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Bully!: The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt
Bully!
One of America’s most beloved presidents comes to life in this comprehensive, unique biography illustrated by more than 250 period cartoons.
Theodore Roosevelt, adored for everything from his much-caricatured teeth and glasses to his almost childlike exuberance and boundless energy, as well as his astounding achievements, captivated Americans of his day—and the cartoonists who immortalized him in their drawings. In Bully! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt, author and cartoonist Rick Marschall tells Roosevelt’s story, using words and colorful images alike. Incorporating hundreds of vintage illustrations, Bully! captures Roosevelt’s remarkable life and incredible accomplishments as no other biography has.
In Bully! you will read and see why this man continues to capture the imaginations of Americans and those who love America. You will learn:
Why World War I might never have happened if Roosevelt had won the presidency for a third term
How TR the Rough Rider inspired his men How Roosevelt drove the building of the Panama Canal through almost insuperable obstacles
Why his strong (but today underreported) Christian faith directed his every action
Why “the cowboy” Roosevelt was the most intellectual president America has ever had
Why his foreign policy of speaking softly and carrying a big stick was so successful
How the “Progressive” Roosevelt was actually a “Conservative”
One of America’s most beloved presidents comes to life in this comprehensive, unique biography illustrated by more than 250 period cartoons.
Theodore Roosevelt, adored for everything from his much-caricatured teeth and glasses to his almost childlike exuberance and boundless energy, as well as his astounding achievements, captivated Americans of his day—and the cartoonists who immortalized him in their drawings. In Bully! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt, author and cartoonist Rick Marschall tells Roosevelt’s story, using words and colorful images alike. Incorporating hundreds of vintage illustrations, Bully! captures Roosevelt’s remarkable life and incredible accomplishments as no other biography has.
In Bully! you will read and see why this man continues to capture the imaginations of Americans and those who love America. You will learn:
Why World War I might never have happened if Roosevelt had won the presidency for a third term
How TR the Rough Rider inspired his men How Roosevelt drove the building of the Panama Canal through almost insuperable obstacles
Why his strong (but today underreported) Christian faith directed his every action
Why “the cowboy” Roosevelt was the most intellectual president America has ever had
Why his foreign policy of speaking softly and carrying a big stick was so successful
How the “Progressive” Roosevelt was actually a “Conservative”
440 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 20, 2016
I read a lot of presidential histories. It is pretty much all that I read. And I have read several about Theodore Roosevelt; including the Edwin Morris trilogy, The Bully Pulpit, Mornings on Horseback and several others including many of Theodore's own writings. I didn't finish this book so much as put it down in disgust.
You know when you are reading someone else's take on a familiar subject and something just doesn't ring true? I was about 10 pages into the book when I started noticing a lot of unnecessary religious references and phrases in the book. I kept reading and I came across several more. I went back and looked up the author and, sure enough, he is primarily a christian writer.
The author makes many claims about how devout Roosevelt was and how he was such a steadfast christian. If this is true, why is it not reflected any other biography much less his own writings? Yes, Roosevelt was a member of the Dutch reform church as a child. He later attended the Unitarian Congregational Church in Oyster Bay.
If Roosevelt worshipped anything at all, it was the natural world and his unwavering determination to master it.
It could be said that, as a writer himself, Roosevelt clothed many of his subjects with his own muscular view of the world. But I consider that to be a failing in his writings. Proper historians should not try to wedge their own personal beliefs on the subject whom they are chronicling.
There are many other wonderful books and serious studies on T.R., his personality and his vast and varied accomplishments. This is not one of them.
You know when you are reading someone else's take on a familiar subject and something just doesn't ring true? I was about 10 pages into the book when I started noticing a lot of unnecessary religious references and phrases in the book. I kept reading and I came across several more. I went back and looked up the author and, sure enough, he is primarily a christian writer.
The author makes many claims about how devout Roosevelt was and how he was such a steadfast christian. If this is true, why is it not reflected any other biography much less his own writings? Yes, Roosevelt was a member of the Dutch reform church as a child. He later attended the Unitarian Congregational Church in Oyster Bay.
If Roosevelt worshipped anything at all, it was the natural world and his unwavering determination to master it.
It could be said that, as a writer himself, Roosevelt clothed many of his subjects with his own muscular view of the world. But I consider that to be a failing in his writings. Proper historians should not try to wedge their own personal beliefs on the subject whom they are chronicling.
There are many other wonderful books and serious studies on T.R., his personality and his vast and varied accomplishments. This is not one of them.
June 16, 2012
The author is pretty clearly a TR-worshiper, and shows some bias in a few other areas, but this book does a fantastic job of communicating just how powerful a force TR was. Also remarkable is how much the political world TR inhabited resembles our own today. Ultimately I was left wishing that we could find our own TR, who could straddle the conservative/progressive divide rationally and effortlessly, and use the force of his personality to bring the two bickering sides together, whether they liked it or not.
January 31, 2024
I picked up this book because I'm very interested in all types of cartoons, especially vintage political cartoons. The cartoons in this book are beautifully reproduced. However, the author is so enamored with Teddy Roosevelt that the history isn't objective at all. The prose is mawkish, with some Christian proselytizing thrown in, along with the author's political opinions. Read some of the excellent history books that the author lists in his bibliography, skip the text in this book, and just enjoy the cartoons
May 21, 2014
I realize that the umph that made this book something more than all the rest of the biographies about Teddy Roosevelt are all of the vintage political cartoons that are included, and while these were interesting in and of themselves, I don't know that they enriched the history that much.
I loved reading about TR! I always learn something new as I read more about this interesting man. I think the main deterrent for me is that the majority of the cartoons were not included within the topic that the author was writing about, but rather at the end of each "chapter" or period of TR's life. For example, in the chapter that deals with TR's presidency, are a couple of black and white cartoons, but the majority of the cartoons (in color) are at the end of the chapter under headings such as "The Panama Canal", "Foreign Policy: Peacemaker", etc. Sometimes, I flipped forward in the book just to see what cartoons accompanied each section. I shouldn't have had to do this.
Still, an interesting book.
I leave you with a quote that I found near the end of the book -- it's scary because it was written the day before he passed in 1919 and almost 100 years later, this issue is still a profound problem in our country:
As stated by Teddy Roosevelt: "We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American.
There can be no divided allegiance here ... We have room for but one language, here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns out people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boardinghouse; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people."
Today, it is 2013, and by TR's standards, we are a nation divided.
I loved reading about TR! I always learn something new as I read more about this interesting man. I think the main deterrent for me is that the majority of the cartoons were not included within the topic that the author was writing about, but rather at the end of each "chapter" or period of TR's life. For example, in the chapter that deals with TR's presidency, are a couple of black and white cartoons, but the majority of the cartoons (in color) are at the end of the chapter under headings such as "The Panama Canal", "Foreign Policy: Peacemaker", etc. Sometimes, I flipped forward in the book just to see what cartoons accompanied each section. I shouldn't have had to do this.
Still, an interesting book.
I leave you with a quote that I found near the end of the book -- it's scary because it was written the day before he passed in 1919 and almost 100 years later, this issue is still a profound problem in our country:
As stated by Teddy Roosevelt: "We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American.
There can be no divided allegiance here ... We have room for but one language, here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns out people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boardinghouse; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people."
Today, it is 2013, and by TR's standards, we are a nation divided.
March 4, 2012
This could have been a great book, the concept and wealth of great political cartoons from the era provide a wonderful starting point. However the authors political leanings continually creeping into the narrative started to get a little tiresome. Nods to the Tea party and even a shout out to Reagan among the predictable clichés of the modern right only serve to make this new book seem dated.
I was not surprised at all when I finished this book to find that Regnery (the parent publisher of the Regenry History imprint) was an overtly partisan conservative organization. And despite what Alex Novak the Regnery the associate publisher overseeing the imprint says, “Regnery History will not be historical books for conservatives; it’s more for nonpartisan readers, whoever loves history, and loves a good story,” the breeding shows, at least from this author.
I was not surprised at all when I finished this book to find that Regnery (the parent publisher of the Regenry History imprint) was an overtly partisan conservative organization. And despite what Alex Novak the Regnery the associate publisher overseeing the imprint says, “Regnery History will not be historical books for conservatives; it’s more for nonpartisan readers, whoever loves history, and loves a good story,” the breeding shows, at least from this author.
January 22, 2015
Excellent biography of Roosevelt drawing on political cartoons of his era to illustrate his story and also the story of his America. Marschall clearly knows his artists and presents an accurate picture of Roosevelt and the cartoonists who captured him throughout his political career. An excellent addition to the Roosevelt biographies.
April 27, 2020
This is definitely an interesting and unique way to cover the life of one of America's most interesting presidents. With his whiskers, huge smile, burly physique, and often-extravagant outfits, Roosevelt was the perfect figure for the political cartoon age. The narrative portion of this book is basic and a little disappointing. The author is very biased in favor of TR's politics, so there isn't a lot of deep analysis of his politics. Instead, it is more of listing things that he did and then explaining why it was the correct decision. Roosevelt is portrayed as a righteous, larger than life figure that was constantly unfairly slighted by his enemies. His controversial policies towards U.S. expansion is largely brushed aside, and his decision to run for the presidency under the Bull Moose party in later years is painted as a noble attempt to return the country to greatness instead of the complicated political mess that it was. To be fair, there is some fascinating material such as the rich history of the Roosevelts in New York, TR's warm relationship with his family, and his love for the outdoors.
Where the book shines is the large collection of political cartoons which are strategically placed in the middle or end of each chapter. As mentioned before, this period of American history was perfect for political cartoons. With the end of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and the beginning of the Gilded Age, politics came to the forefront of the American consciousness. While the cartoons displayed are definitely pro-Roosevelt for the most part, they do an effective job of displaying the unique relationship between politicians and media. The content in these cartoons range from comical to admirable to downright cruel. Roosevelt understood the power of his image in newspapers across the country and milked it for all it was worth. This political savvy has added to his enduring image as "America's most interesting citizen".
Overall, this is worth a look, especially if you are new to Roosevelt. He is certainly an essential figure in American History, and these cartoons do a good job of portraying the type of character he was. You will want to balance this book with something more substantial to understand the full impact of his policies both during their time and in the modern day, but put this in your library anyway. You won't be disappointed.
Where the book shines is the large collection of political cartoons which are strategically placed in the middle or end of each chapter. As mentioned before, this period of American history was perfect for political cartoons. With the end of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and the beginning of the Gilded Age, politics came to the forefront of the American consciousness. While the cartoons displayed are definitely pro-Roosevelt for the most part, they do an effective job of displaying the unique relationship between politicians and media. The content in these cartoons range from comical to admirable to downright cruel. Roosevelt understood the power of his image in newspapers across the country and milked it for all it was worth. This political savvy has added to his enduring image as "America's most interesting citizen".
Overall, this is worth a look, especially if you are new to Roosevelt. He is certainly an essential figure in American History, and these cartoons do a good job of portraying the type of character he was. You will want to balance this book with something more substantial to understand the full impact of his policies both during their time and in the modern day, but put this in your library anyway. You won't be disappointed.
October 2, 2019
I loved this book - over the month it took me to read it (savoring, not rushing), it was my go-to read when I'd had a tough day.
The book was well organized into periods of TR's life, and the cartoons at the end of each chapter set the context for that period. I disagree with another reviewer that these should all have been interspersed in the text - it would have made the reading choppy and the cartoons distracting.
I've always been a big TR fan, but this is the first book that makes me feel like I "know him". His views on what it means to be an American are something we all should listen to today- especially today.
Highly recommended - especially if you take the time to enjoy accompanying TR through his life.
The book was well organized into periods of TR's life, and the cartoons at the end of each chapter set the context for that period. I disagree with another reviewer that these should all have been interspersed in the text - it would have made the reading choppy and the cartoons distracting.
I've always been a big TR fan, but this is the first book that makes me feel like I "know him". His views on what it means to be an American are something we all should listen to today- especially today.
Highly recommended - especially if you take the time to enjoy accompanying TR through his life.
March 5, 2020
An excellent biography of one of our most successful and effective presidents, presented in a wholly unique fashion: through the political cartoons he lent himself to so easily. Thorough, well-reasearched, and (most importantly) fair, I can only quibble with one minor aspect of the book: the author's contention that Wilsonian reforms were more in line with FDR's New Deal & LBJ's Great Society than TR's earlier reforms when that isn't the case. It seems to me that Wilson's reforms were largely a repudiation of Taft policies and an extension of TR's Square Deal (even if not exactly how TR would have done it.) FDR's creation of the so-called "welfare state" was something all together different bourne out of the desperation of the Great Depression...
April 17, 2021
The cartoons were really fun. I try to avoid hero worship in the biographers that I read, and I knew it would be hard with TR. I had hopped that the political cartoon angle would lend itself to a presentation that was sympathetic, but not blind to flaws. A challenging balance to strike. This biography did not do that. I also like to read biographies that engage with our ever changing estimation of a presidents legacy. The only nod to that in this book was a lament that TR or a man like him is not alive today to fix all of our political problems with his manly American virtues. So, yeah, not a balanced presentation of TR. But it was a fun read.
February 18, 2019
A really enjoyable read. Before reading “Bully! “ I had just finished reading a collections of TR’s own writings on politics, explorations, conservation, hunting, and Americanism. I found that Bully! Did a thorough job of depicting Theodore’s life and thoughts from beginning to end. I found no contradictions between this book and his own writings. The man was All-American in every sense of the word. The comics collected throughout are such a fun way to grasp the political feel of those decades long ago. Top notch biography, would recommend to anyone.
December 10, 2021
As a TR biography, Bully is rather weak. As a collection of political and editorial cartoons from the time it is superb. Political cartoons are largely ignored or mocked in modern day, so to see how they had such a huge effect on a pivotal point in American history, especially their effect on the TR legacy, is interesting.
February 13, 2023
Bully! Life & Times of Theodore Roosevelt
Rick Marschall
The political cartoon was in it’s heyday during TR’s presidency. And TR gave the cartoonists a great deal of material to work with!
Mr. Marschall provides a good summary of TR’s life, with balanced opinions.
And the political cartoons are a history in and of themselves!
Rick Marschall
The political cartoon was in it’s heyday during TR’s presidency. And TR gave the cartoonists a great deal of material to work with!
Mr. Marschall provides a good summary of TR’s life, with balanced opinions.
And the political cartoons are a history in and of themselves!
December 1, 2018
I enjoyed it a lot.
March 9, 2019
Having known a little about TR, from this book I learned much more about him in an easy comfortable reading style. The points didn't drag on and on making the book a long boring read.
February 27, 2012
Bully! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt by Rick Marschall seemed tailor-made for me. It combined my interest in the man with a long time interest in editorial cartooning and political satire. The book contains more than 250 vintage political cartoons. I only wish that the cartoons had been larger so that one could read the names and labels so frequently used in these early cartoons without a magnifying glass.
Marschall is an unabashed fan of T.R. (as I am too), but sometimes he seemed prone to a bit of hyperbole. Roosevelt was indeed a great president who deserves to be on Mt. Rushmore, but he did not “walk on water.” Marschall suggests that if Roosevelt had won the presidency in 1912, there never would have been a World War I. After all, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a peace settlement ending the Russo-Japanese War, and helped defuse the Morocco Crisis. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prove or disprove what might have happened. I do feel that Roosevelt seemed too eager to jump into the fray once it began.
Marschall’s book serves as a healthy antidote to T.R.’s critics from both the left and the right. The left labels him a phony progressive. Of course, this is applying today’s standards of progressivism to a man who lived a century ago. On the other hand, some on the right have accused Roosevelt of expanding presidential powers and beginning the trek towards Big Government. Marschall writes: “TR preached reform, not revolution… He claimed Lincoln as his model and described himself using terms like ‘sane radical’ and ‘progressive conservative’ – in a time before the words were made oxymoronic.”
Marschall is an unabashed fan of T.R. (as I am too), but sometimes he seemed prone to a bit of hyperbole. Roosevelt was indeed a great president who deserves to be on Mt. Rushmore, but he did not “walk on water.” Marschall suggests that if Roosevelt had won the presidency in 1912, there never would have been a World War I. After all, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a peace settlement ending the Russo-Japanese War, and helped defuse the Morocco Crisis. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prove or disprove what might have happened. I do feel that Roosevelt seemed too eager to jump into the fray once it began.
Marschall’s book serves as a healthy antidote to T.R.’s critics from both the left and the right. The left labels him a phony progressive. Of course, this is applying today’s standards of progressivism to a man who lived a century ago. On the other hand, some on the right have accused Roosevelt of expanding presidential powers and beginning the trek towards Big Government. Marschall writes: “TR preached reform, not revolution… He claimed Lincoln as his model and described himself using terms like ‘sane radical’ and ‘progressive conservative’ – in a time before the words were made oxymoronic.”
September 2, 2016
When I ran across this book during a Half Price Books trip, I immediately knew I had to buy it. I was months from reaching TR in the Presidential Challenge, but I've learned to buy these biographies ahead of time when they're on sale or look interesting.
The unique addition of political cartoons from the time made this biography a must buy, and in that aspect I wasn't disappointed at all. The pages are thick, so the cartoons are beautifully presented and fascinating. Each chapter of text included a section of cartoons relating to the chapter.
As for the text, I learned more than a few things about TR, but I was slightly annoyed by the obvious pro-TR leanings of the author. Not to mention a reference to today's tea party movement. That aside, I think the creative pages made this a biography I would recommend, as long as you keep in mind the other part.
The unique addition of political cartoons from the time made this biography a must buy, and in that aspect I wasn't disappointed at all. The pages are thick, so the cartoons are beautifully presented and fascinating. Each chapter of text included a section of cartoons relating to the chapter.
As for the text, I learned more than a few things about TR, but I was slightly annoyed by the obvious pro-TR leanings of the author. Not to mention a reference to today's tea party movement. That aside, I think the creative pages made this a biography I would recommend, as long as you keep in mind the other part.
February 10, 2012
Teddy Roosevelt is one of my historical heroes.
Not just for his presidency, but for his expeditions, his dedication to his family and friends, and just his general bad-assery.
Who else could get shot and continue his speech before going to the hospital, build a boat just to catch the people who stole his boat, win a Nobel Peace Prize, be in the Army and the Navy at the same time--- the list goes on.
He lid a very full and interesting life, full of adventure. He changed the United States and the world in the process.
This book presents TR's life, both personal and public. What makes it extra enjoyable is the inclusion of vintage political cartoons as illustrations - you get to see Roosevelt as the political commentators of his era saw him.
Not just for his presidency, but for his expeditions, his dedication to his family and friends, and just his general bad-assery.
Who else could get shot and continue his speech before going to the hospital, build a boat just to catch the people who stole his boat, win a Nobel Peace Prize, be in the Army and the Navy at the same time--- the list goes on.
He lid a very full and interesting life, full of adventure. He changed the United States and the world in the process.
This book presents TR's life, both personal and public. What makes it extra enjoyable is the inclusion of vintage political cartoons as illustrations - you get to see Roosevelt as the political commentators of his era saw him.
February 10, 2012
Easily the best biography I read in 2011.
Published in 2011 by Regnery History.
Bully! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt is exactly the kind of book that will ensure that printed books will always have a place, no matter how many e-readers are sold. This is an absolutely beautiful book. It has a satisfying heft, it is printed on high quality paper (think coffee table book quality) and is chock full of political cartoons from an era when many political cartoons would have been full color and the size of an entire newspaper page. This book inspires the reader to flip through the pages, browse a bit, admire the art and do a little reading...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
Published in 2011 by Regnery History.
Bully! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt is exactly the kind of book that will ensure that printed books will always have a place, no matter how many e-readers are sold. This is an absolutely beautiful book. It has a satisfying heft, it is printed on high quality paper (think coffee table book quality) and is chock full of political cartoons from an era when many political cartoons would have been full color and the size of an entire newspaper page. This book inspires the reader to flip through the pages, browse a bit, admire the art and do a little reading...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
October 6, 2013
I really liked this book. TR was a great man and one of the top presidents we have ever had. He was a moral man. His desire was to govern fairly for all men. Teddy where are you now? We need a leader like you to pull us out of the mess in which we find ourselves.
Politics was not his only interest. He had a full life and pursued many other interests.
I did not read this quickly but read at it for several months. It was worth the effort. I am glad I finished it.
Politics was not his only interest. He had a full life and pursued many other interests.
I did not read this quickly but read at it for several months. It was worth the effort. I am glad I finished it.
October 7, 2012
An enjoyable read with well-chosen political cartoons. Not just a picture book; the cartoons illustrate a lot of scholarship. I just don't know enough to determine how historically accurate this book is.
October 11, 2012
It was a fun read not to be compared with the 3 Morris boooks. But the cartoons made it an interesting addendum to the more detailed biographies. There was one quote on page 365 worth remembering. It was a quote from the last speech that he had written before his death on Jan.6,1919.
September 11, 2013
An excellent account of the life of Theodore Roosevelt combined with many images and political cartoons that only add to the enjoyment of this biography. A must-read for any admirer of TR or anyone wanting to learn more about this "Most Interesting American."
December 28, 2013
Even though I've read a lot about TR, I still can't get enough. Sad, we don't have leaders like TR in this country anymore. We desperately need one! Up next on my "to read" list - Doris Kearns Goodwin's "The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism"
June 8, 2012
Very entertaining. I loved reading about Theodore Roosevelt. I learned a lot.
October 6, 2013
Good, multi-dimensional work. The writing is good as is the story telling. The only failing is adequate explanation of some of the culture shifts that render some of the cartoon unintelligible.
May 12, 2016
Very interesting, informative, and insightful. Interesting format with political cartoons interspersed with text
June 29, 2019
Telling. TR's life as told through political cartoons, many very good, with a lesser-quality, lengthy text. TR the man shines through.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews