Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for To Rescue the American Spirit:
He certainly rescued himself from boredom.
Quick synopsis:
The life and times of Teddy Roosevelt.
Fact for Non-History People:
The teddy bear is actually a reference to Teddy Roosevelt.
Fact for History Nerds:
He was once shot in the chest and refused to go to the hospital until he completed his 90-minute speech.
My Take on To Rescue the American Spirit:
Teddy Roosevelt is one of the most covered people in history when it comes to biographies. I actually looked this up! He’s not quite Winston Churchill, but he’s no slouch. The question becomes, what is there left to say? In Bret Baier’s To Rescue the American Spirit, it turns out how you say it might be what is most important.
It is generally accepted that the gold standard of Roosevelt bios is the three volumes written by Edmund Morris. However, even a history nerd like me recognizes that I could never get most people to sign up for somewhere around 2,000 pages worth of old Teddy.
This is where Baier’s biography can fill a void while also giving a little bit of updated focus for today’s times. In fact, Baier takes a moment in the introduction to put a finer point on what we (including a very specific person) can learn from TR. However, the author wisely dispenses with contemporary politics to illuminate the reader on how Roosevelt inspired a country between two extremely consequential wars for the U.S.
All of the major moments of Roosevelt’s life are covered, but Baier does find a few places to drop in some less covered events like the medication of the Russo-Japanese War. The author also doesn’t try to hold up Teddy as a beacon of pure virtue. He was a spotlight hog, and his total inability to truly connect with his daughter Alice proved he was human after all. (Side note: Alice Roosevelt might have spawned some of the greatest exasperated parenting quotes of all time.) It’s all here, and you should give it a read.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Mariner Books.)
Verdict:
A good read. Buy it here!
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