Becoming Teddy Roosevelt
TL; DR: Enjoy Maine history but not too sure about presidential history? You’ll enjoy this one.
Before Teddy Roosevelt became a robust national figure, he was a sickly young man from New York City. His experience in the Maine woods and his friendship with a Maine woodsman helped set Roosevelt on the path that led him to where he now stands in the American imagination. From Roosevelt’s college years, through his presidency, and until TR’s death, Bill Sewall of Island Falls, Maine was a presence in his life - both in-person and from afar through his lasting influence. Becoming Teddy Roosevelt: How A Maine Guide Inspired America’s 26th President, tells the story of this friendship between Roosevelt and Sewall.
Vietze keeps the book moving; it’s far from a dry presidential biography. In fact, it barely touches on Roosevelt’s presidency with the exception of the times Roosevelt traveled to Maine or Sewall traveled to DC while he was holding office. These anecdotes in the latter half of the book were fascinating, as they showed a glimpse of what it was like for a family from ‘The County’ to be thrust into the spotlight, experience a bit of life in DC, and maintain a relationship with the President of the United States. It’s quite the juxtaposition from the way the book begins, telling the story of how Bill Sewall’s family literally built Island Falls out of the woods. We also get to see how the press treated this unorthodox presidential friendship.
Drawing from letters and journals, the reader gets a real sense of both Sewall and Roosevelt and the shape of their relationship through the tides of life. Readers also get a real sense of the places in which the men live, work, and play. From the Maine woods to the Badlands of South Dakota, Vietze treats the natural world with care. Log drives or cattle drives, he shows us the rough lifestyle that working outdoors required, and, in doing so, helps shape the characters of both Roosevelt and Sewall.
Whether you’re reading it for Maine history, or to learn more about Teddy Roosevelt, you’ll come away having learned a lot - and maybe with a desire to escape up to the north woods.
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