From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Fox News Channel’s Chief Political Anchor, a revelatory biography of Teddy Roosevelt, whose bold leadership thrust America onto the world stage and changed the course of U.S. history.
There has never been a president like Theodore Roosevelt. An iconoclast shaped by fervent ideals, his early life seems ripped from the pages of an adventure novel: abandoning his place in the New York aristocracy, he was drawn to the thrill of the West, becoming an honorary cowboy who won the respect of the rough men of the plains, adopting their code of authenticity and courage. As a New York State legislator, he fought corruption and patronage. As New York City police commissioner, he walked the beat at night to hold his men accountable, and as New York governor, he butted heads with the old guard to bring fresh air to a state mired in political corruption.
He was also an obsessive naturalist, conservationist, and hunter who collected hundreds of specimens of birds and animals throughout his life. He was a soldier and commander who led a regiment of “Rough Riders” to victory in the Spanish-American War, a show of leadership and bravery that put him on the national map. As president, he brought energy, laughter, and bold ideas to the White House, pursuing a vigorous agenda that established America as a leader on the world stage. Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Bret Baier’s exquisite book reveals the storied life of a leader whose passion, daring, and prowess left an indelible mark on the fabric of our country and reimagined the possibilities of the presidency.
As Bret Baier shows in this wonderfully readable biography, Theodore Roosevelt has many lessons for today. In his New Nationalism, he combined patriotism with a sense of stewardship, both of our land and institutions. And he embraced the challenge of having the U.S. speak softly but be in service to the world. Like all of Baier’s biographies, he makes our great presidents relevant to the present.Walter Isaacson, Bestselling Author and Biographer and Professor of American History and Values
Bret Baier’s To Rescue the American Spirit is a riveting biographical portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in full. Our 26th U.S. president’s maverick instincts, multi-sided intellect and political acumen gallop across these fast-paced pages with bravado for the ages. Expertly researched and colorfully written, this is the story of true American leadership, brave, brilliant and mythic. Never pulling a punch, Baier leads readers to conclude that TR — our cowboy president — truly belongs enshrined on Mount Rushmore. Highly recommended!Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair of Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.