To Rescue the American Spirit: Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of a Superpower

by Bret Baier

Overview

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Fox News Channel’s Chief Political Anchor, a captivating biography of Teddy Roosevelt, whose bold leadership thrust America onto the world stage and changed the course of U.S. history.

There has never been a president like Theodore Roosevelt. An iconoclast shaped by fervent ideals, his early life seems ripped from the pages of an adventure novel: abandoning his place in the New York aristocracy, he was drawn to the thrill of the West, becoming an honorary cowboy who won the respect of the rough men of the plains, adopting their code of authenticity and courage. As a New York State legislator, he fought corruption and patronage. As New York City police commissioner, he walked the beat at night to hold his men accountable; and as New York governor, he butted heads with the old guard to bring fresh air to a state mired in political corruption. He was also a passionate naturalist, conservationist, and hunter who collected hundreds of specimens of birds and animals throughout his life. He was a soldier and commander who led a regiment of “Rough Riders” to victory in the Spanish-American War, a show of leadership and bravery that put him on the national map. As president, he brought energy, laughter, and bold ideas to the White House, pursuing a vigorous agenda that established America as a leader on the world stage —from advancing the Panama Canal, brokering peace with Russia, and taking on business elites.

Bret Baier’s exquisite book reveals the storied life of a leader whose passion, daring, and prowess left an indelible mark on the fabric of our country and reimagined the possibilities of the presidency.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228481770
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/28/2025
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Bret Baier is the chief political anchor for Fox News Channel and the anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier. He previously served as Chief White House Correspondent for Fox News Channel and as the network’s National Security Correspondent based at the Pentagon, reporting on military and national security affairs. A recipient of the National Press Foundation’s Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, Baier is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Three Days at the Brink: FDR’s Daring Gamble to Win WWII; Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire; Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission; and Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love. He lives with his family in Washington, DC.

Editorial Reviews

"As Bret Baier shows in this wonderfully readable biography, Theodore Roosevelt has many lessons for today. In his New Nationalism, he combined patriotism with a sense of stewardship, both of our land and institutions. And he embraced the challenge of having the U.S. speak softly but be in service to the world.  Like all of Baier’s biographies, he makes our great presidents relevant to the present." — Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

"Bret Baier’s To Rescue the American Spirit is a riveting biographical portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in full. Our 26th U.S. president’s maverick instincts, multi-sided intellect and political acumen gallop across these fast-paced pages with bravado for the ages. Expertly researched and colorfully written, this is the story of true American leadership, brave, brilliant and mythic. Never pulling a punch, Baier leads readers to conclude that TR — our cowboy president — truly belongs enshrined on Mount Rushmore. Highly recommended!” — Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.

"To Rescue the American Spirit is an inspiring portrait of Theodore Roosevelt and the promise of our nation at the turn of the twentieth century. Roosevelt’s vision of American leadership — that our strength is in our values — was a bold principle that shaped our nation for more than a century. Bret Baier brings that vision to life and shows how it still has tremendous relevance for today."
— Mark Levin, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

"With To Rescue the American Spirit, Bret Baier adds yet another terrific volume to his now-extraordinary series of six books written about key moments of transition in American politics and history. As with his other books, Bret Baier combines the journalist's instinct for narrative with a real flair for identifying critical passages in American history and the people who guided America through those passages." — David Eisenhower, Director, the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Public Service, and author of Eisenhower: At War, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History

“Celebrity. Disruptor. Larger-than-life. New Yorker. Assassination survivor. Lawfare target. World peacemaker. Theodore Roosevelt’s story is ripe for our time as we revive the American spirit for America's 250th celebrations. Bret Baier brings his signature journalist eye and voice to paint a vivid and engaging narrative of Theodore Roosevelt, the president who rescued the American spirit. This is Baier at his very best.”  —  Jane Hampton Cook, former White House staffer and author of American Phoenix

From the Publisher