Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Bully!
    Unavailable
    Bully!
    Unavailable
    Bully!
    Ebook1,297 pages31 hours

    Bully!

    By Theodore Roosevelt

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A collection containing 3 autobiographical works by President Theodore Roosevelt, including The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt, The Rough Riders, and Throught the Brazilian Wilderness
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStart Publishing LLC
    Release dateJul 1, 2013
    ISBN9781627932448
    Unavailable
    Bully!
    Author

    Theodore Roosevelt

    Theodore Roosevelt was an American politician, naturalist, military man, author, and the youngest president of the United States. Known for his larger-than-life persona, Roosevelt is credited with forming the Rough Riders, trust-busting large American companies including Standard Oil, expanding the system of national parks and forests, and negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. A prolific author, Roosevelt’s topics ranged from foreign policy to the natural world to personal memoirs. Among his most recognized works are The Rough Riders, The Winning of the West, and his Autobiography. In addition to a legacy of written works, Roosevelt is immortalized along with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln on Mount Rushmore, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour by President Bill Clinton for his charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War, and was given the title of Chief Scout Citizen by the Boy Scouts of America. Roosevelt died suddenly at his home, Sagamore Hill, on January 5, 1919. Roosevelt, along with his niece Eleanor and his cousin Franklin D., is the subject of the 2014 Ken Burns documentary The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.

    Read more from Theodore Roosevelt

    Related to Bully!

    Related ebooks

    Biography & Memoir For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      ‘Call yourself English?’

      Aug 21, 2019

      ‘Call yourself English?’
      19 min read

    • Article

      Finding Facts In Fiction

      Mar 12, 2021

      Finding Facts In Fiction
      10 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Aug 22, 2022

      Books
      6 min read

    • Article

      Southern Stand

      Mar 16, 2020

      Southern Stand
      5 min read

    • Article

      Shock Therapy

      Jun 8, 2021

      Shock Therapy
      15 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Mark Slouka

      Dec 16, 2021

      When times get hard—and the news, I think it’s fair to say, has sucked of late—my reading, like everyone else’s, gets reactive. The post A Year in Reading: Mark Slouka appeared first on The Millions.

      8 min read

    • Article

      Readers Write: The Value Of ‘Puttering’ And People-to-people Diplomacy

      Nov 17, 2018

      The value of ‘puttering’ I loved Robert Klose’s Oct. 8 Home Forum essay, “I sing in praise of puttering,” especially the meaning of putting the world to rights in our “little sphere.” Me, too! My father was an inveterate putterer, all the more remar

      1 min read

    • Article

      The American Idea

      Oct 12, 2022

      The American Idea
      5 min read

    • Article

      Against Argument

      Aug 8, 2017

      Against Argument
      9 min read

    • Article

      Reviews

      Jul 15, 2021

      Reviews
      6 min read

    • Article

      Michael Wood On...

      Jan 21, 2021

      I’m reading Camilla Townsend’s Fifth Sun, which won the 2020 Cundill Prize, the biggest literary prize anywhere for history. A boldly imaginative attempt to tell the story of the Aztecs from indigenous sources, it raises fascinating issues. The Spani

      3 min read

    • Article

      Memoirs Of A Microaggressor

      Nov 26, 2020

      TO UNDERSTAND OUr current moment, start with public apologies. Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, surely thought he was on safe ground when he came out in favour of delaying a Philip Guston exhibition because it included depictions of t

      5 min read

    • Article

      Such, Such Were The Goys

      Aug 26, 2021

      Such, Such Were The Goys
      6 min read

    Reviews for Bully!

    4/5

    268 ratings41 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Another instant classic by Goodwin! What a fantastic read about one of my favorites - Theodore Roosevelt - and his good friend (and later rival) William Howard Taft. Included in this dual-biography are great chapters on the journalists at McClure's magazine including Steffens, Baker, and Tarbell. This book does a fantastic job capturing the issues, the politics, the drama, and the history of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Goodwin writes her narrative in a way that is easy to read, contains great detail yet moves the story along, and helps the reader understand the characters through their own words. Could not recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys history or simply a great story.
    • 4/5
      I read this absorbing, but extremely long book because Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite President, I've always admired the muckraking journalists who wrote for McClure's magazine and because my great grandfather was the foreman of the Grand Jury who brought in the indictments against the Swift & Armour trusts. i knew very little about Taft - other than the fact that he was enormously fat - but have to say that my opinion of him has risen immensely because, in the end, he may just be the hero of this tale.Doris Kearns Goodwin writes well researched, yet accessible history and it's easy to get drawn into the story she tells. My only complaint is that, like may good researchers, she has a hard time leaving any of it in the drawer, and there were several places where the book went into way too much detail for the average reader.Still the story of how politics almost destroyed the lifelong friendship of Roosevelt sand Taft is compelling, and ultimately sad. Taft, in the end, proves that he is the better person willing to forgive and forget while Roosevelt appears small and peevish by comparison.The muckrakers are a more straight forward heroic story with Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Upton Sinclair, et. al, all raising cane and taking names at the late, great, McClurde's magazine and bringing down the railroads, Standard Oil and the aforementioned meat trusts.It was an exciting time to live and this book demonstrates what can happen when an activist President and crusading journalists unite to do great things. However, like all great times, the air ultimately runs out of the balloon and the pendulum swings in another political direction. TR and Taft were followed by Woodrow Wilson, World War I, the first "Red Scare" and the corrupt politics of the 1920's. It took a world-wide financial crisis to bring the nest reformer (ironically another Roosevelt) into office.
    • 3/5
      I highly recommend Peri Arnold's, Remaking the Presidency as an analysis of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. As Arnold demonstrates, it was less Taft's personality, as Goodwin describes, and more his lack of executive experience and understanding of how the presidency was changing in the early years of the twentieth century. Although Roosevelt and Wilson both had some different ideas on what the presidency had evolved into, they both understood that the office had changed in ways that Taft had not.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this immensely. The story of the friendship of Taft and Roosevelt, how Roosevelt became the first truly media-savvy President, and the heady first years of the Progressive era makes me yearn for a time when ideas mattered, when seemingly arcane subjects like tariff reform captured the publics attention.
    • 5/5
      Long, but really excellent discussion of the Gilded Age and progressive reforms. Required reading for anyone wanting to make sense of today's economy because we clearly haven't learned from history.
    • 4/5
      Very detailed and thoroughly researched. Really long though, and (consequently) heavy enough to be unwieldy.
    • 2/5
      This was a beautifully written dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft with a little sprinkling of both men's relationship with muck racking journalists. I was disappointed with it though as I expected much more about journalism in a book titled "The Bully Pulpit." The sections on journalists are hugely interested and covered a good amount of material that I had not seen in a mainstream history before. Would highly recommend this one if you're looking for an easy history read or if you have not yet read a biography of Theodore Roosevelt and want to find one to start with. On the flip side, I don't recommend it if you have already read any of Edmund Morris' trilogy on Roosevelt, because you will find most of this work repetitive.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful read and I learned so much because my knowledge of that period is scant. I also came away with a deeper appreciation of Taft and the nobility of his character.
    • 5/5
      Excellent. I started listening to this as an audiobook but realized I really needed to have it as a hard copy. It was slow reading because there was so much information, but it was presented very well so it remained both enjoyable and informative throughout.
    • 4/5
      This book is a dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. The two men are opposites in many ways. Roosevelt was sickly as a child but grew up to be a muscular outdoorsman, while Taft a talented young athlete as a young man grew sedentary with age leading to his notorious girth. Roosevelt had a lot of charisma but his arrogance could get the best of him, while Taft was genuinely kind almost to a fault. The two grew to be political allies and friends. Despite both being born into wealthy and powerful families, and adherents of the pro-business ideology of the Republican party, they both became leading Progressives chipping away at the power of big business and the wealthy class. Things seem to go well until Roosevelt retires and Taft becomes his successor as President. Taft has to work to make an impression in his predecessor's shadow, not at all helped when Roosevelt turns against Taft for not being Progressive enough. The election of 1912 turns out to be an ugly one as Roosevelt runs against Taft for the Republican nomination - one of the earliest campaigns with statewide primaries and candidates campaigning on their own behalf - and leading to a raucous convention. Taft wins the nomination, Roosevelt splits off to run on his own "Bull Moose" Progressive ticket, but the damage is done for both men.This book also focuses on the muckraking journalists of the Progressive Era such as Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, and S.S. McClure who both inspired and prodded Roosevelt and Taft. This part of the book is both very interesting, but also feels both like a long tangent from the Roosevelt/Taft biography and short shrift for the muckrakers who deserve a book of their own.
    • 5/5
      A doorstop of a book but well worth the effort. A perfect read for this election season; plus ca change.
    • 3/5
      A combination of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and how the current press figured into their campaigns & presidencies. I was a bit disappointed that the journalism parts seemed to get short shrift. Most of the Roosevelt information was the same as I had read in other books on Roosevelt, and I suspect I'll find the same Taft information in the Taft biography. Written very well but long and it didn't seem to know where to settle.
    • 5/5
      Excellent Book. It challenged my impression and opinion of T. Roosevelt, and has prompted me to start thinking more carefully about Taft. After reading TR's autobiography in 2000, I became enchanged with his disenchantment with the Republican party... while I still frustrated there, this book has helped clarify many suspicions I have had about a lost 3d way in the transition of the GOP into the party of conservativism and the Democrats into the party of liberalism.
    • 5/5
      A superb analysis of early 20th century American politics, highlighting the political career of Theodore Roosevelt. Goodwin uses the growth in investigative journalism in this period to contrast the, what we would call, 'modern' approach to politics and its relationship with the press used by Roosevelt and the more traditional/conservative approach by William Howard Taft, Roosevelt's successor in the White House. Goodwin uses the breakdown of the relationship between Roosevelt and Taft (and their eventual reconciliation) to highlight the changing political landscape in America.Goodwin writes with a strong narrative feel and this book fairly charges along and is much easier, more enjoyable and faster(!) to read than its length might suggest.
    • 4/5
      Wow! What a dizzying, delicious read; for several days, Doris Kearns Goodwin's latest history of American Presidential leadership at its best kept my attention from first to last. Reading it was enjoyable like a great, thrilling novel can be; my consciousness was consumed by the narrative.In many ways, I found The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism reminiscent of Goodwin's excellent presentation of President Lincoln's unique approach to the Presidency and the personal qualities that shaped that successful strategy. In this work, a time of exciting change, danger and opportunity is the setting for unique, fascinating characters to make their respective marks on our national history in surprising and impressive ways. The accurate and thorough grounding in time and place serves as a mere backdrop to the actions of individuals within the narrative, or rather, the political situation is presented within the narrative as material that sets great human forces in motion. Of course, the context is ultimately of singular importance since only in the effects of actions related do we find the historical significance to the country. It's impressive to me that without undermining that context or giving it short shrift, Goodwin invites the reader to feel and perceive the actions of these great leaders on a personal level. I am aware and should let you, my fellow readers, know that I may be attributing too much intention to Goodwin's crafting of the work. I haven't close read this book on any level; I swept through it. I describe its qualities based on what ultimately engaged my heart and mind completely -- the human drama -- and there was no dearth of material to substantiate that interest. It could be I've greatly overstated the particular emphasis on this element. I recommend this book highly to any who are interested in the people or political situation involved; I knew only general information about this book's subject matter. For me, that made it even more of a purely pleasurable read than was Team of Rivals; I was happy to learn so much! I would especially encourage readers with a particular affection for reading dynamic historical biographies to try this book (and other work by Goodwin if you have not yet). Don't be intimidated by the book's heft; Goodwin is a clear writer who tells a seamless story in the context of a sophisticated analysis of the history.I plan to read this book again at some point; I will do so more slowly so that I may pay greater attention to Goodwin's craft. This review will be updated with whatever more specific insights I pick up at that time. Please be advised that I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program on the sole condition I would publish an honest review once I read the work. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts; I hope they are helpful to some of you.
    • 5/5
      This was a fantastic slant on the American political history of the early 20th century. Similar to, but not quite a biography, The Bully Pulpit tells of the first two Presidents of the last century. I've long been interested in Theodore Roosevelt and his surprisingly progressive Presidency. Elected by the Republican machine to maintain the status quo, TR surprised everyone with his campaign of trust busting. The Bully Pulpit is more than a retelling of this story. It tells of the important role that William Howard Taft played in the TR administration, the warm personal friendship between the two men, and TR's efforts to pass the Presidency and his legacy to a reluctant WHT. When TR returns from a post-Presidential African safari, he is displeased with his old friend's administration. He is also bored out of his skin. The cure to both conditions is an effort to retake the Presidency. The result is the temporary destruction of the Republican party.Also a major part of the book is the story of muck-raking journalism. There was a time when good investigative journalism in this country roused public opinion against the powerful entrenched interests, and motivated politicians to make fundamental changes to benefit the masses. Of course, these were the days before Americans sat for hours mesmerized by glowing screens. The story of how the public was once mobilized behind McClure's magazine and writers such as Ida Tarbell, Ray Baker, and William Allen White was completely fascinating. I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      This book is, overall, very good, but it lacks focus. Yes, the part about the muckrakers is interesting and important historically, but way too long. (I believe the part would have made a wonderful book about progressive journalism at the turn of the 20th century.) I also feel the part about Taft's governorship in the Philippines is too long and not integral to the story. Nevertheless, the Roosevelt and Taft are brought to life. Ms. Goodwin's writing is easy to read and never gets in the way of the story. The last part of her book, which focuses on Roosevelt and Taft's parting of the ways, is a page turner. Finally, I learned a lot from this book, and I'm glad I read it.
    • 4/5
      Well, how can you go wrong with a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin? She is definitely one of the top writers and populizers of American History now working. The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism is no exception. Beautifully written as all of her books are, this provides a unique take on the lives of Roosevelt, Taft, and the role of the muckraking media on their careers.

      Not a full blown biography of either man, but one that tracks their rise to power initially in a parallel fashion which merges during the Presidency of Roosevelt, and then flies apart during the Presidency of Taft. The two men; Roosevelt, the scion of a rich New York family, born a sickly child who by the sheer will of his personality transformed himself into the "rough rider" we are all familiar with, and Taft, whose father was a successful businessman and public servant, who seemed less driven than Roosevelt, but who possessed a highly developed sense of what was right and wrong, and whose intelligence propelled his successful career, formed an unlikely though deep friendship that turned into deep enmity during the Presidential campaign of 1912.

      Both men were part of the progressive wing of the Republican party, willing to impose regulations on businesses that used their influence in a way detrimental to the public good (trust busting), and who took up the cause of the working man proposing limits on the length of the work week, a raise in the minimum wage, and safety and health standards. Their eventual falling out came about as a result of the largely mistaken view on Roosevelt's part that President Taft was not carrying on this progressive legacy. During their careers both were the beneficiaries and targets of a new style of journalism - one that used investigative reporting to advocate for reforms in business and government to root out endemic corruption. This came to be known as muckraking.

      Goodwin traces the rise of muckraking journalism - not a negative term at the time - as it rose during the careers of Roosevelt and Taft. Some of America's greatest journalists came out of this progressive tradition including most notably, Ida Tarbell. Focused largely on the journalists working at McClure's Magazine, one of the first and most successful of the muckraking publications Goodwin details the many ways in which both Roosevelt and Taft relied on the work these journalists were doing to provide the factual basis for the progressive policies they were pushing.This alliance produced some of the most progressive and far sweeping reforms of the twentieth century. And it also propelled Roosevelt into the top rank of U.S. Presidents. However, it also set an impossibly high standard for Taft to reach while he was President. So despite the fact he had some notable successes during his administration, by comparison, he looked like a failure in the eyes of Roosevelt and the Muckrakers, who turned on him with a vengeance in 1912.

      I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. While many books have been written about Roosevelt and a fair number on Taft, there are few that have looked at them in tandem and that also included looked at the important role played by the media on their careers. It's an important aspect of the Progressive era that is usually overlooked.

      Three things really struck me as I read this book. First, it really hits home how far the modern Republican Party has strayed from its roots. There have been, arguably, three Republican Presidents that are nearly universally acknowledged to be great - Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight Eisenhower - none of whom would be welcome in today's hyper-conservative party. Second, while Roosevelt deserves the acclaim he has received, he could also be petulant, hyper-sensitive to any perceived slight, and disloyal to formerly close friends, as evidenced by the way he turned on William Howard Taft. And last, I have a renewed respect for Taft who is caricatured in history as the bumbling fat man that squandered Roosevelt's accomplishments. Nothing could be further from the truth. He was highly accomplished prior to his time in the White House, was a more successful President than is usually acknowledged, and had a very distinguished career as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

      Highly Recommended!
    • 2/5
      In my personal rating schema, "2" means held my attention to the end; "3" means worth my time. This book definitely held my attention until the end, so as an audiobook was worth my time (in my daily commute, anything that holds my attention is worth my time, since there is no real opportunity cost there). However, if I had read this book with my eyeballs, it would not have been worthwhile, when I have so many other, hopefully more enlightening, books waiting to be read. This was like history junk food -- empty calories -- because at the end I hadn't really learned anything. Particularly frustrating was that the book did not adequately explain the reasons for Roosevelt's break with Taft -- can there be no existing correspondence from Roosevelt explaining his thinking? And wny didn't Roosevelt keep up a correspondence with Taft after he left office? This is the key turning point in the story the author is attempting to tell and it is brushed aside; whereas, on the other hand, an interminable amount of time is spent on the blow-by-blow of a dispute between Taft's Interior Secretary and Head of Forestry, which could have been summarized in a few sentences. In summary, since the author chose to tell the story with a "just the facts" approach, devoid of any analysis whatsoever, this story would have been better served by a more judicious selection of facts.
    • 4/5
      Goodwin does a masterful job weaving together the lives of TR, Taft and the rise of progressive journalism. It is a long book but always readable.
    • 4/5
      Goodwin presents a compelling thesis about the presidency and press and stresses how Theodore Roosevelt was able to use the press to his advantage during his remarkable presidency, but that his successor William Howard Taft failed to utilize journalists in the same manner and ultimately damaged his administration through poor PR. This is a long book and Goodwin often times gets caught up in the details, chronicling the lives of Roosevelt, Taft, and the preeminent journalists of the age (Sam McClure, Ida Tarbell, etc.). A good read, but I do wish the author had edited the text better and cut down a bit on the length.
    • 5/5
      This excellent history has three threads: the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, the rise and influence of investigative, long-form journalism, and Roosevelt's pioneering use of the press to achieve political ends. Any one of these would make a good book in itself, but their inclusion in a single volume allows Goodwin to illuminate each discussion in the context of the other two. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book and some of the parallels to the interplay of the media and politics today should be more widely known and discussed.
    • 4/5
      hew! That was a long one. It was excellent, though maybe a bit TR heavy. But that is how the relationship between TR and Taft was, TR sprinting ahead and dragging everyone in his wake while Taft plods along but still makes progress. Very well written and researched with a bonus focus on the progressive journalism of the time and how much of mutual relationship they had with TR.
    • 4/5
      Well, last year it was James Garfield and Roscoe Conkling, and this year it's William Taft: my familiarity with long-dead politicians is expanding dramatically. While I wouldn't go so far as one professional reviewer, who gushed "think *The West Wing* scripted by Henry James" as if at a Hollywood pitch meeting, I agree that Goodwin takes the politics and mores of a largely forgotten time and makes them as vivid as the present-day Washington news. Before this, I knew a little about Roosevelt and next to nothing about Taft, and now I feel like I almost knew both men personally. And I soon found myself liking Taft, a true conservative by temperament and ideology, a great deal. I even found myself reluctant to push on through the end of the book, when I knew the great friendship between Roosevelt and Taft would founder and fall into bitter acrimony.Aside from the great entertainment offered by a portrait of great personalities, I loved learning about the Progressive Age, the brief spate of correction to the excesses of the first Gilded Age, when American politicians first talked seriously about the government's obligation to provide a social safety net and to rein in the power of the greatest corporations. Today, when even the politicians of the Left lean right, it's refreshing to read about a time when the politicians of the Right leaned left. This is a book to get lost in, partly for fun, and partly for rebalancing.
    • 4/5
      Goodwin is superb as an historian and in this book we see Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft as individuals but also we see how working shoulder to shoulder, they created a greater good often at the cost of their own ambitions.TR's personality comes through as adventurer and master politician. Taft comes through as a loving, generous, gentle giant who twice refused appointment to the Supreme Court (his greatest desire) because he believed his efforts elsewhere were needed. In this book we also see the development of the power of the press and how a good politician could utilize that power. This book was extremely informative, however it could have been just as informative without being so wordy. Several passages were repetitive and could easily been omitted.
    • 4/5
      I am almost finished. I was struck by the fact Taft tried to continue many of the programs of Roosevelt but he received very little credit for what he did. Of course, he refused to rule by executive order like Roosevelt. He fired Roosevelt's popular head of the Forestry department Pinchot causing a breach with Roosevelt. This helped cause Roosevelt to contest Taft for his second term which led to the election of Woodrow Wilson. Even though Teddy was adored by the public he could not win the presidency in 1912. He could not even win the Republican nomination. However, this is explained by the author because Teddy took a perhaps too radical approach to his campaign. He argued citizens should be allowed to vote to overrule even judicial rulings in plebiscites like California has. This was too much for the establishment. Even though Teddy won the primaries in 1912 there weren't enough of them so Taft won the Republican Nomination in 1912 by winning most of the conventions. Even Teddy's best political friend Senator Henry Cabot Lodge did not back him in 1912. The newest thing I learned is how Teddy wrested the leadership of the Progressive Party from Robert LaFollette. Even though the progressives initially thought Teddy was too establishment they deserted LaFollette and all flocked to Teddy when he decided to run in 1912. He was doomed in 1912 when he could not wrest the Republican nomination from Taft. It was wonderful that the author included in the epilogue a chance encounter between Taft and Roosevelt in May 1918 in Chicago.They apparently reconciled at this meeting. It reminded me of the reconciliation between Jefferson and John Adams. The author also notes Taft's wife Nellie outlived him by 13 years even though she was sick during their White House years. Finally, the author says Taft liked his position as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court so much he even managed to reduce his weight down to 250 pounds.
    • 3/5
      Fascinating book on the relationship between Roosevelt and Taft. As someone with little prior knowledge of this era, it was a perfect introduction. The book was a great balance between narrative and fact, giving myself little opportunity to lose interest on such a dense topic.
    • 5/5
      Great story of two great men in a time when journalism was king. Long but a great read.
    • 5/5
      Essentially every Teddie Roosevelt biography suffers from the same, invisible weakness: the author cannot resist the urge to let the character's ego to eclipse the sun, leaving everyone, even his closet allies, to sulk in his shadow. Before "The Bully Pulpit", I've always viewed William Taft as an inconsequential character in Teddie's life, one who's known only for failing to carry the torch of the Progressive movement, Teddie's movement, forcing Roosevelt to forsake him and his own retirement. But it's a lie that distorts the real human relationship that was at work. This book, more than any other history of that time, depicts the humanity and fallibility of Teddie and Taft alike. I'm not a sentimental person, and I've very rarely moved emotionally by biographical works, but the relationship between Taft and Teddie, and the relationships that made up the McClure's editorial team, moved me.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful read and very applicable to our own times. The period Goodwin writes about -the late 19th and early 20th century- was more wedded to the ideas of laissez faire economics than our own. How these two Republicans remade the country is astonishing, especially given their know nothing descendants. The role played by McClure and his writers is also well done.I think the author's point is if it was possible to introduce all of this progressive legislation then it is possible now. We just haven't discovered how to do it yet.