"TR's Last War" Offers Fresh Look at Rough Rider As Ex-President

In “TR’s Last War”, David Pietrusza’s penetrating take on Theodore Roosevelt's preoccupation with national preparedness after leaving the Oval Office is an essential addition to the presidential biographical landscape. 

Pietrusza delivers us with an incisive account of how Roosevelt's stances on his preparedness morphed during this era. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking for a fresh look at Roosevelt's later life -- the era in which he prowled the political map of the world -- and how his endeavors shaped the American 20th century. I was captivated as Pietrusza delved into Roosevelt's later years rather than his so commonly canvassed, provocative boyhood.

Although I kept up well with the pacing of the book, it lacked the visual elements that could have slowed down the progression of the storyline and allowed the reader to stroll. It could have worked better if the telling of this momentous man’s mission resembled, in areas, a story painted for the mind's eye of the reader – especially in scenes where the main dialogue and action take place, rather than a relaying of information.    

“TR’s Last War” may not have been as interpretive in some parts, however, the story was especially strong in the area of detail, particularly in Pietrusza’s references to written correspondence between main players, something I do often find enough in Roosevelt biographies. I must say that “TR’s Last War” is singular in that it did not sacrifice vitality to minutia as Roosevelt spun himself into a frenzy later in life. The last chapter on his death is particularly fascinating.

Many writers hang their hats on Roosevelt's spectacular firecracker personality as a device to meander readers through the provocative highs and lows of his story. Pietrusza instead firmly guides us through the ins and outs of Roosevelt's tightly woven rug of life with impeccable sourcing of dialogue, of circumstances, and of anecdotes from those present at the time. 

Lindsay France is a Washington D.C.-based author and political commentator.