Heir to the Empire City

We know a great deal about TR's national profile, but this book takes listeners back to where he began his political career: New York. We follow Roosevelt through the muck of partisan politics and the development of his progressive streak, which vaulted him to national prominence. Nick Sullivan has a deep, rich authoritative baritone that he uses to bring the original "manly man" to life. He paces himself well, and he presents every word in a crystal-clear voice, making the book easy to understand and follow. But Sullivan's efforts plateau rather early in the book as he takes a stilted, too formal manner for a history such as this. TR was an adventurer and risk taker, and, as narrator, Sullivan plays it too safe. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

September 30, 2013
Theodore Roosevelt is often remembered as a cowboy and a man of the West who began his path to the White House while herding cattle on his Dakota ranch. The problem with this assessment, according to historian Kohn (Hot Time in the Old Town), is that it was created by Roosevelt himself and obscures the central facts of his life. Kohn argues that Roosevelt really learned the ropes of politics and leadership back East: “New York City shaped Theodore Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt helped to shape the city.” During his early years in local New York politics, he learned to balance the roles of loyal party man and progressive reformer, traits that would eventually put him on a path toward the White House. Kohn especially emphasizes Roosevelt’s attempts to understand the plight of New York’s poor: as police commissioner of New York, he ordered the free distribution of ice to the poor during a heat wave, a first, and walked the streets to see firsthand how the ice was used. Kohn provides a concise account of Roosevelt’s early career and presents a convincing case that he should be remembered as a gentleman of the East, not a cowboy of the West. Agent: Michelle Tessler, Tessler Literary Agency.