TCCDM Dig and Flip: "Mornings On Horseback" by David McCullough (1981)

"Mornings On Horseback"...David McCullough (1981)
445 pages

NO SPOILERS:
This biography from David McCullough is a little bit different.  This one focuses on the life of Theodore Roosevelt before he runs for president.  Before he reaches the age of 30 even.  We learn in Teedie's childhood years...(yes, that's what he was called before the T.R. moniker caught on)...he was mostly a sickly kid that struggled with wicked asthmatic attacks.  Which is a tough gig, for sure, but his family was so very rich that whenever he had one, they'd pack up and take him on a trip.  Lots of trips! To the south. To the north. Across the ocean and other various places around the world to ease his suffering.  And sometimes Teedie would weasel an unnecessary trip or two just because he could.  Now I trivialize with tongue in cheek, but I think we can all agree the poor boy suffered from extreme bouts of entitlement, too.

However, as he entered high school and college, T.R. became pretty much a balls-out badass. Taking on all kinds of daring challenges and adventures.  Yeah, that weaselly little kid who played his folks like a fish grew up into a firestick of energy.  And as much as I rolled my eyes reading about his childhood, he won me back with his unfettered determination and successes in almost everything he attempted.

In those years, T.R. hadn't advised anyone about the size of "stick" they should be carrying around with them, not yet anyway, but history tells us that he soon would.  This biography is not David McCullough's best.  That bar is set pretty high anyway.  But his "Mornings on Horseback" is still an enjoyable education.

"Rider In The Rain" - Randy Newman / "Little Criminals" (1977)


Good stuff.

 Casey Chambers
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