TR: The Last Romantic, by H.W. Brands (Basic Books, 1998) 

After trudging through a parade of rather mundane post-Reconstruction presidents, it is quite refreshing to begin teaching students about the Rough Riding, trust-busting president on Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt.  While time constraints and curriculum restrictions often prohibit us from delving more deeply into the life and times of Theodore Roosevelt, H.W. Brands’ biography, T.R.: The Last Romantic, is an excellent backgrounder for the classroom teacher, masterfully placing Roosevelt’s well-known public actions in their historical context. 

The first part of Brands’ biography explores the many troubles and relationships Roosevelt had as a young child.  From overcoming numerous childhood ailments to his time spent rowing and hiking, Roosevelt’s early love of physical exercise and the outdoors can be seen in his policies as President.  Reading the chapter about the influence Roosevelt’s father’s had on young Theodore brilliantly demonstrates to students the role parents and upbringing may have on a person throughout a lifetime. Brands frequently revisits this influence throughout the book especially when examining the estranged relationship Roosevelt had with his daughter, Alice. Without being a Roosevelt apologist, Brands exposes both the personal strengths and weaknesses of his subject, in incredible detail.

Each chapter is conveniently divided into smaller, more manageable sections.  Teachers could judiciously select specific sections within each chapter for student reading or classroom examination, thus exploring the dual nature of Roosevelt. Because T.R: The Last Romantic is over 800 pages, there is little chance that even our heartiest and most die-hard history students will pick up Brands’ single volume work as a pleasure read. However, T.R. certainly has its place as a history classroom resource.  Aside from providing excellent content on our youngest president and “Teddy” bear namesake, T.R. offers a detailed explanation of why Roosevelt holds such an esteemed, yet controversial, place in American History.  Asking students why T.R. can be considered “great” is an excellent classroom endeavor. A quick perusal of the numerous sources Brands used will certainly leave teachers a wide selection of primary source ideas.

T.R. himself was no stranger to the pen. Because of the many letters and writings available, it is easy to see how daunting writing a single volume biography of Teddy Roosevelt could be.  Author of more than 100,000 letters and numerous books, Roosevelt’s proliferation should prompt the question of which sources could be used in writing a biography and which writings– his nationalistic tales of heroism or his private letters and musings – reveal the “real” Theodore Roosevelt.   Used in conjunction with The Library of America’s Theodore Roosevelt: Letters and Speeches, edited by Louis Achincloss, excerpts from Brands’ work could be used to teach students about the choices an historian makes when writing a biography.  For example, having students read and analyze the full text of a letter or speech from The Library of America’s collection and then examining how Brands excerpted and used that particular source could be an excellent research endeavor.   A discussion on whether the excepts were used effectively, whether another portion of the document could have better served the author’s purpose, or even if the students believe that the excerpt was taken out of context could really allow students to “do history” and be historians in the classroom.

The Library of America’s Theodore Roosevelt: Letters and Speeches itself could easily prompt numerous classroom activities and lessons. The Library of America volume contains nearly 375 letters and speeches written between 1881-1919. Certainly, an interesting classroom discussion could revolve around the choices the editor had to make in selecting documents.  Comparisons could be made as to the sources chosen for this collection and the ones Brands used in T.R. However, students should be aware that Theodore Roosevelt: Letters and Speeches focuses on a later and more public period for Roosevelt rather than his youth and early career.

For teachers looking for a great single volume work on President Theodore Roosevelt, H.W. Brands T.R.: The Last Romantic will certainly fit the bill. Brands’ research and excellent storytelling will provide teachers with the background knowledge on both Roosevelt and the time period in which he lived. While lengthy, the chapters are nicely subdivided making this text ready for excerpts or for homework readings. Theodore Roosevelt: Letters and Speeches can provide the full text of many of Roosevelt’s most famous works. Used in conjunction with Brands’ book, both works can provide a classroom teacher with numerous lesson plan ideas for teaching about Roosevelt, his time period, and about the work of an historian. 

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