Becoming Teddy Roosevelt
A sickly Harvard student. A Maine Guide. And a friendship that changed a man – who changed a nation.
Today we think of Theodore Roosevelt as a larger-than-life figure, but before he became a legendary outdoorsman, Badlands rancher, Rough Rider, trust buster, and political maverick, he was a “thin pale youngster with bad eyes and a weak heart,” in the words of William Wingate Sewall, the upcountry Maine woodsman who would become Roosevelt’s mentor and lifelong friend. The two met at a crucial time in Roosevelt’s life, and Sewall exerted a quiet but profound influence on the man who would become America’s twenty-sixth President.
Moving up the bestseller list! #8 in nonfiction, Maine Sunday Telegram, 7/18/10
Another mention in the Bangor Daily News.
New reviews!
“Andrew Vietze’s new book Becoming Teddy Roosevelt is a gift to all TR fans. . . ” -Wellesley Free Library blog, where librarians blog about their favorite books.
“It’s easy to see why the author has won awards for his historical writing, the narrative never feels strained or contrived as so many biographies often do, but it flows at times like a good novel. . .Becoming Teddy Roosevelt is crucial reading for anyone interested in TR.” -Big Sky Journal
“Don’t miss Becoming Teddy Roosevelt. . . There seems to be a lot of writing about and public interest in TR’s legacy to America (River of Doubt, Wilderness Warrior and In Trace of TR) . . . Becoming Teddy Roosevelt is the perfect sequel. – Lewiston Sun Journal
Check out the new interview at Art of Manliness.com!
Yipee we won an IPPY! BTR takes a Silver at the Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York!
Now a Bestseller! Maine Sunday Telegram, 5/9/10
Great new review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
New mention in the Boston Globe.
Reviews are coming in:
“In Becoming Teddy Roosevelt, Vietze celebrates the extraordinary qualities of two men: the one largely unsung, the other well-known, larger than life, but rarely shown in so intimate and human a light. It is a joy to read.” Maine Sunday Telegram
“(An) amazing, true-life tale of lasting camaraderie between great men of strikingly different backgrounds and stations. Highly recommended.” Midwest Book Review
“I really enjoyed reading about the Sewalls and the history of Maine in this book. It was very interesting to learn of this friendship with my family.” Elizabeth Roosevelt
“I highly recommend the book. You will be heartened and moved by the stirring tale it tells. The subtitle is “How a Maine Guide Inspired American’s 26th President.” That is the story Vietze tells, and he has done it well. As the author himself notes at the end of his Introduction, “We could all use a guide like Bill Sewall.” So true.”
John Neff, author of Katahdin: An Historic Journey
“Now the friendship between Roosevelt and Sewall is fully explored. . .” Boston Globe
Listen to the author’s recent interview on Maine Public Broadcasting:
How a Maine Woodsman “Toughened Up” a Future President
Find Becoming Teddy Roosevelt on Facebook!
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