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The Cowboy President: The American West and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt
The Cowboy President: The American West and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt reveals how his time spent in the Western Dakota Territory helped him recover from an overwhelming personal loss, but more importantly, how it transformed him into the man etched onto Mount Rushmore, a man who is still rated as one of the top five Presidents in American history. Unlike other Roosevelt biographies, The Cowboy President details how the land, the people and the Western code of honor had an enormous impact on Theodore and how this experience influenced him in his later years.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2018
14 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Michael F. Blake
9 books11 followersMichael F. Blake, a two-time Emmy-winning makeup artist, has worked in the film industry for sixty years.
His father, Larry J. Blake, was a well-known character actor who appeared in numerous films and TV shows including High Noon, Sunset Boulevard, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Man of a Thousand Faces, Time After Time, Gunsmoke, Here’s Lucy, Have Gun-Will Travel, Adam-12, Kojak, and Kung Fu.
At the age of two, Michael began working as a child actor, appearing in commercials and numerous TV shows including Adam-12, The Lucy Show, The Munsters, Kung Fu, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Red Skelton Show and Bonanza.
In 1978, at the age of 21, a chance meeting with the head of the makeup department at Universal Studios led Michael to switching careers, becoming one of the youngest makeup artists working in the industry at the time. His credits include Westworld, X-Men: First Class, Spider-Man 3, Drag Me To Hell, Domino, Independence Day, Tough Guys, Strange Days, Soapdish, Magnum, P.I., and Happy Days.
He has won two Best Makeup Emmy Awards as part of the makeup team for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1999) and Key & Peele (2016).
Widely recognized as the leading biographer of silent film star Lon Chaney, his three books — Lon Chaney: Man Behind the Thousand Faces, A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney’s Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures and The Films of Lon Chaney — are considered the definitive volumes on the actor’s life and career.
He served as special consultant and on-camera interviewee for the Turner Classic Movies channel documentary, Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000), and has provided DVD audio commentaries for several Lon Chaney films. Michael has also been a guest speaker at Chaney retrospectives held in New York, Los Angeles, and Italy.
His books Code of Honor: The Making of High Noon, Shane, and The Searchers and Hollywood and the O.K. Corral, are recognized as informative works relating to the Western genre. Michael is featured in the “TCM Fanatics: Westerns” featurette that airs on Turner Classic Movies cable channel, and has appeared in special featurettes for the John Ford DVD box set from Warner Home Video, and for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and El Dorado for Paramount Home Video.
In 2017, Michael received the Stirrup Award from Western Writers of America for his article on the making of John Ford’s The Searchers. He has also written for True West, Round-Up, American Cinematographer, Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Northridge and a Masters Degree in Critical Film Studies from UCLA.
Recently retired, after a 60 year career in the film and television industry, Michael lives in Arizona with his wife, Linda, and their dogs, Charli and Dobie, while his two adopted mustangs, Theodore and Dillon, run free at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
His father, Larry J. Blake, was a well-known character actor who appeared in numerous films and TV shows including High Noon, Sunset Boulevard, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Man of a Thousand Faces, Time After Time, Gunsmoke, Here’s Lucy, Have Gun-Will Travel, Adam-12, Kojak, and Kung Fu.
At the age of two, Michael began working as a child actor, appearing in commercials and numerous TV shows including Adam-12, The Lucy Show, The Munsters, Kung Fu, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Red Skelton Show and Bonanza.
In 1978, at the age of 21, a chance meeting with the head of the makeup department at Universal Studios led Michael to switching careers, becoming one of the youngest makeup artists working in the industry at the time. His credits include Westworld, X-Men: First Class, Spider-Man 3, Drag Me To Hell, Domino, Independence Day, Tough Guys, Strange Days, Soapdish, Magnum, P.I., and Happy Days.
He has won two Best Makeup Emmy Awards as part of the makeup team for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1999) and Key & Peele (2016).
Widely recognized as the leading biographer of silent film star Lon Chaney, his three books — Lon Chaney: Man Behind the Thousand Faces, A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney’s Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures and The Films of Lon Chaney — are considered the definitive volumes on the actor’s life and career.
He served as special consultant and on-camera interviewee for the Turner Classic Movies channel documentary, Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000), and has provided DVD audio commentaries for several Lon Chaney films. Michael has also been a guest speaker at Chaney retrospectives held in New York, Los Angeles, and Italy.
His books Code of Honor: The Making of High Noon, Shane, and The Searchers and Hollywood and the O.K. Corral, are recognized as informative works relating to the Western genre. Michael is featured in the “TCM Fanatics: Westerns” featurette that airs on Turner Classic Movies cable channel, and has appeared in special featurettes for the John Ford DVD box set from Warner Home Video, and for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and El Dorado for Paramount Home Video.
In 2017, Michael received the Stirrup Award from Western Writers of America for his article on the making of John Ford’s The Searchers. He has also written for True West, Round-Up, American Cinematographer, Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Northridge and a Masters Degree in Critical Film Studies from UCLA.
Recently retired, after a 60 year career in the film and television industry, Michael lives in Arizona with his wife, Linda, and their dogs, Charli and Dobie, while his two adopted mustangs, Theodore and Dillon, run free at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 22, 2018
If you are curious about this book and deciding whether to read it, I recommend visiting the official website of the author, Michael F. Blake. At the time of this review, there is not an abundance of information on the site, just a photo of the author and his previous titles. That should be all you need to see that this is not going to be a wonky biography of a former president who was once a cowboy, but a book about a cowboy who happened to become president.
I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes. The review is more of a challenge to write than I expected. It fits more into the Western genre than the Presidential Biography category, and at times it's not about Roosevelt at all as much as it is about the land and the cowboy lifestyle of the late 19th century. I think I learned more about cattle drives than I did about the 26th president. I enjoy westerns, so this was an interesting read. It's not a definitive biography of President Theodore Roosevelt, but it may be exactly the kind of biography he would have wanted for himself.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance copy for review.
I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes. The review is more of a challenge to write than I expected. It fits more into the Western genre than the Presidential Biography category, and at times it's not about Roosevelt at all as much as it is about the land and the cowboy lifestyle of the late 19th century. I think I learned more about cattle drives than I did about the 26th president. I enjoy westerns, so this was an interesting read. It's not a definitive biography of President Theodore Roosevelt, but it may be exactly the kind of biography he would have wanted for himself.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance copy for review.
January 29, 2018
If you like biographies of presidents then this is for you. The author skips over many well known parts Roosevelt's life and concentrates on those parts dealing with his outdoor adventures. It is well written but badly edited, which I assume will be fixed prior to publication. Roosevelt meets and befriends many larger-than-life characters and the author brings them to life. Easy to read.
January 26, 2018
The Cowboy President: The Making of Teddy Roosevelt and the Making of the American West by Michael F. Blake is a non-fiction book detailing adventures and misadventures of a New York City “dude” in the Western South Dakota Territory.
Teddy Roosevelt is an admirable figure. A man who truly believed that it’s never wrong to do the right thing, even if it hurt him or his friends. In The Cowboy President: The Making of Teddy Roosevelt and the Making of the American West author Michael F. Blake tries to establish how a rich boy from New York City became a man of such morals.
Roosevelt was enamored with the life of a rancher, he enjoyed the tough life, the days out in the extreme hot, or extreme cold and the strenuous existence. Unlike many other tourists, he didn’t simply pack up his hunting trophies and headed home to his gilded castle to brag about the harshness at dinner parties. Instead he gave up almost everything to go and be a cattle rancher.
As a rancher Roosevelt had to prove himself over and over again, to his family, employees, town folk, and fellow ranchers. The code of honor, and sometimes dishonor, these people lived with had a tremendous impact on his life and how he conducted himself and his business from then on.
The author states that this part of Roosevelt’s life is often glossed over by biographers and historians, they don’t see it as very important. As well all know, however, it is the small moments, the unassuming ones which catch us off guard that sometimes create the deepest impact. It is the people who we meet on the road that cause us to change direction and see the world in a new light, as well as appreciate their way of living showing us that there are no right or wrong ways – just different.
A lesson America seemed to forget.
This min-biography is detailed, but also tells a story. The people in it come to life and many had an impact on Mr. Roosevelt for his whole life.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Teddy Roosevelt is an admirable figure. A man who truly believed that it’s never wrong to do the right thing, even if it hurt him or his friends. In The Cowboy President: The Making of Teddy Roosevelt and the Making of the American West author Michael F. Blake tries to establish how a rich boy from New York City became a man of such morals.
Roosevelt was enamored with the life of a rancher, he enjoyed the tough life, the days out in the extreme hot, or extreme cold and the strenuous existence. Unlike many other tourists, he didn’t simply pack up his hunting trophies and headed home to his gilded castle to brag about the harshness at dinner parties. Instead he gave up almost everything to go and be a cattle rancher.
As a rancher Roosevelt had to prove himself over and over again, to his family, employees, town folk, and fellow ranchers. The code of honor, and sometimes dishonor, these people lived with had a tremendous impact on his life and how he conducted himself and his business from then on.
The author states that this part of Roosevelt’s life is often glossed over by biographers and historians, they don’t see it as very important. As well all know, however, it is the small moments, the unassuming ones which catch us off guard that sometimes create the deepest impact. It is the people who we meet on the road that cause us to change direction and see the world in a new light, as well as appreciate their way of living showing us that there are no right or wrong ways – just different.
A lesson America seemed to forget.
This min-biography is detailed, but also tells a story. The people in it come to life and many had an impact on Mr. Roosevelt for his whole life.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
June 11, 2022
Impressive. I worried that once TR fully embarked on his military and later-political career that this Teddy-on-the-range oriented book would run out of narrative steam. Boy was I wrong. Blake does a remarkable job of drawing the threads of Roosevelt’s awakened outdoorsman through the latter parts of his life and career and beyond, giving us the full scope of his legacy to the preservation and appreciation of America’s natural resources up to the present day. The scope of the book just kept getting bigger is the very best way. Credit Blake with crafting an eminently readable and relatable piece of history — by the end I felt like I knew President Roosevelt a little better, and now that I’ve finished, I miss him.
September 19, 2023
Found this book at Teddy Roosevelt National Park and it's a great read. There's a lot of cool stories about Teddy Roosevelt's time in the Dakotas, the sad state of the bison populations at the time, learn a little bit about the history of the Dakotas and Teddy Roosevelt's values. It almost feels like you're transported to the wild west Dakotas and it's a fun read.
The only reason I've given it 3 stars is because the author is blinded by his admiration for the President and is too forgiving of his mistakes. He's made some mistakes as he's human and the author offers excuses for all of them instead of telling it as it is. Don't think Teddy Roosevelt would've approved of that.
The only reason I've given it 3 stars is because the author is blinded by his admiration for the President and is too forgiving of his mistakes. He's made some mistakes as he's human and the author offers excuses for all of them instead of telling it as it is. Don't think Teddy Roosevelt would've approved of that.
May 11, 2018
Blake has all the elements of a fine book in this mediocre volume: well researched facts, interesting insights, and a compelling subject. But the book is in desperate need of a good editor. The writing is wooden, and at times I couldn't figure out whether I was reading a historical narrative or a college term paper. I'm sorry to say that the story of Theodore Roosevelt's time in the western Badlands deserves better writing and editing than what has been offered up in this book.
April 9, 2022
I enjoyed reading this, and I learned a lot about Roosevelt. In hindsight, I would have preferred to read a biography of Roosevelt that spent more time on his presidency and less time on his time in the West.
February 4, 2023
I read this book while on Medora, North Dakota and it was a great thing to read while at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is very easy to read and has a lot of really interesting information about his Dakota ranching days
March 2, 2018
Michael Blake's book is well-researched and exceptionally written. One of the best I've seen on Teddy Roosevelt and his love of the west!
July 4, 2021
A worthwhile read, especially as an introduction to Roosevelt or the Badlands during his era.
October 14, 2022
I read this after visiting Theodore National Park (actually purchased at the park store) and wished I had read it prior to visiting. It would have made the sights more meaningful. However, I did enjoy being able to envision the landscape while reading the passages.
It was a fairly short read that focused mostly on Roosevelt's time in the west. There was a bit of repetition and times when I thought I should just read his diary because it often seemed like parts were just regurgitated entries. He said this and this about this on this date.
However, the book contained a lot of interesting facts about Roosevelt and I felt it was successful in linking his accomplishments to his experiences in North Dakota and the great outdoors and explaining how these experiences impacted his character.
It was a fairly short read that focused mostly on Roosevelt's time in the west. There was a bit of repetition and times when I thought I should just read his diary because it often seemed like parts were just regurgitated entries. He said this and this about this on this date.
However, the book contained a lot of interesting facts about Roosevelt and I felt it was successful in linking his accomplishments to his experiences in North Dakota and the great outdoors and explaining how these experiences impacted his character.
January 22, 2025
I appreciated learning more about Theodore Roosevelt’s life in the Dakotas and before he became president.
November 1, 2025
top ten book thanks sam
July 13, 2019
Good read on Teddy Roosevelt on how his time in the West made him into the man that would be president.
February 25, 2018
I received a free Kindle copy of The Cowboy President by Michael Blake courtesy of Net Galley and Rowman and Littlefield, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review to Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I have read a great deal about the Presidents of the United States and Theodore Roosevelt in particular, but none that focused solely on his time in the Dakotas. This is the first book by Michael Blake that I have read.
The subtitle of the book "The American West and the making of Theodore Roosevelt" generally describes what the author is attempting to do. Blake does address Rossevelt before and after his adventures in the Dakotas, but the primary focus is on that time. He does an admirable job of relaying the events of those times and discusses other sources some of which he believes and others that are questionable. His writing style makes this an easy read as it does not get overly bogged down in minute detail, but he does leave out large sections of time where Roosevelt is bouncing back forth between the Dakotas and New York. He did not totally convince me that Roosevelt's time in the west led to him becoming the person we remember as I believe that it was part of it, but not the major contributor.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Theodore Roosevelt and is not looking for an overly detailed read.
I requested this book as I have read a great deal about the Presidents of the United States and Theodore Roosevelt in particular, but none that focused solely on his time in the Dakotas. This is the first book by Michael Blake that I have read.
The subtitle of the book "The American West and the making of Theodore Roosevelt" generally describes what the author is attempting to do. Blake does address Rossevelt before and after his adventures in the Dakotas, but the primary focus is on that time. He does an admirable job of relaying the events of those times and discusses other sources some of which he believes and others that are questionable. His writing style makes this an easy read as it does not get overly bogged down in minute detail, but he does leave out large sections of time where Roosevelt is bouncing back forth between the Dakotas and New York. He did not totally convince me that Roosevelt's time in the west led to him becoming the person we remember as I believe that it was part of it, but not the major contributor.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Theodore Roosevelt and is not looking for an overly detailed read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews