I Rose Like a Rocket

Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919), the favorite political role model of Bill Clinton and both George Bushes, is legendary for his political acumen and for bending the world to his will. Where, however, did America's twenty-sixth president learn how to master the rough-and-tumble of politics? Not by weightlifting and boxing, or by heading out West to try cattle ranching, or even as a Rough Rider in Cuba. He was far more than simply a self-made man or a crusading outsider who reinvented politics wholesale. The story of his political education has never been fully told and is every bit as entertaining as his more famous nonpolitical exploits. Roosevelt's rise to the presidency is one of the most captivating, instructive, and inspiring of any American president.