This biography of Theodore Roosevelt covers his early years from birth until his campaign to become governor of New York. His many achievements after that point, including his presidency, are briefly summarized in an "Afterword."

However this focus on his early life shows us what kind of person he really was underneath his 'tough-guy naturalist' lasting image. The book tells us about his parents and grandparents, his siblings, and even cousins. His brother's daughter married Franklin Delano Roosevelt, another somewhat distant cousin. The family is amazing.

Theodore Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family and his first experience of being in the home of an impoverished family is mentioned in this book. He was quite shocked and distressed by that. While his family was money-rich, they did worse on health issues. Theodore himself was severely afflicted by asthma early in his life though he eventually grew out of that before becoming president. He was regarded as a terribly unhealthy, sickly child.

Well, just read this book. I can't tell you all about it or what his life was really like, and I'm no fan of spoilers. But I do admire the writing of David McCullough and recommend this biography in which you'll meet his "Motherling" Mittie, his precious older sister (somewhat disabled) Bamie, and all the rest of the family. His father, also named Theodore Roosevelt, was known as "Greatheart" because of his philanthropy in New York City. This is an amazing and impressive family to read about.

Yes, it is nonfiction, thick with facts. I noticed in this book the descriptions of scenes and nature were improving. You see, I've decided to try to read all the books of David McCullough in the order in which they were published, which to me is a great way to learn about an author's career. When he makes a big improvement, I notice it. And in this biography his descriptions were very well done.

100% clean literature of course. I am glad I read this book.

This might be embarrassing to admit, but whatever. This book has a twist, since it starts off talking about a young Theodore Roosevelt. It took me maybe 25% of the book to realize that the Theodore Roosevelt that was being discussed at length was President Theodore Roosevelt's father. I think listening to this in audio format definitely made this 'reveal' more effective, since "Teddy", as his parents called him was pronounced "TEE-DEE".

30 min into the book: wait. I thought he married some woman named Edith.
4 hours through the book: "oh shit, all this time we've been talking about his dad". Our future president is the sickly kid with asthma.

I really liked that this focused on Teddy Roosevelt's childhood, from his health issues to his insecurities about ever being able to live up to his father's legacy. You really get a sense of the privilege he comes from, as well as what it took for him to become the version of Theodore Roosevelt that has lived on in legend.

There was actually very little written about mornings on horseback, and I feel like an idiot because I spent the first 4 hours of this audiobook mixing him up with his dad. Still, super interesting view into the early years of one of our most popular presidents.

A good read that I’m abandoning because my interest in the topic has waned. (p. 169)

David McCullough writes transcendent history because he cares about the subject matter, the reader, and our country's whole story. He doesn't seem to care much about historiography or the great debates in the ivory tower. He doesn't seem to care about self-consciously aligning with ideology. He appears to be making no argument and yet somehow to still be "saying something." In both Mornings on Horseback and Truman—which remains my favorite book—McCullough elevates social dramas, even those most ordinary moments of a person's life, and gives them even more weight and care than the grand political foment of each period. He's a popular historian painting exquisite Dutch Interiors, and merely by looking in the direction of certain minutiae, he takes an editorial posture that is so vivid and so humanistic that you genuinely just want to jump into the book and have a chat with its people.

One more trophy for McCullough's ample trophy case: in both books that I have read, he absolutely nails the great American phenomenon of the party nominating convention before the primary era. In those moments of maximum contingency, when human whims and boss's moods and illness and enmity and the weather all played a role in deciding no less than the fate of a continent, our American experiment in republican government took another precarious step forward. Masterfully understanding that the protagonists of history had no idea how the story would turn out, his authorial grace and insight, the warm human embrace of the soaring and sordid theatre of politics, makes dead people and dusty archives spring alive.

Finally, a brief epitaph from a big fan: May David McCullough rest in peace, with his legacy secure that he rendered life's trials and passions in ways that will keep calling to those who have the honor and laden privilege of continuing to live. He built bridges to the past that might well shape his readers' futures.

Enjoyed reading about the people, places, and other forces that shaped Theodore Roosevelt and his siblings.

Very interesting listen and I love loved all the history. I didn’t realize going in this was mainly about his years before the Presidency so I’m ready to read more on his life! Looking at his life you would never have guessed that he was such a sickly child!

This is what I could call a 'formative biography', not so much about the real nitty-gritty of a life, but those early aspects that acted upon and around that most precious of things, the malleable human mind and spirit. When it comes to someone like Theodore Roosevelt, there are immediate, one-punch associations that come to mind and that tend to define the character of the man as we see him now and imagine him then. But behind all that, as McCullough shows us was something far more fascinating.
TR was a sickly child, reedy, thin, prone to asthma attacks, often violent, and kind of a weird, sheltered kid. Where McCullough shines is showing us the enviornment TR grew up in and how he was treated as a result of his weak constitution. The family looms large, from the larger-than-life overbearing father, to his sisters, pretty much all the pieces are set in place illustrating the evolution of this unlikely firecracker. Of particular interest is his later dismissed first marriage that ended in his wife's early death in childbirth and the time TR spent roaming the "Northwest", what we would call the "Upper Midwest", I guess, as panacea for his loss.
My only quibble with this work, is that McCullough gets a little bogged down in local NY and then primary-party politics, which gets a little bleary and eye-glazing, but still a crucial part of the formation of TR's character.

I love David McCullough. He writes books about things you did not know that you needed to know. “Mornings on Horseback” is yet another example of a book about a subject matter I thought I would have no interest in, but I was very wrong.
This text is about Teddy Roosevelt’s immediate family and his upbringing. It ends in the mid-1880s right after his second marriage. He is all of 28 years old, and the more “famous” aspects of his life are not even addressed. Moreover, it is utterly absorbing reading. It is also a bit of a social history on American Victorian life and is endlessly insightful on that subject.
McCullough makes it very clear that our immediate family are some of the biggest influences on who we are to become and Teddy’s parents and siblings are a fascinating and very accomplished family. You will fall in love with Teddy’s daddy (Theodore Roosevelt senior) who was an extraordinary man. His death in the text will deflate the reader for a bit. And it sneaks up on you, as do many aspects of the book. In this manner, the writer remains true to the spirit of life. Things just happen; no preparation for them is given. The insight you get into the man Teddy became is clearly apparent the more you learn about his amazing father and mother.
Among many highlights of the book are pages 349/350, which contain a speech Teddy Roosevelt gave at a 4th of July celebration in the Dakotas in 1886. Gems like that are scattered throughout the text.
“Mornings on Horseback” is a short book, by McCullough’s standards, but it is a delight through and through.

Another masterpiece by David McCullough, may he rest in peace. Mr. McCullough states up front in this book that the book is not about Theodore Roosevelt the president or even much about his political career (only briefly his pre-presidential career), but his origin story, which was extremely fascinating despite coming from a privileged high-society background. Other than Theodore Roosevelt's history, I found the book intriguing anecdotally to the time period (mid- to late-19th century), which is probably my least familiar era in modern American history.

An extensively researched book about the Roosevelt family from ancestors up through Theodore and his family. Many quotes from newspapers, letters, diaries and journals are presented.

The first 195 pages take the reader up to the time Theodore goes to Harvard.

The family was very wealthy and traveled extensively. Due to Theodore's ill health he was sent to many places in an effort to help his asthma and other conditions.

Theodore owned a ranch in North Dakota. Much was written about his adventures there. In reality he spent less than a year in the territory.

3.5 stars: This was probably the perfect book for me to learn about Teddy Roosevelt. This book covers his family of origin, upbringing, youth, and young adulthood. I knew about some of his later exploits but I learned so much from this book about how he was raised. I was impressed at the detail included and the amount of research the author did. Most biographies are light on this time in a subject’s life but I find it the most fascinating.

The two chapters on politics were a bit tedious, but that’s probably me not liking politics and not the author’s issue. I was glad the book ended where it did because I don’t think I would have enjoyed this level of detail about his political life. I would have liked to read about the Rough Riders and what he did after being president though.

Audiobook: FABULOUS AUDIOBOOK!!!

There was so much I didn't know about Teddy Roosevelt until this book. I had no idea the obstacles he had go through to be the 'Roosevelt' people would remember--given the accomplished man his 'father' was.

By the time I came to the end --my love for TR was tenfold. His childhood was challenging with asthma.... with horrible medications at the time. His early adulthood was marked by tragedy. As a political figure he's a man that change the world.

I loved Teddy Roosevelts *Teddy-ness* with children. He had as much fun playing with groups of kids as much as the kids did with him.

David McCullough can tell a story…with the focus being on Roosevelt's early life and his family.

Engaging - fascinating- heartfelt - inspiring!!!