father's extremely high expectations, and then when he married Nellie he made career choices based more upon her wishes and desires rather than his own. I know Kearns Goodwin points out that Taft was a big baby and boy right from birth--but I wonder if he also ate to keep his stress under control. Maybe she will address that later in the book.
Stress certainly could be a factor. Everyone reacts to it differently. As to when he was a baby, since the other siblings died, the parents were all to happy to fatten him up as that was seen as a sign of good health.
Amy wrote: "Re: Taft's weight issues...Alias, I wondered as I read the item you posted whether Taft's obesity was at least partially a function of the enormous stresses in his life and the manner in which he d..."Speaking of stress and what may have mentally shaped Taft, on page 27
"The desire to please his parents became central to young Taft's temperament and development."
"Love of approval, she acknowledged, became her adored son's besetting fault."
P 28 "...hard work, procrastination, and an anxiety driven by his need to maintain the family standard of excellence."
P30
"There was no respite so long as self-esteem depended on the approval of his parents."
There must have been a lot of stress to please the parents as on page 28 it notes of Taft's brother, Peter, "the desire to meet his father's expectations produced a chronic state of nervous exhaustion, marked by headaches and eye trouble." Later on p33 he suffers a complete nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.
They certainly were a very accomplished family.
p 34(TR) "His fierce determination to escape an invalid's fate led him to transform his body and timid demeanor through strenuous work; Taft, on the other hand, blessed from birth with robust health, would allow his physical strength and energy to gradually dissipate over the years into a state of obesity."
Those that read our health/exercise thread here at BNC, you know I am very interested in this topic.
I've read some books on TR so I was aware of his frail health when he was a young boy. What I did find interesting was the comparison to Taft and how each treated or mistreated their body.
Some say we would never today elect a president today who is obese. Perhaps that is one reason Chris Christie had bariatric surgery. Optics, matter a lot in our modern day. Ask Nixon who some suggest lost the debate to Kennedy due to his excessive sweating and five o'clock shadow. People who heard the debate on radio said Nixon won. Those that saw it on TV said Kennedy won.
Do you think Americans overall vote more on substance than optics?
NY Times posted a picture of their front page 103 years ago today on FB. The Time Teddy Roosevelt Got Shot in the Chest, Gave Speech Anyway
On October 14, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was on the campaign trail in Milwaukee, running for another term. It was a tough race: Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson proved to be a formidable opponent, and William Howard Taft, while unpopular, was the Republican incumbent. Roosevelt was running as a third-party Progressive, and in order to keep pace with his big-ticket rivals he had to work hard. By this point in the election season, he was giving 15 to 20 speeches per day, most of which stretched on for an hour or sometimes more. But this day, TR didn't feel too well. His throat was scratchy, he was tired, and so he planned a relatively quick stop.
What Roosevelt didn't know — and certainly what his security detail didn't know — was that a man with a .38 caliber revolver had been trailing the campaign since they departed New Orleans. For a thousand miles, he rode quietly, just waiting to get his shot at the Colonel.
John Schrank was a Bavarian-born saloon-keeper from New York. He'd had some strange and troubling dreams in recent months, mostly about President McKinley, whose assassination resulted in Roosevelt's first term. In his dreams, Schrank said that President McKinley asked him to avenge his death and protect democracy from a three-term president. All Schrank had to do was kill Roosevelt before he could be reelected.
"But fortunately I had my manuscript"
Roosevelt stood in the seat of his automobile to wave at the crowds and Schrank, who was standing in the front row of the crowd, had his shot. He took aim: point-blank, right at Roosevelt’s head. Then three things happened at the same time. A bystander hit Schrank’s arm; Roosevelt’s security detail spotted the gun and leapt from the car; Schrank pulled the trigger. The shot landed squarely in Roosevelt’s chest just as Schrank was tackled and put in a headlock by the bodyguard. Roosevelt is said not to have noticed he was hit until he reached into his overcoat and felt the blood on his fingers.
But it turns out that Teddy’s long-winded speeches saved his life that day: the bullet traveled through a 50-page copy of his prepared speech and the steel eyeglasses case he carried in the same pocket. The bullet was slowed enough not to reach his lung or heart, which Teddy deduced from the absence of blood when he spoke or coughed. He refused to go to a hospital and insisted on giving his speech.
“Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose,” he began. He spoke for at least 55 more minutes (though some estimates say 90), still wearing his blood-soaked shirt. (You can read a stenographer’s report of his speech here.)
The wound healed and he never reported trouble from the injury again. Despite having lived through his assassination attempt, the presidency would not be Teddy’s again: Woodrow Wilson’s 41% of the vote meant the office would be his, though Roosevelt did beat out incumbent Taft, marking the only time a sitting president has come in third place in a reelection bid.
Schrank, in the meantime, was apprehended immediately. He lived the rest of his life in an insane asylum, and died of pneumonia in 1943.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/12789/...
The Assassination Attempt on Theodore Roosevelt October 14, 1912"It takes more than that to kill a bull moose," Roosevelt declared, after John Schrank fired one bullet into the ex-president, nearly killing him.
When we visited the NYC TR home one of the rangers? volunteers? told us that they have the shirt he was wearing when shot in their storage but don't keep it on display for fear of offending visitors.Alias asked if we thought people vote more on substance or on optics. I think there is a significant portion of the voting age population who vote on optics. Even if i agreed with his politics, Trump's hair would turn me off enough to reject the idea of voting for him. I personally would be hard-pressed to vote for someone who tries to hide what i presume is baldness. It's the dishonesty of it that bothers me.
Of course it's hard to obscure obesity. I can't say that i've ever actually voted (in politics) based on looks, though. Interesting question, as is the fact we haven't had many very overweight or bald candidates. Last fall Texas voted a man in a wheelchair into the governorship. I wonder how many didn't vote for him due to that?
madrano wrote: "When we visited the NYC TR home one of the rangers? volunteers? told us that they have the shirt he was wearing when shot in their storage but don't keep it on display for fear of offending visitor..."I can't wait for this to reopen.
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace is closed.
This park site is closed to the public as of May 1, 2015 to allow for renovation and accessibility improvements. Once begun, the project will take approximately nine months. The site is scheduled to reopen in 2016.
I finished up chapter 2 this evening. The chapter are quite long and detailed. I was intrigued by the many differences between Taft and TR. It's especially interesting since they became such good friends as Goodwin states in chapter 1.
Taft was not interested in the least in natural history. TR had a passion for it.
TR's father balanced work and family life. TR adored his dad.
Taft's father always put work before family. Taft seemed to fear his father. At the very least his father's expectations created a terrific amount of stress for his children as they tried to reach the perfection he demanded. I was reminded in some ways of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua in that only perfection was the accepted outcome.
P42 we read of Taft and his popularity at college. Yale was his college of choice.
We then read TR was initially not socially adept. Harvard was his college of choice.
TR read widely. Taft stayed within his college course work. I think I read in another book that TR read a book a day later in life.
Taft we learn was for women's suffrage. TR though he thought women equal did not support women's suffrage.
I think it says something about the men that they could be different yet work well together and be friends.
Speaking of TR and books and reading. I found this online.Teddy Roosevelt’s 10 Rules for Reading
It’s well known among historians that our venerated 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, was probably the most well-read president, and perhaps one of the most well-read men in all of history. He would read a book before breakfast every day, and depending on his schedule, another two or three in the evening (he was a speed reader extraordinaire). By his own estimates he read tens of thousands of books over the course of his lifetime.
What may not be known to the average reader is how much of a book advocate he really was. Rebecca has already outlined some of his book-loving tendencies, but in doing some research for a different writing project, I stumbled upon a few pages of his autobiography that are just too good to not share with our Riot Readers. My own thoughts are in italics:
1. “The room for choice is so limitless that to my mind it seems absurd to try to make catalogues which shall be supposed to appeal to all the best thinkers. This is why I have no sympathy whatever with writing lists of the One Hundred Best Books, or the Five-Foot Library. It is all right for a man to amuse himself by composing a list of a hundred very good books… But there is no such thing as a hundred books that are best for all men, or for the majority of men, or for one man at all times.”
Brilliant! Here we are as readers, ever debating the merits of this list and that list, and we never stop to realize that we can all just end the fighting and enjoy what we enjoy. No list of books will ever satisfy everyone, so why not just make a list of Lots of Very Good Books That Most People Will Enjoy But Not Everyone Has To.
2. “A book must be interesting to the particular reader at that particular time.”
Ah! Sweet freedom! Newsflash: if a book isn’t all that interesting to you, DON’T READ IT.
3. “Personally, the books by which I have profited infinitely more than by any others have been those in which profit was a by-product of the pleasure; that is, I read them because I enjoyed them, because I liked reading them, and the profit came in as part of the enjoyment.”
Similar to the above, your reading should be a pleasurable experience. Granted, there’s some merit to slogging your way through certain books, but don’t make it a habit.
4. “The reader, the booklover, must meet his own needs without paying too much attention to what his neighbors say those needs should be.”
Screw what everyone else says you need to read; read what you damn well please. That’s what being a lover of books is all about — there’s no need to feel pressure or angst about your TBR list, as Rebecca so eloquently put it last week.
5. “He must not hypocritically pretend to like what he does not like.”
Don’t fake it. If you don’t like The Great Gatsby, shout it from the rooftops. If you think Stephen King is a dolt, I’ll forgive you. Don’t pretend to like something just because you think you’re supposed to.
6. “Books are almost as individual as friends. There is no earthly use in laying down general laws about them. Some meet the needs of one person, and some of another; and each person should beware of the booklover’s besetting sin, of what Mr. Edgar Allan Poe calls ‘the mad pride of intellectuality,’ taking the shape of arrogant pity for the man who does not like the same kind of books.”
There are no hard and fast rules, we all like different things, so stop bickering already. Also, don’t judge others about their book choices lest ye be judged. You know you have some book skeletons in your closet.
7. “Now and then I am asked as to ‘what books a statesman should read,’ and my answer is, poetry and novels – including short stories under the head of novels.”
A statesman, politician, historian, and gamesman says to read novels and poetry and short stories above all else. Awesome.
8. “Ours is in no sense a collector’s library. Each book was procured because some one of the family wished to read it. We could never afford to take overmuch thought for the outsides of books; we were too much interested in their insides.”
Don’t collect titles on your shelves that you think will make you look neato and well-read. Stock your shelves with what you’re interested in, and if people judge you, throw ’em out the door.
9. “[We] all need more than anything else to know human nature, to know the needs of the human soul; and they will find this nature and these needs set forth as nowhere else by the great imaginative writers, whether of prose or of poetry.”
Isn’t this really the heart of reading? Gosh I love this line. Reading is ultimately about the human spirit, and those are the books we most love and enjoy. Amen, brother.
10. “Books are all very well in their way, and we love them at Sagamore Hill; but children are better than books.”
Believe it or not, there are some things in life more important than books. Exercise, eating right, healthy relationships — these are all important things. Sure, read as much as you possibly can, but don’t do it at the neglect of every other realm of your life.
I already thought TR was a cool dude, but after coming across what he has to say about books and reading, I’m even more in love. He understood that reading should be about freedom of choice, not about the prescriptive lists and snobbery you often find in the literary world.
Be free to read what you choose and enjoy, dear Riot Readers! Our 26th president wouldn’t have it any other way.
http://bookriot.com/2014/01/30/teddy-...
The Libraries of Great Men: Theodore Roosevelt’s Reading List
“Books are almost as individual as friends. There is no earthly use in laying down general laws about them. Some meet the needs of one person, and some of another; and each person should beware of the booklover’s besetting sin, of what Mr. Edgar Allan Poe calls ‘the mad pride of intellectuality,’ taking the shape of arrogant pity for the man who does not like the same kind of books.” ~TR
Who better to start with than our revered Theodore Roosevelt? We’ve covered his tenacity, his physical strength, his childhood, his integrity – heck, we even have a poster of one of his most famous quotes in the AoM store. He was an influential man to be sure, but who influenced Mr. Roosevelt? What did he read in his spare time? What did he pick up from his library over and over again? I recently stumbled across a letter he wrote to a friend who had asked for book recommendations. Not able to restrain himself, Roosevelt listed over 100 works – and those were only the ones he could remember reading from the previous two years!
“A book must be interesting to the particular reader at that particular time.” ~TR
TR was quite famously a rabid reader. He would read a book before breakfast, and another two or three in the evening. It’s estimated he read tens of thousands of books in his lifetime, many of them in other languages. (If you’re asking how this is possible, he was also famously a speed reader. Lucky for you, we’ve written about how to speed read like TR.)
Another key to the vast number of books Roosevelt was able to devour in his lifetime was his remarkable power of concentration. As one biographer wrote, “his occupation for the moment was to the exclusion of everything else; if he were reading, the house might fall about his head, he could not be diverted.” When riding a train on presidential business, he’d sit completely absorbed in his books, disengage to have brief conversations with the delegations that came through his car, and then immediately lose himself once more in the pages before him. Whenever he was reading, he gave off the impression to observers that he was in a completely other world, “as if alone by a camp fire in some deep forest.”
“Now and then I am asked as to ‘what books a statesman should read,’ and my answer is, poetry and novels – including short stories under the head of novels. I don’t mean that he should read only novels and modern poetry. If he cannot also enjoy the Hebrew prophets and the Greek dramatists, he should be sorry. He ought to read interesting books on history and government, and books of science and philosophy; and really good books on these subjects are as enthralling as any fiction ever written.”
While Roosevelt was renowned for his ability to direct his full attention to a book, he was not at all opposed to the idea of skimming when necessary. He would jump around to try to get the meaty nuggets of text that would inspire him or force him to think critically about something. Regarding Dickens, he wrote, “The wise thing to do is simply to skip the bosh and twaddle and vulgarity and untruth, and get the benefit out of the rest.” When reading Greek history, he might take in a chapter or two before setting it back down for a few months. He didn’t live by any hard and fast rules of reading in which he had to finish everything he picked up. He did what worked for him, and ended up being one of the most well read men in all of history.
Below you’ll find the list that TR sent to his friend in its entirety. Peruse it, use it for your own reading life, and enjoy. You’ll find everything from Greek history and tragedy, to the dramas of Shakespeare, to modern popular novels, and treatises on the outdoors. He noted in his letter that he had read over half of these titles multiple times – an incredible feat in its own right.
While you can use this as your next reading list, I would not recommend being too fastidious about it. If you don’t enjoy a book on the list or don’t find it interesting, then don’t continue reading. Mr. Roosevelt was clear that each man enjoys different things, and those are the things he should pursue (but especially fiction and poetry!)
Theodore Roosevelt’s Reading List
Title Author
The History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides
The Histories Herodotus
The Histories Polybius
Plutarch’s Lives Plutarch
Oresteia Trilogy Aeschylus
Seven Against Thebes Aeschylus
Hippolytus Euripides
The Bacchae Euripides
Frogs Aristophones
Politics Aristotle
Early Age of Greece William Ridgeway
Alexander the Great Benjamin Ide Wheeler
History of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria Gaston Maspero
Chronicles Froissart
The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot Baron de Marbot
Charles XII and the Collapse of the Swedish Empire Robert Nisbet Bain
Types of Naval Officers AT Mahan
Critical and Historical Essays Thomas Macaulay
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Edward Gibbon
The Life of Prince Eugene Prince Eugene of Savoy
Life of Lieut.-Admiral De Ruyter G Grinnell-Milne
Life of Sobieski John Sobieski
Frederick the Great Thomas Carlyle
Abraham Lincoln: A History Hay and Nicolay
Speeches and Writings Abraham Lincoln
The Essays Francis Bacon
Macbeth Shakespeare
Twelfth Night Shakespeare
Henry IV Shakespeare
Henry the Fifth Shakespeare
Richard II Shakespeare
Paradise Lost John Milton
Poems Michael Drayton
Nibelungenlied Anonymous
Inferno Dante (prose translastion by Carlyle)
Beowulf (Samuel H. Church translation)
Heimskringla: Lives of the Norse Kings Snorri Sturluson
The Story of Burnt Njal (George Dasent translation)
Gisli the Outlaw (George Dasent translation)
Cuchulain of Muirthemne (Lady Gregory translation)
The Affected Young Ladies Moliere
The Barber of Seville Gioachino Rossini
The Kingis Quair James I of Scotland
Over the Teacups Oliver Wendell Holmes
Shakespeare and Voltaire Thomas Lounsbury
Sevastopol Sketches Leo Tolstoy
The Cossacks Leo Tolstoy
With Fire and Sword Henryk Sienkiewicz
Guy Mannering Sir Walter Scott
The Antiquary Sir Walter Scott
Rob Roy Sir Walter Scott
Waverly Sir Walter Scott
Quentin Durward Sir Walter Scott
Marmion Sir Walter Scott
The Lay of the Last Minstrel Sir Walter Scott
The Pilot James Fenimore Cooper
Tom Sawyer Mark Twain
The Pickwick Papers Charles Dickens
Nicholas Nickleby Charles Dickens
Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray
The History of Pendennis William Makepeace Thackeray
The Newcomes William Makepeace Thackeray
The Adventures of Philip William Makepeace Thackeray
The White Company Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Charles O’Malley Charles Lever
Poems John Keats
Poems Robert Browning
Poems Edgar Allan Poe
Poems Lord Alfred Tennyson
Poems Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Poems Rudyard Kipling
Poems Bliss Carman
Tales Edgard Allan Poe
Essays James Russell Lowell
Complete Stories Robert Louis Stevenson
British Ballads William Allingham
The Simple Life Charles Wagner
The Rose and the Ring William Makepeace Thackeray
Fairy Tales Hans Andersen
Grimm’s Fairy Tales Grimm Bros
The Story of King Arthur Howard Pyle
Complete Tales of Uncle Remus Joel Chandler Harris
The Woman Who Toils Bessie Van Vorst
The Golden Age Kenneth Grahame
All on the Irish Shore Somerville & Ross
Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. Somerville & Ross
Asia and Europe Meredith Townsend
Youth: A Narrative Joseph Conrad
Works Artemus Ward
Stories of a Western Town Octave Thanet
My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War Ben Viljoen
Through the Subarctic Forest Warburton Pike
Cross Country with Horse and Hound Frank Sherman Peer
Ways of Nature John Burroughs
The Real Malay Frank Swettenham
Gallops David Gray
Napoleon Jackson Ruth Stuart
The Passing of Thomas Thomas Janvier
The Benefactress Elizabeth von Arnim
People of the Whirlpool Mabel Osgood Wright
Call of the Wild Jack London
The Little Sheperd of Kingdom Come John Fox
The Captain of the Gray-Horse Troop Hamlin Garland
The Gentleman from Indiana Booth Tarkington
The Crisis Winston Churchill
John Ermine of the Yellowstone Frederic Remington
The Virginian Owen Wister
Red Men and White Owen Wister
Philosophy 4 Owen Wister
Lin McLean Owen Wister
The Blazed Trail Stewart Edward White
Conjuror’s House Stewart Edward White
The Claim Jumpers Stewart Edward White
American Revolution George Otto Trevelyan
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/02...
Alias Reader wrote: "Do you think Americans overall vote more on substance than optics? .."Forgive my cynicism, but I think the average American voter is not informed enough to vote on substance. I think they vote for many other reasons, and yes--appearance is one of them. Look at Donald Trump's ridiculous comment made recently, when he said about Carly Fiorina, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?" Now, I personally can't imagine Fiorina as our next president, but it has nothing to do with her face. That's just plain insulting.
However ... I do remember from my graduate school classes in public relations a psychological "truth" upon which many advertisers, marketers and PR practitioners capitalize: People inherently tend to trust attractive folks more than unattractive folks. It comes down to how quickly we make decisions. On average, it takes us no more than 30 seconds, tops, to assess the confidence, competence, status, likeability, warmth, and – yes – trustworthiness of someone we’ve just met. Our brains are wired to make snap judgments about people. Because few of us have the mental agility to consciously perceive and process all the factors needed to make calculations, we rely on unconscious estimates – or guesses – based upon our past experiences and preconceptions. And numerous studies show that--unfair though it may be, and even though we may proclaim otherwise -- we judge people by their appearance every day. And we automatically assign favorable traits to good-looking people, finding them to be more likeable, competent, and honest than unattractive people.
So having said all that, does obesity figure into the calculation on appearance? Probably for many, yes. As a voter, I don't look at someone like Chris Christie and think, "he's fat so I won't vote for him." It does cross my mind, however, to wonder if his weight might present health problems (i.e. heart disease, etc) that could hamper his ability to perform the job. Which I believe a lot of people think when they look at an older candidate, too -- is he/she too old? Will they live long enough to complete the term? All of these things do go into people's calculations when they are contemplating casting their votes.
Alias Reader wrote: "While Roosevelt was renowned for his ability to direct his full attention to a book, he was not at all opposed to the idea of skimming when necessary. He would jump around to try to get the meaty nuggets of text that would inspire him or force him to think critically about something.f ..."This is interesting, because recently in another thread (I can't remember which one) we debated an article written by a guy who recommended the same approach in order to read 100 books or more in a year. And we all -- pretty much to a person, if I recall correctly -- came down on him for skimming and reading so quickly, and questioned whether he could truly absorb the information in this way and wondered if jumping around and skimming meant he really couldn't/shouldn't count the book as "read." Yet here is an article about how TR did the same thing, and he's being held up as an example of a "well read man." Fascinating!
Amy wrote: So having said all that, does obesity figure into the calculation on appearance? Probably for many, yes. As a voter, I don't look at someone like Chris Christie and think, "he's fat so I won't vote for him." It does cross my mind, however, to wonder if his weight might present health problems (i.e. heart disease, etc) that could hamper his ability to perform the job. Which I believe a lot of people think when they look at an older candidate, too -- is he/she too old? Will they live long enough to complete the term? all of these things do go into people's calculations when they are contemplating casting their votes. Very well written post, Amy. You write so well and express your self very eloquently. Color me green with envy. :)
I think most voters, as you note, are very uninformed. Based on TV interviews and from what I've read many don't even know how our government is structured. When asked what are the 3 branches of government or how many senators there are an astonishing number of people simply don't know. It's sad to see people throw around terms like socialism, capitalism, and communism with no real understanding of these terms. Some who are running for the highest office in our country don't seem to comprehend what the difference is between the debt limit and the budget. I am not saying I am know it all but I think a basic understanding of how government is structured and operates is not too much to ask. The Age of American Unreason--Susan Jacoby is just one book that explores this topic. Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free-Charles P. Pierce is another. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business -Neil Postman though very dated is another interesting book.
You mention how we make snap judgments on peoples looks and how that may influence us. I would just add to that the number of people who get their news from tabloids, social media headlines or 30 second commercials etc. It's almost impossible to know a topic with any degree of insight if you haven't read a book, listened to a thoughtful interview that is more than a few minutes, or even a lengthy newspaper or magazine article. Even our "debates" are a joke. Long gone are Lincoln/Douglas type debates. Now we listen to one minute rehearsed statements and 30 second rebuttals. The person with the best or funny one liner is said to have "won" the debate.
As to age, I think that can be a valid consideration when considering a candidate. Not only is there the concern you brought up about "Will they live long enough to complete the term? " but also dementia. President Regan suffered from this at the end of his last term. Then there is the stamina that the job requires. I often think of this even when it comes to the Supreme Court. I think there should be an age limit for that job, too.
Enough of my soapbox ! I haven't even had my breakfast yet but I needed to respond to your post. :)
Amy wrote: This is interesting, because recently in another thread (I can't remember which one) we debated an article written by a guy who recommended the same approach in order to read 100 books or more in a year. And we all -- pretty much to a person, if I recall correctly -- came down on him for skimming and reading so quickly, and questionned whether he could truly absorb the information in this way and wondered if jumping around and skimming meant he really couldn't/shouldn't count the book as "read." Yet here is an article about how TR did the same thing, and he's being held up as an example of a "well read man." Fascinating! ..."Excellent point, Amy !
Amy wrote: "On average, it takes us no more than 30 seconds, tops, to assess the confidence, competence, status, likeability, warmth, and – yes – trustworthiness of someone we’ve just met..."Amy, thank you for your thoughtful post. I particularly am drawn to thee above quote. As Alias noted, this would include commercials. We've practically trained ourselves to do this.
Now that i'm an oldster, i'm surprised how often i wonder when some young candidate has to get back to math class. Not that i trust people by age, i don't feel i do that. It just seems as though i notice this more than throughout the rest of my life.
About TR and reading. How about that? It almost sounds as though he had different values. One for the glory of reading but another for amassing information and facts. While i read for both, i do still believe in reading the entire info. I lose too much when i try to skim and feel i'm not alone. When i visit historic homes, if there are bookshelves, i'm taking notes (if not photos of the books) of what books are present. (To be fair, i do the same when visiting family & friends.) Neat, then, to see that list of books, many of which i've not heard about nor read. Thanks for the info.
From above posted articleAnother key to the vast number of books Roosevelt was able to devour in his lifetime was his remarkable power of concentration. As one biographer wrote, “his occupation for the moment was to the exclusion of everything else; if he were reading, the house might fall about his head, he could not be diverted.” When riding a train on presidential business, he’d sit completely absorbed in his books, disengage to have brief conversations with the delegations that came through his car, and then immediately lose himself once more in the pages before him. Whenever he was reading, he gave off the impression to observers that he was in a completely other world, “as if alone by a camp fire in some deep forest.”
---------
That may explain a bit how he was able to skim and also to read fully so many books. It is also noted by Goodwin in Bully Pulpit.
I know I don't have this skill.
I can only rarely become so immersed in reading that i am unaware of what is going on in the room. Easiest is when my husband watches sports, as nothing there captures my attention, even when i'm concentrating on that topic. ;-)
madrano wrote: "I can only rarely become so immersed in reading that i am unaware of what is going on in the room. Easiest is when my husband watches sports, as nothing there captures my attention, even when i'm c..."Speaking of sports I have to skip reading this evening as the baseball playoffs are on. During the daytime I had my dance/ballet class at the Y. I'll try to get some reading in tomorrow.
Carol wrote: "I came across this online -- the day that Teddy's first wife died, he wrote . . . "
Just read that part yesterday. I had read this before in other books I read on TR. It was moving to actually see the diary entry.
Thanks for sharing that, Carol.
Some comments on Chapter 3Though I've read it before I am still amazed at the list of accomplishments of TR and Taft.
TR
Author, historian, assemblyman,rancher,civil service commissioner, police commissioner, assistant secretary of the navy, soldier, governor, vice president and president.
Heavens ! This man accomplished enough for a dozen men!
Taft
lawyer, court reporter, junior council for Bar association, prosecuting attorney, president & chief justice of the U.S.
A really accomplished career.
Amy, I agree with your post on this chapter. I felt very sad for Taft and his quest for approval from his father.
p59
The corruption in Cincinnati was unreal ! Also the mob that burned the court house down. Wow !
p 69, 74, 76
Goodwin reinforces the idea getting the public and press corps on your side to move the legislators to action. Also legislation understanding the need for give and take to get anything done. Something current congress may want to consider.
p71
mention is made of Jay Gould
Here are some books on him.
Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons
The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould and J.P. Morgan Invented the American Supereconomy
p77
TR goes to tenements.
I would note Eleanor Roosevelt did the same thing.
p78
I thought this was an interesting quote and quite true.
TR "which first he waked me to... the fact that the courts were not necessarily the best judges of what should be done to better social and industrial conditions."
P83
"believing that the dead continue only in the minds f the living."
This brought to my mind the Buddhist saying that you die twice. Once when you physical body dies and a second time when no one mentions your name.
Great post Amy. Even those who think they are voting on substance unfortunately do not know what it takes to govern.
Reflections on Chapters 5 and 6:I was fascinated to read of Edith Roosevelt's family connection to Norwich, CT. Since I live 10 minutes from there and my husband works in Norwich. I'm going to have to go exploring and find the home where Edith's mother Gertrude was raised and the church where her parents were married!
I was irritated to read Teddy's comment that he thought he would be "deemed effeminate" for admitting to an early fascination with "girls' stories such as Little Men, Little Women and An Old-Fashioned Girl. It's too bad he was made to feel that way. Was glad to see that he loved those books, though!
Carrying on with the theme of books--it makes me cheer every time it's mentioned how much all of these people loved to read. On page 162, Edith was said to have "sought consolation in her treasured books, keeping a careful record of the hundreds of volumes she completed." (Edith was apparently a forerunner of Goodreads!) A few pages later, Kearns Goodwin writes that "books remained a medium through which Theodore and Edith connected and interpreted the larger world." Sounds like the basis of a beautiful relationhip to me! (And having read War and Peace this year, I literally laughed out loud at Teddy's comments about Tolstoy: "Do you notice how he never comments on the actions of his personages? He related what they thought or did without any remarks whatever as to whether it was good or bad..." Why, yes, Teddy! I did notice that! Thanks so much for validating my thoughts.) I also gave a cheer on page 170, when reading about how Teddy gave credit to Edith for editing and revising the articles on ranching that he wrote for "Century" magazine.
I also gained a measure of respect for TR when reading about his experience working side by side with cattlemen in the Badlands. Kearns Goodwin writes that Teddy never forgot those years, and that they were instrumental to his successin becoming president. Teddy himself wrote: "It is a mighty good thing to know men, not from looking at them, but from having been one of them...When you have worked with them, when you have lived with them, you do not have to wonder how they feel, because you feel it yourself." I wish more politicians today had the same compassion and understanding of the "common" working folks.
I was suprised, though, to read that so many people were "irked by Roosevelt's uncompromising, aggressive temperament" when he was Civil Service Commissioner. Not knowing all that much about TR other than that he was the youngest president ever, I guess I sort of assumed that he was a fast rocket to the top. Didn't really think about the toes he likely stepped on along the way. However, the good that he did while in that post is unquestionable, as Kearns Goodwin pointed out: "The process Roosevelt had set in motion by shining the light of publicity (on the flagrant iniquities of the spoils system) would prove crucial in any attempt to create a system of government based upon good work rather than political influence."
These chapters were also interesting in their side-by-side comparisons of Nellie Taft and Edith Roosevelt. The two women were both very alike and very different. While you would think they would/could be best friends, you can also understand why they didn't really care for one another:
1. Nellie was determined to marry a future president (or create one of the man she married). (Italics are mine because I found this to be a fascinating comment). Her marriage to Taft was based on her belief that the relationship would "expand the boundaries of her existence and her opportunities for involvement and impact." Edith "craved security and domestic coherence above all" as a result of growing up with an alcoholic father who watched the family's fortune dissipate, and she thought that by marrying Teddy they could "withdraw and build a life centered on books and family, sustained by reading and writing." It sounds as though Nellie got what she wanted, while Edith didn't quite get the exact life she'd dreamed of (although Kearns Goodwin does say that Edith ended up enjoying Washington, DC more than she expected).
2. Both women were scholars in their own way. "Each had pursued education, read widely for pleasure, and developed her closest friendships in a circle with simliar literay inclinations."
3. However--for Nellie, literature was "a way to engage the larger worlds, to explore the social issues of the day." For Edith, reading and writing were a way "to isolate herself and create a private world to share with those she let in."
4. Both women were indispensable partners to their husbands. Will Taft not only accepted Nellie but he NEEDED her as a partner to drive and push him. Edith was equally as competent and intelligent, and she adroitly managed the household while whirlwind Teddy was in motion.
I am running out the door to see a local production of Mame so I will comment more on you terrific post later.I wish there were stats on the reading habits of people in that era. Did they read more than we do now ? Of course we have other things to entertain us (TV, computers).
Still, it was fun to read " On page 162, Edith was said to have "sought consolation in her treasured books, keeping a careful record of the hundreds of volumes she completed." (Edith was apparently a forerunner of Goodreads!)"
If I recall correctly,from some of the books I've read, Abigail Adams also was a very intelligent women and big reader, too. She also was indispensable partner to her husband.
I find it all so fascinating.
My library just alerted me that the audio of Bully Pulpit is available so I'll download that. I only get it for 2 weeks. Still, I think it will be nice to hear the chapters I just read.
Sorry, I am taking so long to read. I usually read at night and with the baseball playoffs I can't read and listen to the games as I usually do. I am too tense ! LOL
I just got the book today & hope to begin reading tomorrow. At last!
Alias Reader wrote: "Sorry, I am taking so long to read. I usually read at night and with the baseball playoffs I can't read and listen to the games as I usually do. I am too tense ! LOL ..."No worries--I don't think we are on a timeline, are we? (Or is there another group read coming up that is scheduled?) I've been reading several other books simultaneously, so it's been nice not to have to feel rushed through this one! Although I am up to chapter 9 now --I just have to find time to sit and organize my thoughts on the previous chapters for sharing...
madrano wrote: "I just got the book today & hope to begin reading tomorrow. At last!":)
Amy wrote: No worries--I don't think we are on a timeline, are we? ..."No.. No time line. :)
Reflections on Chapter 7:One strike against Teddy in my mind at the start of this chapter: Description of the bombing at Haymarket Square in Chicago in 1886 during a demonstration against the deaths of 4 workers who were striking at the McCormick Reaper plant in the city. (This was during a period of national labor unrest). The protest turned violent when police showed up to disperse the crowds, and the bomb thrown into the square killed 8 policemen and 4 protesters and wounded more than 70 others. As Kearns Goodwin wrote on page 207, "Although police never determined who threw the bomb, they promptly arrested eight anarchists, several of whom had not even attended the demonstration. At the trial, the judge ruled that the anarchists' belief in violence (emphasis mine) made them as guilty as the murderous bomb thrower." Four of these people were then put to death by hanging. When he heard of the news, Teddy "drew no distinction between the strikers and the anarchist protesters" ...instead, he "railed against the breakdown of law and order." Even though many union supporters and strikers, who were working to get decent working conditions and wages for hardworking laborers, praised the efforts of the anarchists on the unions' behalf, Teddy "judged them all as the foulest of criminals." This description of his tarring all of the strikers and protesters with the same brush seems in direct opposition to his comments in the previous chapters about the cattlemen with whom he worked.
This book is filled with characters who loved books! Every one of them had a special love of reading, it seems. On page 210, Kearns Goodwin writes of Sam McClure's excitement when boxes of new books were delivered to his school: "For a child whose family possessed a scant three works -- the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress and Foxe's Book of Martyrs -- the experience of opening those boxes and looking into the fresh books that still had the smell of the press was about the most delightful thing that happened during the year." Who among us hasn't experienced that same thrill at the smell of new books??
Struck by the auspicious pairing of Sam McClure, Phillips and Albert Brady, all of whom together were instrumental in the success of "McClure's." Together-- with McClure's creative genius, Phillips' genius for editing, and Brady's business acumen -- they made the "perfect publishing organization." Reading about how they met and created the magazine made me reflect upon how rare it is when all of the stars align in such a way to produce something wonderful. And how lucky.
Page 218: I was unaware that McClure is credited with introducing such literary legends as Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, J.M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle to American readers.
Page 220: Was intrigued to read of the things that "McClure's" did that revolutionized the printing industry: use of photo engraving (Kearns Goodwin maintains that photo engraving was "the innovation that fundamentally altered the industry ... At a fraction of the cost of wood engraving, the new process allowed publishers to make pictures directly from photographs, which were cheap, instead of from drawings, which were expensive."); reducing the per-issue cost so that more readers could afford it; and the creation of the job of "staff writer" (which McClure claims to have invented -- "a justifiable assertion," according to Kearns Goodwin, at a time when few magazine subsidized their writers). Thank you, Sam McClure! I've held that very job at several publications during my career. I appreciate you being the one to recognize and reward the value of good writing.
Loved the sections on Ida Tarbell. She is one of my heroes.
Also loved this description of Sam McClure: "he seemed a powerhouse of energy, a dynamo full of ideas, who talked like a pair of scissors, clipping his sentences and sometimes his words." (pg 224)
Wonderful quote on page 261 about the dedication of McClure's writing staff: "All passionately believed that a vigilant and well-informed press, setting forth the truth, could become an infinitely greater guard to the people than any government officials." Amen!!
I've finished the first two chapters of the book. As usual with Doris Kearns Goodwin, the writing has grabbed me. She creates a good story.In many ways i think it was quite graceful of TR to leave the country when Taft was elected. It might have saved Taft some comparisons from the start, although, knowing as little as i do i cannot say for sure. The welcome upon his return must have been partly a result of the fact things weren't going well with the Taft administration. I wonder, although DKG doesn't mention it, how much, if any, of the giant welcoming reception had to do with the fact that TR was returning to NYC, his home turf, so to speak. Had he stepped ashore in Charleston, SC., for instance, would the scale be dramatically less?
That voracious Taft baby appetite has me wondering if something was wrong. If, as his father wrote, the mother's milk came in 3 days and they still needed a wet nurse, that is remarkable. Today we'd probably be giving the baby all sorts of tests to see what was wrong.
On the other hand, my second child appeared to be an eager eater but really he was born teething. Maybe that wet nurse wasn't such a good idea & started him on an unhealthy trail. We'll never know but his later stress must have taken its toll.
One think i felt DKG didn't mention strongly enough was that Alphonso Taft had to quit a job he really loved because it couldn't pay for the needs of his family. This is quite a contrast to the Roosevelt family. I think it would also reflect AT's attitude toward education & planning for the future.
Another unclear point or, rather, something i think DKG skipped lightly over, was the fact that the trip to Europe the Taft parent's took with his two sons from his first marriage was the result of an inheritance from their maternal grandmother. I take this to mean from his first wife's parents. If so, it makes sense they wouldn't take their own children, particularly given their tight funds.
But i'd rather have gone to Europe (& Egypt!) for the extended length of time the Roosevelts could!
I'm way behind. My husband was playing golf, felt sick to his stomach, came home. Lied down on the sofa, and began vomiting. Brought him to the hospital, and has a large kidney stone, taking pain.
Reflections of Chapter 8:Enjoyed this chapter on Roosevelt's term as police commissioner in NYC. Right from the start, Teddy swung into action, "opening the battle for reform wielding the same weapons he had used in his previous fights against corruption: full publicity, strict enforcement of the law, and utter disregard of partisan political considerations." It sounds like the police force didn't know what hit them! I laughed out loud at the headline in the New York Sun for an article about Teddy's midnight forays and surprise inspections of cops on the beat: "Roosevelt on Patrol: He Makes Night Hideous for Sleepy Policemen."
The details of Teddy's term as New York police commissioner were contrasted with Taft's tenure on the circuit court at the same time. Nellie herself reflected years later that Taft "Savored his work on the federal bench more than any he has ever undertaken." Which strikes me once again as sad that he was prodded by external pressures (his father, Nellie, etc.) to give up the work he enjoyed to pursue something "more." Especially as it was noted that "no one on the circuit was more widely respected or better loved than Taft." (Page 275). Kearns Goodwin writes, "While Roosevelt's indomitable, often contentious nature stirred discord with colleagues at both the Civil Service Commission and the police board, Taft enjoyed warm professional relationships from the outset." As well, from all accounts he was very, very good at his job. When he ruled on a case that had roots in the Pullman railroad strike, Taft's "clear and forceful defense of labor's right to strike was perhaps the most definitive pronouncement on the subject to date," and his decision was used years later as precedent for other cases involving labor rights. As Kearns Goodwin writes on page 279, "while Taft lacked Roosevelt's political savvy and press connections, his advocacy for the workingman and desire for an even-handed policy in a rapidly industrializing nation made his nascent progressivism increasingly evident."
More love for Nellie Taft in this chapter: While she had been reluctant to leave DC and move back to Cincinnati, once she was there "she resumed her leadership role in promoting access to early education for the city's children, and advocacy that resulted in the kindergarten movement." Oh, and while she was doing that, she ALSO managed to take on the job of founding the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra! She raised funds, organized committees to sell advertising and subscriptions, negotiated contracts with the conductor and musicians, worked with their labor unions -- and even managed to persuade the major railroads to offer reduced rates for out-of-town passengers to attend concert performances. PLUS she frequented German beer halls, played cards for money, was a fervent fan of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and was among the first women in her hometown to wear a short skirt, telling Will that "it is so delightful I shall live in it! It makes me feel very young and frisky to be so unencumbered." This woman sounds like a force of nature in her own right! Imagine what she could have done if she was born 100 years later! And Taft himself seemed to have been her biggest cheerleader, telling her, "My love for you, Dear, grows each year ... this is not the enthusiasm of the wedding journey but it is the truth deliberately arrived at after full opportunity for me to know." Taft also defended Nellie when her own mother derided her for "fancying herself as one of the new women" because she had "only" 3 children and pursued "public pursuits" outside the home. It is wonderful to see that Nellie -- who very probably could have been president in her own right -- was able to find a husband who supported her pursuit of her diverse interests.
Another strike against Teddy in this chapter with the description of the run-up to the Spanish-American War. Teddy is described as being an ardent proponent of going to war, even when it wasn't clear if there was indeed a just cause. Roosevelt apparently commented that he would "rather welcome a foreign war" even before he assumed his post in the Navy Department because, in his words, Americans had "lost their soldierly virtues in the race for material gain and were becoming slothful, timid and sedentary." While President McKinley, who had been at Antietam, prayed and negotiated for peace, Teddy, who had never seen combat at that time, romanticized war and proclaimed, "The victories of peace are great, but the victories of war are greater." From the first day that he assumed his role as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Teddy worked to push American to war with Spain over Cuba. On page 285, Kearns Goodwin asserts that "Roosevelt did everything in the power to prepare the U.S. Navy for war," and says that Teddy took advantage of the time when his boss (Navy Secretary John Davis Long) was on vacation to generate war plans and stockpile guns, ammunition and supplies. While he was doing this, he was writing letters to his boss urging him to extend his vacation and stay away from DC--so Teddy could continue what he was doing. As another historian noted, "It is not easy to draw a line between Roosevelt's anxiety to build up the navy, which was legitimate preparedness, and his lust for war." When the USS Maine exploded on Feb. 15, 1898, Roosevelt immediately labeled the sinking an "act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards" and used his media connections to push forth the idea of war, even though the cause of the explosion was never determined with certainty. Teddy mocked President McKinley for wanting to thoroughly investigate the incident before sending troops to war, and he "summarily rejected all who argued against intervention, dismissing any possibility of legitimate objection." Even Ida Tarbell, who admired Roosevelt's "compelling energy and personality," believed that his "overwrought avidity for war was unseemly," and she reported that McKinley was a president "who struggled gallantly for a peaceful resolution until he was finally overwhelmed by the popular call for war" -- a call that was fueled in the press by Teddy Roosevelt. After watching the US invade Iraq in 2003 on charges that later turned out to be false, this warmongering side of TR leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.
madrano wrote: "One think i felt DKG didn't mention strongly enough was that Alphonso Taft had to quit a job he really loved because it couldn't pay for the needs of his family. This is quite a contrast to the Roosevelt family. I think it would also reflect AT's attitude toward education & planning for the future. ..."Excellent point, Deb.
Carol wrote: "I'm way behind. My husband was playing golf, felt sick to his stomach, came home. Lied down on the sofa, and began vomiting. Brought him to the hospital, and has a large kidney stone, taking pain."Kidney stones are painful. Hope he is on the mend soon.
Carol, healing thoughts to your husband. I've heard stones are awful.I see why others here are praising Nellie Taft. I'm not sure what to think of Edith. I'm probably more like her, just wanting my calm family life, although i also recall years of wanting a more active life, as Nellie seemed to want prior to moving to DC. It'll be interesting to see how Edith adapts (or not) to TR's life.
I'm beginning chapter 6 today. Just when i feel good about how much i've read i look at the bottom of my screen & see that i've read 359 of 2720 pages. Yikes!
madrano wrote: "ust when i feel good about how much i've read i look at the bottom of my screen & see that i've read 359 of 2720 pages. Yikes! ..."Holy cow! How many words per page does your e-reader allow? LOL...I am reading this book on my Nook, and I'm on chapter 9. Which puts me on page 306 of approximately 1260 or thereabouts (I forget the exact total).
madrano wrote: "Carol, healing thoughts to your husband. I've heard stones are awful..."Yes they are!! He finally returned to golf today. On Wednesday morning, I have an apt. for a KUB (x-- ray) and a renal ultrasound. Last year I had 2 stones, and I thought I was done. (I've had 4 surgeries.) But now I have 3 more stones. My motto: "Never done."
Happy Birthday to the Teddy Bear's namesake Theodore Roosevelt! He was born in NYC today in 1858.
New-York Historical Society
Amy wrote: "Holy cow! How many words per page does your e-reader allow? LOL...I am reading this book on my Nook, and I'm on chapter 9. Which puts me on page 306 of approximately 1260 or thereabouts (I forget the exact total). ..."I could make the font smaller (or larger, for that matter) but the present size is perfect for my eyes. (As an aside, i had to adjust the light when i was recovering, but not the font size.) This is the biggest book i've downloaded thus far.
I've noticed it takes it a moment or two to fill in the "extras", such as what percentage of the book i've read and even which chapter i'm on. However, there is no time lapse for the text to appear. My guess is that this is because it is such a large book.
Carol, glad to hear how quickly your husband recovered. I hope your tests are good news and that your stones pass easily.
Sorry i missed TR's birthday yesterday. Good timing for us, eh?
And Buffalo got a nice new statue of Teddy in front of his Inaugural Site -- a great birthday present.
Bobbie57 wrote: "And Buffalo got a nice new statue of Teddy in front of his Inaugural Site -- a great birthday present."Nice ! It's good to see these greats are not forgotten.
page 91 chapter 4Book Nellie said, "I have not read one good book, novel excepted, but Schiller's Life by Carlyle.
The Life of Friedrich Schiller Comprehending an Examination of His WorksThomas Carlyle
p 93 chapter 4History of Civilization in England---Henry Thomas Buckle
Book Nellie and friend "resolved to rad aloud fifty pages" daily.
P 93 chapter 4Wouldn't you just love to belong to a salon the likes of which Nellie formed.
"The group selected a different topic each week and the members of the salon were expected to prepare for discussion with all the reading and research they could muster."
From the book they selected it sounds very much like the Great Books groups that are around.
https://www.greatbooks.org/product-se...
A few more links to the books they read.
The French Revolution: A History--Thomas Carlyle
Russia--Donald Mackenzie Wallace
She also mentions one name I didn't know. p 94 So I looked it up. Thank you google ! :)
Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Count of Cavour, of Isolabella and of Leri, generally known as Cavour was an Italian statesman and a leading figure in the movement toward Italian unification. Wikipedia
See this is why it takes me forever to read a book like this. I am always looking things up and going on tangents on the internet. :)
Here are their other topic and or authors. I know you are all ahead of me in the reading. However, since I looked them up (love reading bios on people, I always find out new things or something I forgot. Thanks Wiki !) I thought I would share. Philosopher
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher. Considered one of the most important social commentators of his time, he presented many lectures during his ... Wikipedia
Born: December 4, 1795, Ecclefechan, United Kingdom
Died: February 5, 1881, London, United Kingdom
Philosopher
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century. His political philosophy influenced the Enlightenment in France and across Europe, as well as aspects of the French ... Wikipedia
Born: June 28, 1712, Geneva, Switzerland
Died: July 2, 1778, Ermenonville, France
Statesman
Edmund Burke PC was an Anglo-Irish statesman born in Dublin, as well as an author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher, who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons ... Wikipedia
Born: January 12, 1729, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Died: July 9, 1797, Beaconsfield, United Kingdom
Poet
Matthew Arnold was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, ... Wikipedia
Born: December 24, 1822, Laleham, United Kingdom
Died: April 15, 1888, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Physicist
Sir Isaac Newton PRS MP was an English physicist and mathematician who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution. Wikipedia
Born: January 4, 1643, Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, United Kingdom
Died: March 31, 1727, Kensington, London, United Kingdom
Anthony Trollope
Novelist
Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire. Wikipedia
Born: April 24, 1815, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Died: December 6, 1882, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
I do own a book by this author. I forget the title. (too lazy to go look right now. Also if I did go look, no doubt I would get lost on another tangent looking at my book collection! ) Does anyone who has read him have any thoughts on his writings?
p 94 chapter 4I am becoming a Taft fan ! :)
"the discussion became very heated especially between the men, who knowing less about he subject than the ladies, are naturally more certain of their position"
P98 chapter 4"honeyfuggled a jury"
I love these words !
Definition of HONEYFUGGLE. transitive verb. 1. chiefly dialectal. a : deceive, cheat, cozen.
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P 23
"Alphonso taught school in Vermont for several years before entering Yale. He made the 140 mile trek from Vermont to New Haven on Foot."
Alphonso and Louise were pretty amazing.