Posted in Book Reviews
I think I may have mentioned before that I’m typically not a big nonfiction reader. Therefore, Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough has probably been my most challenging read so far. It is the biography of Theodore Roosevelt, but it actually doesn’t ever go into his presidency. The majority of the book is devoted to recounting his childhood and his early years as an adult.
Although it took me longer to read than a fiction book would, I did enjoy Mornings on Horseback. McCullough used ample correspondence between Roosevelt and others in order to illustrate his points. I liked that, because it felt like I was getting information from a direct source, rather than having to blindly accept everything the author told me.
I also thought McCullough did a pretty good job of representing the good and the bad about Theodore Roosevelt. It wasn’t as if the author was trying to dig up a lot of never-before-heard dirt about Roosevelt, but on the other hand, he didn’t pretend that he was perfect either. I must admit that once in a while Roosevelt annoyed me immensely—he struck me as very snobbish at times—but it also made me realize that great leaders like Roosevelt have their failings too. Why should I expect him to be perfect?
Altogether, I think Mornings on Horseback painted a very good picture of the young life of our twenty-sixth president. It held my interest for the most part, and was quite an agreeable way to get to know more about the personality behind Theodore Roosevelt.
