Theodore Roosevelt Jr.: The Life of a War Hero

I have waited a while for a biography of TR, Jr. I have read "The Lion's Pride" (highly recommend this as well). Although the first few chapters of the book talks more of TR than his son, it is an overall very interesting read. I find it amazing how much TR, Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father.I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about an amazing man who led an extrordinary life.

This is a book which fills a long neglected gap in the bibliography of the Roosevelt family. Other reviewers have sketched out the rough outline of TR Jr's life. This is about a remarkable man, who was overshadowed by his more famous father. Were it not for this, however, he would be much more well known and famous in his own right.My criticim of this book is that it shows TR Jr. in the light of what his father was doing up until 1919 when TR St. died. Until then it seems that he is a mere appendage to his father, who was justly described as a "force of nature."Since the books relates his experiences as a "War Hero", an accolade justly deserved since TR Jr. was awarded every combat medal available during his service, the book would have been better served to get into the details of his military career with the Blue Spaders and the First Infantry.All in all, a good book on a great man.

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. is an authentic American hero whose place in history has been overshadowed by his father's greatness. H. Paul Jeffers attempts to redress this unfortunate circumstance with the first book-length biography of the younger Roosevelt (known as Ted). Brigadier General Ted Roosevelt was the oldest man ashore in the first wave of the Normandy invasion, hobbling on to Utah Beach with the benefit of a walking stick. This scene is memorably portrayed by Henry Fonda in the D-Day classic, "The Longest Day."His determined, steadfast leadership at Normandy earned Ted the Congressional Medal of Honor. The D-Day heroics were the culmination of a full life that followed a pattern eerily -- and no doubt consciously -- reminiscent of the elder Roosevelt's. Ted, a highly decorated combat veteran during World War I, attempted to translate his war-time noteriety into a political career. Lacking his Dad's vote-getting prowess, however, Ted's bid for the New York Governorship was thwarted by the charismatic Al Smith, one of the premier politicans of his era. Ted never ran for elective office again. Instead, he excelled at volunteerism -- he helped to found the American Legion -- and served with distinction as the appointed Governor of both Puerto Rico and the Philippines. His benevolent administration of the Philippines in the early 1930s paved the way for that archipelago to achieve independence.Sharing his dad's predilection for outdoor adventure, Ted and his brother, Kermit, together conquered the Himalayan Mountains. Later, Ted's travels took him to places like the Khyber Pass and Peshawar that are often in the news today. Like many Americans, Ted Roosevelt initially opposed American involvement in World War II. But when the clarion call of service sounded, Ted, well into his fifties, rushed headlong into the fray, participating in allied actions in North Africa and Sicily.Roosevelt died of heart failure just weeks after the Normandy Landing, and like his father, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. The Roosevelts joined the MacArthurs as the only father-son MOH winners in American history.I recently "discovered" the author, Paul Jeffers, and find him to be an engaging biographer. He's also quite prolific. In the past two years, he's churned out biographies of Grover Cleveland and the Gilded Age denizen, Diamond Jim Brady, in addition to this one on Ted Roosevelt. And I see where he's slated to unveil a biography of Fiorello LaGuardia later this year. All the Jeffers biographies are excellent reads that entertain while they enlighten.

If you've seen "The Longest Day," you've at least heard of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. If you haven't then, sadly, you may not be aware of his existence. But "Theodore Roosevelt Jr., The Life of a War Hero" by H. Paul Jeffers will change that for anyone lucky enough to come across this fasinating biography. There's no doubt that biographies can be dry, little more than a desert of data. In "Theodore Roosevelt Jr.," Mr.Jeffers virtually brings to life a man who was, in his own way, as interesting a man as his famous father. I loved the tales of the early years of the Roosevelt children, Father Roosevelt's "bunnies." Mr. Jeffers cleverly weaves the personal and public in such a way that you feel you're reading about people you'd like to have known. During World War I, "Ted" became the youngest regimental commander on the front, winning the admiration of all who came into contact with him. After the war, he was responsible for the formation of the American Legion and was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy. From this point, the reader follows a full and varied career as he served the country as Governor of Puerto Rico and then Governor of the Philippines. During W.W.II, Ted was back in uniform as a colonel and then as a brigadier general. He was the oldest American to land with the first US forces on Utah Beach, despite arthritis so severe he was forced to carry a cane. He was eventually awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and was, in the words of General George S. Patton..."the bravest soldier I ever knew." If you think you don't like biographies, think again. With this well researched and beautifully written life of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Mr. Jeffers earns further acclaim as an outstanding historical biographer. This is truly a book you can't put down.