Theodore Roosevelt: A Literary Life

Literary scholars Bailey and Joslin take an initially intriguing but largely unsatisfying look at Theodore Roosevelt’s literary career. The authors cite Roosevelt’s prolific output—he authored or coauthored nearly 50 books—but fail to make a case for him as a stylist or as a lasting influence on other writers. Ideas the authors touch on that might serve as a unifying theme in Roosevelt’s work, such as efforts to develop an “American-American” literary voice, are not well-defined or thoroughly explored. The authors do gather a wide collection of assessments from Roosevelt’s famous contemporaries, including Henry James (who, stung by Roosevelt’s portrayal of him as effeminate, called the other’s writing “impaired for intelligible precept by the puerility of his simplifications”), H.G. Wells, and Walt Whitman. The lukewarm critical response that Roosevelt received from reviewers of his day is only marginally corrected by Bailey and Joslin’s reassessment. The authors describe key titles, like The Naval War of 1812 and Through the Brazilian Wilderness, as, respectively, “still readable, and at times enjoyable,” and “workmanlike and informative.” The faint praise throughout leaves the impression that, despite the many titles to Roosevelt’s name, his biggest impact on literature was the expansion of copyright protection signed into law at the end of his tenure as president. [em](Apr.) [/em]