The advent of war with Spain was a glorious opportunity for
forceful leadership not to be missed by the hotheaded young
Theodore Roosevelt. He resigned his post as assistant-secretary of
the Navy in April, 1898, and, despite the strong disapproval of
family and friends, he joined the Army as Lt. Colonel of a regiment
to be raised in the territories of Arizona, New Mexico, and
Oklahoma. He ordered a uniform from Brooks Brothers, a dozen pairs
of steel spectacles, a couple of good, stout, quiet horses," and he
was off to train his volunteers at San Antonio. The Rough Riders
were a most unusual regiment. Informal, independent, made up of
ex-cowboys, Western bad men, and Ivy League graduates, Roosevelt's
troops made a poor impression on Army regulars but provided
excellent copy for the nation's newspapers. On July 22, 1898, this
motley cavalry regiment waded ashore in Cuba, and before the summer
was over the Rough Riders and their impatient, dynamic leader were
familiar to virtually every household in the nation. Roosevelt was
being considered for nomination to the governorship of New York,
and his march to the Presidency had begun. From the time he left
Washington to join his regiment for training in Texas to their
triumphant return from Cuba, Roosevelt kept daily records of his
thoughts and experiences. These jottings formed the basis of this
book, by far the best firsthand story of the Spanish-American War.
Published in 1899 to instant acclaim, The Rough Riders is written
with Roosevelt's typical gusto. His writing is remarkable for his
sure sense of personality and the spontaneity and directness of his
prose. Reading the book, it is impossible not to sense the
exhilaration of battle, or the moral purpose behind it all. The
Rough Riders remains one of the great war stories of our time, and
offers an invaluable look at one of the most colourful presidents
of the United States.
General
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