Theodore Roosevelt; A Life

New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc, 1992. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Good. 24 cm. 624 ages. Illustrations. Footnotes. References. Index, DJ has some wear, tears and soiling. Inscribed by the author on the fep. Nathan Miller was the author of more than a dozen books of U.S. history and biography. Mr. Miller centered his historical writing on his two major enthusiasms, the U.S. Navy and the Roosevelt family. "FDR: An Intimate History" (1983) and "Theodore Roosevelt: A Life" (1992) were critically praised. His most durable historical work was "The U.S. Navy: A History" (1977) was published as a textbook by the Naval Institute. Mr. Miller received his master's degrees in history from the University of Maryland before becoming a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. He spent more than 15 years as a journalist. Then he become an investigator and speechwriter for Sen. John L. McClellan (D-Ark.) on the permanent subcommittee on investigations and later the Senate Appropriations Committee. Derived from a Kirkus review: Appropriately big and vigorous life of the 26th President. Despite his modern-day reputation as an imperialist and worse, Roosevelt emerges from Miller's pages as a tremendously energetic reformer and moral beacon on the issues of his age. He took on corrupt politicians and bureaucrats throughout his career, and he instituted federal regulation of food and drug purity and of big business. Miller details the Roosevelt myth--TR's willful growth from puny scion to Rough Rider to ``big stick'' President--and finds it to be largely accurate. Roosevelt's career rose meteorically from his election to the New York State Senate, and by age 24 he was the most famous politician in the state. Yet his personal life was marred by tragedy. Miller masters not only Roosevelt but fascinating ancillary facts as well--e.g., how TR's secretary of state, John Hay, while a young reporter, traced the origin of the Great Chicago Fire to Mrs. O'Leary's infamous cow. A sympathetic, detailed, tremendously readable account of the eventful life of our most energetic, irrepressible President.