Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Faimly, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

Read this one FIRST.

The book that hooks you. You will want to continue reading all you can about this Great American!!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Young future 26th President

This is another great book by one of history's greatest story tellers. David McCullough describes the childhood of our 26th president Theodore Roosevelt in "Mornings on Horseback" with little known details of how Teddy Roosevelt became a great man. He begins with Theodore's grandfather whom started the wealthy Roosevelt family. His name was Cornelius and he started a glass manufacturing company which was the sole glass making company in New York City in the 1800's. He used this money to buy real estate and eventually opened up a bank named Chemical Bank. CVS, as Cornelius was referred to as, preached to always make the best out of every situation. CVS was the grandfather and his son Theodore Sr. was the future president's father.

Theodore Sr. married a southern lady by the name of Martha Bullock who was referred to as Mittie. He was a hard worker in the glass manufacturing family and seemed like a wonderfully attentive father and husband. She was also a very lovely doting mother and wife. They schooled their four children Elliot, Theodore, Anna (referred to as Bamie) and Corrine with tutors and they were taught a variety of subjects including foreign languages. Theodore took the family on a year long vacation where they visited European countries as well as Egypt. Elliot was the older more promising son. He was smart and strong. Theodore suffered from asthma. McCullough describes this terrible condition that the young Theodore had to endure vividly. Asthma occurs when a person's bronchial tubes constrict making exhaling very difficult. It is described as a brutally painful experience where you feel like you are suffocating. What is fascinating is that it was discovered that is brought on by psychological factors. Theodore would experience it every Sunday when his father was not around. Missing his father caused his asthma.


As Theodore Sr. muddled through New York politics, Theodore Jr. was sent to Harvard. At Harvard Theodore Jr. exhumed all knowledge thrown on him. He and a buddy would take 30 mile hikes where Theodore Jr. would catalog different animal species. But after two years at Harvard, the family would be devastated by Theodore Sr.'s unexpected illness. He had stomach cancer and would quickly die from it.

While at Harvard Theodore writes his first book "The Naval War of 1812." Theodore graduated from Harvard and became attracted to politics. He ran for a state house seat in New York's state assembly. He became a work horse representative. He took on a lot off issues and became very respected by his colleagues. He then meets the love of his life Alice Lee. They marry and have a beautiful baby daughter also named Alice. Two days after baby Alice was born tragedy hits the young Roosevelt family. Theodore comes home from work at the state assembly and finds both his mother and wife sick. His mother would succumb that evening to typhoid fever. But shockingly his wife Alice also dies the same day, a victim of Bright's disease.

Theodore continues his whirlwind political career in New York's assembly. In 1884 he becomes a representative from NY in the Republicans nomination convention. He fought bitterly against the party's support of James Blaine for President of the United States. Blaine won the nomination none-the-less. So Theodore would retire and head to the Dakota's where he owned land.

He becomes a cowboy and rancher for about three years, then returns to NYC gets married agai

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Quite Bully

Another Extraordinary Biography/History book by the outstanding author, David McCullough, who along with Stephen Ambrose are the outstanding authors of American History and Biography. While this book may be not quite up to the standards of John Adams which set the bar for this type of work, it is excellent nonetheless. While the main part of the focus is on Theodore Roosevelt Jr the future American President, the book also gives time to the whole Roosevelt family and their influence on young TR. His father was passionate about the social work that he did and was a devout Presbyterian. His mother a southerner, was full of energy, and was the first non dutch woman to marry into the Roosevelt family. The book tells of TR's college life and first marriage as well as his cowboy days and the other influences that led up to his great political career, but stops before he becomes the well known politician. My only possible knock on this book is that McCullough takes one chapter to talk solely about asthma and the possible psychology behind it. However, others may enjoy this information, and so I have no problem with giving this book such a high ranking.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loving this book.

What began as an interest in discovering landmarks on Long Island, has turned into an adventure learning about Theodore Roosevelt's life and Mr. McCullough's writings. The Roosevelt's possessed qualities that I think most would admire -- wealth, morals and adventure. Mr. McCullough describes it all in a warm, welcoming way. And as a New Yorker, one has the advantage of visiting many of the site mentioned in the book such as TRs childhood home which is located on East 20th Street. There you will be greeted by a knowledgeable tour guide and permitted to visit several rooms in the house. And then there is Sagamore Hills on Long Island which is a beautiful spot. I look forward to reading many more books by David McCullough. I think it will enhance my Summer greatly.

Wonderful book

Terrific book! An intimate look at Roosevelt's formative years. I was left not only with a good bit of new knowledge but a vast amount of admiration for a wonderful family. Completely enjoyed it!

Very interesting, McCullough is a master craftsman. I did not realise it only dealt with his early life and did not cover his presidency but it has further aroused my curiosity in TR. Well worth reading

A very well written, exhaustively researched as all McCullough work.

Very interetsng insight into the early life of the President. Tells of a life of privilege but one with health challenges and the sad loss of his loving Father. One gets to know the President better but somehow he remains an enigma. I was left wanting and needing more.

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