{Letters to His Children }

Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children Edited by Joseph Bucklin Bishop

I had not the heart to refuse, but really it seems, to put it mildly, rather odd for a stout, elderly President to be bouncing over hayricks in a wild effort to get to goal before an active midget of a competitor, aged nine years old. However, it was really great fun.

From Bas Bleu: Originally published just after Teddy Roosevelt’s death, this collection of missives penned by the twenty-sixth president to his six children between 1898 and 1911 became an immediate bestseller. It’s not hard to see why: Roosevelt’s personal ruminations on historical moments and his entertaining revelations of everyday life at the White House offer a fascinatingly intimate glimpse of a pivotal period in our country’s history. Warm, funny, and full of affection, the letters reveal Roosevelt as a devoted and sentimental father closely in touch with his inner child. Many of Roosevelt’s original drawings--illustrations of various animals he encountered in his travels, caricatures of family members, and more--are reproduced in these pages to utterly charming effect. A wonderful gift for new and veteran fathers alike, this delightful compilation will also please T.R. fans, history buffs, and anyone for whom family comes first. (AG)