The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore
Roosevelt and the Crusade for
America by Douglas Brinkley
Dee-Lightful!
Amazon Best of the Month, August 2009: The movement for the
conversation of wild life and the larger movement for the conservation of all
our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and
method. So wrote Theodore Roosevelt, known as the naturalist President
for his efforts in protecting wildlife and wilderness, merging preservation
and patriotism into a quintessential American ideal. The Wilderness
Warrior, Douglas Brinkleys massive(ly readable) new biography, intrepidly
explores the wilderness of influences (Audubon and Darwin), personal
relationships (Muir and Pinchot), and frontier adventures (too many to
mention) that shaped Roosevelts proto-green views. Topping 800 pages
(ironically, one wonders how many trees fell for the first printing), The
Wilderness Warrior makes an excellent companion to Timothy Egans The

Big Burn and Ken Burnss The National Parks: Americas Best Idea. --Jon
Foro
Personal Review: The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt
and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley
Theodore Roosevelt's personal reputation has always been one of a
human dynamo and the joy of Douglas Brinkley's book, "The Wilderness
Warrior", is the connection of that energy with actual accomplishments...in
this case the conservationist and preservationist side of our twenty-sixth
president. Though no color photographs exist of TR that I am aware of, the
author provides his own color as he portrays Roosevelt as the spinning
hub of a president keen on establishing national parks, forests and
monuments.
Roosevelt's love of nature came early on and Brinkley relates that the
young Theodore was smitten with birds and a lifelong devotion to them
ensued. His wayward uncle, Robert B. Roosevelt, served as a nature
mentor to the future president. Over time, TR became quite an expert on
bears, as well, and his bringing back the American bison from near
extinction has to be one of his greatest triumphs. And though Roosevelt
had a passion for almost all animals, we learn that he had no use for
sheep and detested alligators! All other creatures of nature, however,
seemed to fall under his spell. A wonderful addition to "The Wilderness
Warrior" is that the author serves up many mini-biographies of allies
aligned with Roosevelt. These include naturalists John Burroughs, ("Oom
John"..Dutch for "Uncle John") John Muir, Forest Service Chief Gifford
Pinchot, Iowa Congressman John F. Lacey, who was an important
Roosevelt ally regarding western interests, Jack (catch 'em alive)
Abernathy, whose skill at wrestling down wolves captured the president's
heart and attention, and many more. Given the extreme opposition to TR
from western Senators and Congressmen, these men buoyed Roosevelt at
every turn. What is lacking (not surprisingly from this book, given its
theme) are women. Except for an occasional cameo appearance by Edith
Roosevelt and TR's first wife, Alice, this is a "man's" book with all the
macho one might suspect.
Brinkley highlights President Roosevelt's "I so declare it" authority in
executive decision-making, as when Congress either dithered on the
passage of bills creating new national parks, etc., or was outright in its
opposition to them. The executive declarations angered many in Congress
as well as western governors, but TR's overwhelming personality and
remarkable persuasive powers...especially with the public...usually won the
day. These declarations would, of course, be used by future presidents,
but none with as much gusto as Theodore Roosevelt's.
Fact-checking and editing should have been done more closely, however,
in this book, and it's the one flaw in an otherwise terrific history. It's stated
that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same
day...true...but it was February 12, 1809, not February 22, 1803. The first

day of the battle of Gettysburg is off by ten years and I'm sure the First
Congregational Church in Stamford, Connecticut (where I have been many
times) would laugh at its being referred to as the "First Congressional
Church". These mistakes should have been caught as they are but a few in
Brinkley's offering.
A final element in "The Wilderness Warrior" is an important but subtle one.
Brinkley links Teddy Roosevelt with all but five (by my count) of the entire
roster of U.S. presidents. True, he has more to say about those presidents
directly serving around the time of TR....Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley and
Taft....but if TR was the hub of a great preservationist movement, he either
was inspired by many of his predecessors or inspired those who
succeeded him. George W. Bush, not surprisingly, is omitted from the list.
I highly recommend "The Wilderness Warrior". Douglas Brinkley has given
readers a breathtaking account of the accomplishments of Theodore
Roosevelt in preserving for the United States its own natural and national
treasures. The scope of these accomplishments is a final tribute to
Roosevelt as much as it is for the author's fine work in presenting it to us.
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