The Crowded Hour

Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and the Dawn of the American Century

By: Clay Risen

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The “gripping” (The Washington Post) story of the most famous regiment in American history: the Rough Riders, a motley group of soldiers led by Theodore Roosevelt, whose daring exploits marked the beginning of American imperialism in the 20th century. 

When America declared war on Spain in 1898, the US Army had just 26,000 men, spread around the country - hardly an army at all. In desperation, the Rough Riders were born. A unique group of volunteers, ranging from Ivy League athletes to Arizona cowboys and led by Theodore Roosevelt, they helped secure victory in Cuba in a series of gripping, bloody fights across the island. Roosevelt called their charge in the Battle of San Juan Hill his “crowded hour” - a turning point in his life, one that led directly to the White House. “The instant I received the order,” wrote Roosevelt, “I sprang on my horse and then my ‘crowded hour’ began.” As The Crowded Hour reveals, it was a turning point for America as well, uniting the country and ushering in a new era of global power.

Both a portrait of these men, few of whom were traditional soldiers, and of the Spanish-American War itself, The Crowded Hour dives deep into the daily lives and struggles of Roosevelt and his regiment. Using diaries, letters, and memoirs, Risen illuminates an influential moment in American history: a war of only six months’ time that dramatically altered the United States’ standing in the world. 

“Fast-paced, carefully researched…Risen is a gifted storyteller who brings context to the chaos of war. The Crowded Hour feels like the best type of war reporting - told with a clarity that takes nothing away from the horrors of the battlefield.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“A revelatory history of America’s grasp for power” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).  

©2019 Clay Risen (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Dissapointed

I fail to understand why contemporary US history writers cannot write a book without wiping their feet on the US flag. Good book but please, just the facts. Does anyone know of an author who can write a history of the US and keep facts in context for the times?

Fiction or truth

We all have heard of the Rough Riders. It made TR and the America of the 20th Century. Both became larger than life. The author tells a great story, but where does the truth lie, somewhere between. Enjoyable but raiser more questions than answers. Maybe that is whats interesting and worth a read..

Fleshes out the famous story

I’ve always been a fan of the Rough Riders. I can remember the made for TV movie of the 90’s that romanticized their exploits. This novel feels like a companion piece to the movie. It fleshes out so many stories the movie didn’t have time for. Cannot recommend this enough if you are a fan of this time period.

Teddy Roosevelt’s lasting American legacy

Interesting, entertaining and well read story of a great American and his impact on the future direction on foreign policy, the structure of our military and the way in which the American people view their place in the world. One of America’s most interesting patriots brought to life in an entertaining audio book format.

Profoundly flawed

I slogged through a good portion of The Crowded Hour hoping Risen's initial obnoxious throat clearing would give way to either compelling recounting of events or a professional historical tone. I was disappointed on both accounts.

This is less history than naval gazing and virtue signaling. I was willing to forgive a few observations that judge the past by the presents' moral standards, but Risen cannot go but a few pages without doing so. Perhaps having a degree in history makes this jump out at me more than it should, but I couldn't finish the book because of it.

Risen seems to be in line with many of our modern historians who recount history in a way that seems to always assume the worst intention of the United States and the most benevolent of her peers. While this may garner one praise at the New York Times, it makes trusting Risen's recounting suspect for an objective audience.

lest we forget

a fascinating narrative of a fading war and its impact on the American story. well performed.