Hunting the Grisly and Other Sketches

by Theodore Roosevelt, Bettman/Corbis (Photographer), Stephanie Nikolopoulos (Introduction)

Captures the thrill of the chase as Theodore Roosevelt recounts his North-American hunting adventures.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Outdoors

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1904

About the author

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., also known as T.R., and to the public (but never to friends and family) as Teddy, was the twenty-sixth President of the United States, and a leader of the Republican Party and of the Progressive Movement.

He fathered Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a daughter.

He became the youngest President in United States history at the age of 42. He served in many roles including Governor of New York, historian, naturalist, explorer, author, and soldier (posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his role at the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War).

Roosevelt is most famous for his personality: his energy, his vast range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" persona.

Reviews

[Todd Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imagine a beloved uncle or family friend. Someone you’d looked up to all your life as a role model whose accomplishments you admired and tried to emulate. One day, you are visiting them at their house. Everyone is laughing and having a good time. You go into the kitchen to get a cold drink and open the refrigerator to find that it is stocked with human body parts, some of which are partially devoured showing unmistakable marks of human teeth. Imagine the horror you might feel at that dawning moment of realization … well … reading Hunting the Grisly and Other Sketches by President Theodore Roosevelt is kind of like that.

His tales of catching bears in leg traps to then bludgeon them to death with an axe for sport, stealing mountain lion cubs and playing with them then shooting the mother in the head, stalking and killing wild bison with the full knowledge that they were fast on their way to extinction, and the magnitude of sheer, wanton killing is appalling to the point of barbarity. But what makes the stories truly ghastly is the obvious bubbling, effervescent, child-like joy with which Roosevelt recounts them. He absolutely loves to kill, shoot, stab, hack, trap, hook, strangle, rend, dismember, skin, chop, blast, and obliterate. Roosevelt has clearly never met an animal he didn’t like (to see bleeding from its empty eye sockets). It would be tempting to chalk this up as the product of an earlier time when such callous attitudes were perhaps infused into the culture. But even Roosevelt’s contemporaries were shocked by his blood-lust, which some described not so much as ‘hunting’, but as ‘carnage’.

But perhaps I exaggerate. Roosevelt actually has a pleasant “campfire stories” style of writing that is enjoyable to read when he’s discussing the natural history of wildlife. I think the book could be popular once again if it were marketed to the right demographic. Unfortunately, hearty tales of mammalian disembowelment are likely to strike the sensibilities of the 21st century reader as abhorrent. If the marketing department could figure out a way, instead, to target the creepy, skulking loner down the street whom everyone suspects of stealing and torturing neighborhood cats, a secondary sales resurgence could be in the offing.

[Tit]

DNF

A bunch of eventless hunting anecdotes that lead nowhere, filled with dry and archaic facts about the flora and fauna of North America. I only stuck with the book for so long because it kept giving me hope that something exciting was going to happen. It felt like a chore to keep reading so I stopped.

[J. King · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book of TR I have read. The style is very interesting and some of the language is definitely indicative of the time. Some might find the methods of hunting described in the book distasteful.

Overall I was impressed by the writing and vivid descriptions of the former president. It was an interesting look into the time period.

[Katherine Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I read it. Because if the style of writing (no paragraphs) it felt tedious to read. But I am glad I persevered. It was interesting to see this side of a former
President, and appreciate his love for nature. Fun to read it in his own words, versus reading something about him.

[Gretchen Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting look at what biology looked like 100+ years ago, but first you have to wince your way through knowing that all the hunting Roosevelt is discussing will, in part, lead to the massive decline of species we see today.

[James Adcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories that made for an easy read.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written yet gruesome descriptions of various hunts

[Siegfried · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about men murdering bears and bears murdering men. I didn’t know Theodore Roosevelt was this hardcore. It's interesting to learn that a bear’s temperament varies just as much as a man’s. Some bears are cowards, some are bullies, some will trap you, and some are just downright mean. This was a very violent and insightful book about bears.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this and glanced at it and got caught...

Short stories in a short book, so easy to read while under the weather.

He tells the tales of his brother hunting the buffalo, with lots of close calls, and other adventures. But my favorite section was "Hunting with Hounds".

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it was slow going for a while, I'm glad I finished this book. The final chapter, In Cowboy Land, is great entertainment. Theodore Roosevelt's storytelling is engaging and fun, making me long for a week at his ranch.

[Sonny Finch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is another one of Teddy's written like an story around the campfire. While it is fun and entertaining it lacks definitive structure. A short read however great for any nature fan Roosevelt fan or someone looking for a light-hearted collection of anecdotes.

[Jon Awerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but badass.

[Acc13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ripping hunting stories told by the famous Rough Rider.

Highly recommend for hunters and naturalists.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just not the target audience for this book. If you like hunting, read it. If you don't care about hunting, you should probably skip it.

[Dale Singer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!