Roosevelt in the Bad Lands

by Hermann Hagedorn

Roosevelt in the Bad Lands is a biographical book written by Hermann Hagedorn. The book is about the life of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, during his time in the Badlands of North Dakota. The book covers the period from 1883 to 1886, during which Roosevelt lived in the Badlands and worked as a rancher. The book describes Roosevelt's experiences in the Badlands, including his interactions with the local people, his struggles with the harsh environment, and his efforts to establish himself as a successful rancher. It also explores Roosevelt's personal life during this period, including his marriage to his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, and her subsequent death.Throughout the book, Hagedorn portrays Roosevelt as a man of great determination and resilience, who was able to overcome numerous challenges and setbacks in his quest to succeed as a rancher. The book also provides insights into Roosevelt's character and personality, including his love of nature, his passion for hunting and conservation, and his strong sense of duty and patriotism.Overall, Roosevelt in the Bad Lands is a fascinating and engaging biography that offers a unique perspective on the life of one of America's most iconic presidents. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the American West, the life of Theodore Roosevelt, or the development of the United States as a nation.1921. In weaving the material into the connected narrative found in this book, the author consciously departed from fact in only one respect. Certain names are fictitious. In certain cases, in which the story he had to tell might give needless offense to the actors in it still surviving, or their children, and in which he was consequently confronted by the alternative of rejecting the story in question or changing the names, he chose the latter course without hesitation. Partly from books and letters, partly from documents and old newspapers, Hagedorn gathered bit by bit the story of Roosevelt's life as a ranchman; but the main sources of material were the men and women who were Roosevelt's companions and friends. Illustrated.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: History, Biography

Paperback

First published August 10, 2003

About the author

Hermann Hagedorn (18 July 1882, New York City - 27 July 1964) was an American author, poet and biographer.

He was born in New York City and educated at Harvard University, where he was awarded the George B. Sohier Prize for literature, the University of Berlin, and Columbia University. From 1909 to 1911, he was an instructor in English at Harvard.

Hagedorn was a friend and biographer of Theodore Roosevelt. He also served as Secretary and Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association from 1919 to 1957. Drawing upon his friendship with Roosevelt, Hagedorn was able to elicite the support of Roosevelt's friends and associates' personal recollections in his biography of TR which was first published in 1918 and then updated in 1922 and which is oriented toward children. The book has a summary questions for young readers at the end of each chapter. Drawing on the same friends and associates of Roosevelt, Hagedorn also published the first serious study of TR's experience as a rancher in the Badlands after the death of his wife and mother in 1884. Hagedorn's access to TR's associates in these two books has been utilized by historian, Edmund Morris in his two highly acclaimed biographical books on Roosevelt published in 1979 and 2001.

Reviews

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always liked Teddy R, and we went on a trip the Badlands a few years ago. I am not sure where or how I found this very old book about TR in the Badlands, but I am glad I did.
Many biographers would probably give a side trip like this one in a political figures biography little attention. Having read in detail now what TR was doing in the Dakotas, I think it greatly formed his character.
This is an old old book and the style may put some off. What I liked was the way the author would, as an example, take a letter TR wrote to his sister or Lodge about some event and then cross reference it with the letters from one of TR’s friends in the Dakotas to some of his people or with what appeared in the local newspapers. The flow of the narrative suffers a bit but the real story comes out.
Beside TR, his rival the Marquis, the assorted cow punchers and denizens of the small towns and ranches, a significant character in this book is the landscape shaped by the horribly cold and windy weather. The winter at the end of the book had me shivering and I read this in warm weather.

[scott d. smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes one appreciate the lives of individuals that eeked out a living in the terrible environment of the bad lands

Overall a good read of you are interested in this area of history of geography. The writing could be a little smoother, as it was difficult to stay engaged in.

[Mike Kohler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting! It was a slow read for me though.

[Daniel Loween · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid public domain classic

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent information and well-written.

💥 Recommended.
🟣

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting account of young Theodore Roosevelt's time as a rancher and hunter in the North Dakota Badlands. I was especially interested in the descriptions of the founding of Medora.

[Robert Zabroski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great history book for me being Born in Miles City Montana in the history that surrounds it in this book Roosevelt in the badlands

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I have read several books about Roosevelt and found this to be the most interesting and influential. This book describes the brief period in American history when the West was wild and which continues to be romanticized today. This period in Roosevelt's life was perhaps the most influential in changing American history. The reader would not obviously know that this book x written 100 years ago either. I recommend this to anyone interested in the real stories of the wild West or for anyone interested in learning a more inside view of Roosevelt's persona.

[Lee B. Coken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teddy Roosevelt's beginnings

The book may be old but it is informative in discussing the young Teddy Roosevelt. His time spent ranching and hunting in the badlands turned him into the president he would become. His appreciation of the land around his ranch convinced him to later establish the national parks. The mantra of "speak softly and carry a big stick" is apparent in his daily dealings with the negative elements around him. These and other aspects of his character that would show themselves throughout his life are all here.

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. Neutral rating because I could not finish this book at this time - but could not seem to eliminate the stars. Well written and chock-a-block full of interesting information, this book will give you much insight into Roosevelt's younger years and involvement with the magnificent Badlands. Perhaps I will read it some other time.

[Pam Porell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good reading about the years Theodore Roosevelt lived in Dakota and ran a cattle ranch. The author used lots of TR letters to his sisters and Others as well as interviews of people who were there at the time.