The Naturalist

Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History

De: Darrin Lunde

Narrado por: Scott Brick

Winner of the inaugural Theodore Roosevelt Association Book Prize

A captivating account of how Theodore Roosevelt’s lifelong passion for the natural world set the stage for America’s wildlife conservation movement and determined his legacy as a founding father of today’s museum naturalism.

No U.S. president is more popularly associated with nature and wildlife than is Theodore Roosevelt—prodigious hunter, tireless adventurer, and ardent conservationist. We think of him as a larger-than-life original, yet in The Naturalist, Darrin Lunde has firmly situated Roosevelt’s indomitable curiosity about the natural world in the tradition of museum naturalism.

As a child, Roosevelt actively modeled himself on the men (including John James Audubon and Spencer F. Baird) who pioneered this key branch of biology by developing a taxonomy of the natural world—basing their work on the experiential study of nature. The impact that these scientists and their trailblazing methods had on Roosevelt shaped not only his audacious personality but his entire career, informing his work as a statesman and ultimately affecting generations of Americans’ relationship to this country’s wilderness.

Drawing on Roosevelt’s diaries and travel journals as well as Lunde’s own role as a leading figure in museum naturalism today, The Naturalist reads Roosevelt through the lens of his love for nature. From his teenage collections of birds and small mammals to his time at Harvard and political rise, Roosevelt’s fascination with wildlife and exploration culminated in his triumphant expedition to Africa, a trip which he himself considered to be the apex of his varied life.

With narrative verve, Lunde brings his singular experience to bear on our twenty-sixth president’s life and constructs a perceptively researched and insightful history that tracks Roosevelt’s maturation from exuberant boyhood hunter to vital champion of serious scientific inquiry.

Informative and interesting

First, the narrator is wonderful. It's easy to drone on a topic like this but he was able to keep my interest without going over the top.
The book itself is what you'd expect from the title. It's a comprehensive look on Teddy Roosevelt's naturalist life. I was expecting more about the west but was pleasantly surprised with the stories about Africa.
Wonderful if you're a Roosevelt fan.

great

I loved listening to this book. It reviled a part of Roosevelt's life that is not as well known.

amazing book

as a naturalist explorer it is interesting to hear a lot of where it all began. it's amazing to hear his story.

Very Enjoyable Book

Great look at the beginning of conservation from the perspective of a Hunter Naturalist. Enjoyed more than I anticipated!

Wonderful Telling of a President Naturalist

Thoroughly enjoyed the book- great insight into an era that seems long since past. My only complaint is that the book completely left out Roosevelt's trip with John Muir into Yosemite (which I was looking forward to learning about it from this naturalist perspective- even the cover of the book was taken during this trip, and not even a mention!).

Fascinating!

Wonderful preformance of a fantastic story. Theodore Roosevelt was/is a tremendous influence on conservation and species propagation.

I'm not sure that I could've enjoyed this more than I did. Bravo to all involved!

Great History

A great back story to alot of unknown knowledge about one of the most important men in American history.

Naturalist or Hunter

I now have a better understanding of what many people considered a Naturalist back then. Fine line between a naturalist and a hunter. As long as he could justify that museums needed these animals for display he could justify killing them. Glad we have a better conservation program today.

Very interesting!

I initially bought this book more for my husband than for myself, but I'm glad I did! It was interesting and I learned a lot about Theodore Roosevelt that I didn't know prior to listening to this book. Great road trip listen!

Couldn't put it down!

Great narration and vivid descriptions on what it was like to be a naturalist during TRs time. It was a wonderful read.