
Before becoming president, Theodore Roosevelt was a Harvard scholar, cowboy, and reformist commissioner. This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, once slated for a Scorsese-DiCaprio film, reveals how a sickly boy transformed into the embodiment of American vigor and adventure.
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In the bustling city of New York, on October 27, 1858, Theodore Roosevelt was born to Mittie and Theodore Roosevelt, marking the beginning of a life that would be nothing short of extraordinary. Edmund Morris, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," masterfully chronicles the transformation of this frail, asthmatic boy into a robust and influential figure in American history. Theodore's early life was marked by illness and a relentless drive to overcome his physical limitations. His father, Theodore Senior, installed a home gym to help his son strengthen himself, a gesture that reflected the family's expectation for Theodore to be more than his frail health suggested. Despite his health issues, Theodore was fascinated by the natural world and developed a passion for reading and learning, particularly about the War of 1812 and naval warfare. These early interests would later shape his foreign and domestic policies as President.
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