TR Biography Bonanza

Mornings on Horseback is undoubtedly the BEST biography I've ever read or heard! Written by David McCullough, and read by Edward Hermann, this 6-tape audiobook has kept me entranced for weeks. In fact, despite the spike in oil prices, I seek opportunities to take my Mitsubishi Mirage for just "one more ride" so that I can continue the adventure of this Theodore Roosevelt family biography (familyography?).

What makes this book so extraordinary? Well, the fact that I was kept in suspense for the first 3 tapes without being quite sure just which Theodore this book was about helped. And the fact that 11/12ths of the book is about the EARLY life of our 26th president (from 1901-1909) kept my interest alive. But ultimately what works is how the author McCullough writes his epic using the words of his subjects - it is THIS that turns the book from an "excellent read" into an "exceptional book".

I guess I stumbled upon this book quite by accident. I love biographies, and I especially love ones about people that matter. I've read a whole series now of political, financial, and economic history biographies, notable among them Ron Chernow's Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (read a review of it) and Charles Slack's Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon (about Hetty Green, touted as the richest American woman). However, neither of these have had quite the appeal of McCullough's.

Theodore Roosevelt was a child in an era in which letters and conversation and family history were the glue that held families together. He, his brother Elliott, and his sisters Anna and Corinne, all wrote prodigiously, as did his mother and his father. What survives from this record is a wonderful tale of who his parents were, how he and his siblings surfaced, and whenceforth emerged not only one but three of our greatest American political figures - Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor (the daughter of Theodore's brother Elliott). Here's the PBS version of the Roosevelt family tree, and the Wikipedia explanation.

Well, I've spent far more time writing this review than I intended; I just wanted to make a note of my reactions "for the record". I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I guess the fact that Edward Hermann did a fantastic job of reading it played a significant role too. Anyway, that's my two-cents for today!