Theodore Rex

By: Edmund Morris

Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz

Length: 25 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A shining portrait of a presciently modern political genius maneuvering in a gilded age of wealth, optimism, excess and American global ascension.”—San Francisco Chronicle

WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY • “[Theodore Rex] is one of the great histories of the American presidency, worthy of being on a shelf alongside Henry Adams’s volumes on Jefferson and Madison.”—Times Literary Supplement

Theodore Rex is the story—never fully told before—of Theodore Roosevelt’s two world-changing terms as President of the United States. A hundred years before the catastrophe of September 11, 2001, “TR” succeeded to power in the aftermath of an act of terrorism. Youngest of all our chief executives, he rallied a stricken nation with his superhuman energy, charm, and political skills. He proceeded to combat the problems of race and labor relations and trust control while making the Panama Canal possible and winning the Nobel Peace Prize. But his most historic achievement remains his creation of a national conservation policy, and his monument millions of acres of protected parks and forest.

Theodore Rex ends with TR leaving office, still only fifty years old, his future reputation secure as one of our greatest presidents.

©2001 Edmund Morris (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Impeccably researched and beautifully composed, a dazzling portrait of the man....A book that is every bit as complex, engaging, and invigorating as the vibrant president it depicts." (Publishers Weekly)

The best biography I have ever read/listened to

Teddy Roosevelt is one of the most interesting characters in American history and Edmund Morris captures that character perfectly. I loved every minute of this book.

Great book! One technical issue

This was very informative and interesting. I’m glad I made the purchase.
However, I did find that this recording has a technical issue. Throughout the recording there are small recorded loops that repeat themselves. It isn’t too often but is distracting and annoying when it occurs.

Delighted to listen

Another great book in the series. Very informative however I found the performance to be very monotone and dry. It wasn’t until the later chapters that the narrator seem to realize this.

beautifully read, beautifully written

beautifully read, beautifully written , a magnificent tale of a powerful and energetic man. highly recommend!

OK narration, annoying repeats

This narrator was not as great as the one for the first and third book of the Roosevelt trilogy. Coupled with frequent repeating paragraphs, this book was almost unbearable to listen to.

Great President

As a person who greatly enjoys history and reading/listening to biographies I truly enjoyed Edmund Morris' work and treatment here. An easy read and a great listen, this book documents the presidency of Good Ol' Teddy Roosevelt. The book portrays how his strong moral code, patriotic romanticism and larger than life personality influenced our nation and the world. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a student of history or politics. A well crafted window into the past of our nation and power players of the time that surrounded President Roosevelt.

Top-drawer... but not quite as good as the prequel

As with “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,” this is excellent biography. The reader feels like he is there on the scene and rooting for the protagonist. Of course, Morris also does a great job outlining the important events and personages that played a significant role during this period of history: the Panama Canal, the Russo-Japanese War, Elihu Root, William Howard Taft, etc. I *would* give it five stars, except that it suffers compared to its prequel, which was somehow even better (especially in audio format). Perhaps Theodore Roosevelt was even more interesting before he became president…?

Amazing man and outstanding research!

the amazing and assuming life of TR continues in this chronicle of his presidency. The author's knowledge and research is evident in the tiniest details of TR himself, his friends and opponents and anything having done with his presidency. The narration is clear though a bit monotonous at times. The only real fault of the audiobook lies in the dozen or so times that sentences or entire passages are repeated, detracting and distracting from the story.

good job

great book, well written, performed flawlessly. only critique is that every so often it would repeat a few sentences as though there was an editing or downloading error.

Very good listen.

This audiobook is a good listen. First, Jonathan Marisa is a great narrator. The details of TR’s presidency and personal life are thoroughly covered but not in so much detail to be boring. You really feel as if you are there witnessing everything. The only thing I would point out it does not cover his life before or after his presidency.