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Summary
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF JOHN ADAMS Winner of the 1982 National Book Award for Biography, Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as a masterpiece by Newsday, it is the story of a remarkable little boy -- seriously handicapped by recurrent and nearly fatal attacks of asthma -- and his struggle to manhood. His father -- the first Theodore Roosevelt, "Greatheart," -- is a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. His mother -- Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt -- is a Southerner and celebrated beauty. Mornings on Horseback spans seventeen years -- from 1869 when little "Teedie" is ten, to 1886 when he returns from the West a "real life cowboy" to pick up the pieces of a shattered life and begin anew, a grown man, whole in body and spirit. This is a tale about family love and family loyalty...about courtship, childbirth and death, fathers and sons...about gutter politics and the tumultuous Republican Convention of 1884...about grizzly bears, grief and courage, and "blessed" mornings on horseback at Oyster Bay or beneath the limitless skies of the Badlands.
I bumped up the speed to 1.25 while listening to this book, and it made the experience nearly perfect. The narrator really nailed the voices though, which was impressive. :)
The level of research and narrative in "Mornings on Horseback" is on par with McCullough's "John Adams". However, it should be noted that this book is not a comprehensive biography and abruptly concludes while the subject is still young, far from his presidency. There is a brief afterward that covers the remainder of TR's life and career. Interestingly, the author's note, which provides explanations for this choice and sets the reader's expectations, is placed at the *end* of the book for some unknown reason. To fully grasp the context, I highly suggest listening to "Chapter 50" (author's note) first, and then proceeding from the beginning.
I gotta be honest, 'Mornings on Horseback' didn't quite hit the mark for me as a teddy book. Just to clear the air, I kinda expected it to solely focus on Teddy Roosevelt as the president, but it ended up delving into the whole family. It was kinda intriguing, but honestly, I couldn't care less about Mitty or bami! I wanted more of that good ol' Teddy action!
The information shared in this audiobook is truly remarkable and captivating. However, the narrator's pace was quite sluggish, prompting me to increase the speed to 2x to make it sound more natural.
Usually, I would be raving about any of David McCullough's books. However, the person narrating this audiobook was just awful - they read too slowly, had poor intonation, and even mispronounced words. It was so bad that I gave up on it halfway through.
I did see that there is an abridged version of the same book with a much better narrator, Edward Hermann. I haven't listened to it yet, but knowing how great Hermann is, I'm sure it's way better than this version.
After completing the lengthy journey of reading Truman, I was eager to delve into another captivating tale of American history, this time from David McCullough's meticulous perspective. Truman was a masterpiece, providing intricate details on the events that piqued my curiosity.
However, Mornings on Horseback failed to match the excitement and intensity of its predecessor. Instead, it became a monotonous and seemingly endless account of the privileged lives of the Roosevelts in the 19th century. Spending an hour listening to discussions about asthma was far from what I had anticipated. In the author's notes, McCullough mentions his objective of unraveling the factors that shaped this extraordinary historical figure. Unfortunately, based on this book, I was left disappointed in my perception of Teddy Roosevelt as a person. I couldn't find the heroic or admirable traits that I hoped to discover, although it's not the author's responsibility to portray him in such a light. I suppose I simply expected a more captivating and intriguing narrative.
In 'Mornings on Horseback', McCullough presents a narrative that, while still engaging, falls short compared to his other notable works on Truman and Adams. This isn't necessarily McCullough's fault, as the character of Roosevelt and his background are inherently less captivating. Despite being a fascinating individual, Roosevelt's privileged upbringing contrasts starkly with the hardships faced by many during his era. As a result, I personally struggled to connect with his early life, which ultimately diminished the impact of the story.
This book is filled to the brim with loads of information. Sometimes it felt like too much, you know? Like in the beginning when the author goes on and on about asthma, or the excessive attention to detail about folks who aren't even Teddy Roosevelt.
The narration in 'Mornings on Horseback' is painfully slow and uninteresting, making it impossible for me to engage with the book. I'm a fan of the Author's other works in the same genre, so this has left me feeling incredibly let down.
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