The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete by

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Featuring an amazing cast of historical figures, this is the story of how President Theodore Roosevelt led an American sports and fitness revolution."An engaging book you can hold with one hand while doing light bicep curls with the other." -Washington Post"A fascinating account...Sports fans and history buffs alike will enjoy this focused portrait." -Publishers WeeklyGive up exercise, a doctor told Theodore Roosevelt while he attended Harvard, or you might die of a heart attack! This after suffering crippling asthma, myopic eyesight, and other ailments as a child. Roosevelt's body was his weakness, the one hill he could never conquer . . . But, oh, how he tried!In vivid detail, The Strenuous Life shows how Roosevelt carried his obsession to the nation's highest office, championing a new age of American athleticism. As President, Roosevelt boxed, practiced Ju-Jitsu, played tennis, conducted harrowing "point-to-point" walks, and invited athletes to the White House. Unsurprisingly, Roosevelt's personal quest reverberated broadly: his administration saw an unprecedented rise in sports and recreational activities. With Roosevelt in office, baseball's first ever World Series took place, interscholastic sports began, and schools placed a legitimate emphasis on physical education. The NCAA formed, and the United States hosted the Olympics for the first time. It was an American sports and fitness revolution. Yes, the "Bull Moose," as he'd come to be known, resided squarely in the midst of this upheaval. Filled with amazing anecdotes, a who's who of American political and sports figures from the early 20th century, and Rooseveltian gusto and humor, this book is the play-by-play and color commentary on Roosevelt's "Strenuous Life.""Swanson...[is] one of those enterprising academics who have perfected slicing American history into ever finer layers." -Wall Street Journal

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Author Biography

Ryan Swanson is an Associate Professor of history at the University of New Mexico's Honors College. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown in 2008 and has been studying and researching Theodore Roosevelt and his role in athletics in the United States for the past ten years. He is the author of When Baseball Went White: Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Dreams of a National Pastime, which won the 2015 Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) research award, and co-editor of Separate Games: African American Sport Behind the Walls of Segregation, which received a North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) book prize in 2017. Swanson has also published a wide variety of articles and book chapters on the role of athletics in the United States.

Review

"An engaging book you can hold with one hand while doing light bicep curls with the other...Swanson succeeds in telling stories that will be entertaining for readers without any previous knowledge of Roosevelt, as well as those who don't closely follow sports." —Washington Post"Ryan Swanson, a history professor at the University of New Mexico, [is] one of those enterprising academics who have perfected slicing American history into ever finer layers…Roosevelt is such a compelling figure that the book snaps awake when he's in action." —Wall Street Journal"There can hardly be a better companion for a romp through American history than TR, and Ryan Swanson's The Strenuous Life captures the great man in all his vividness. Through the sheer force of his personality, Roosevelt changed the way Americans take their leisure—and their sports—and ushered in the age of mass participation in athletics. Swanson takes this facet of Roosevelt's legacy and makes a compelling case that this is the way in which he most powerfully shaped us as a people. This is important stuff—and fun to boot."—Jeremy Schaap, ESPN Journalist and New York Times bestselling author"A contemporary described Theodore Roosevelt, America's most peripatetic president, as 'pure act.' He prefigured modern America, including its passion for competitive sports. Ryan Swanson shows how the person who turned himself from a sickly youth into a robust man saw athletics as means of making a muscular nation." —George F. Will "Do Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, Mike Krzyzewski, and John Calipari realize that when they cash one of those hefty paychecks they should be thanking the 26th President of the United States? For, thanks to Ryan Swanson, we know that college sports as we know it owes a huge debt of gratitude to Theodore Roosevelt, surely the most obsessively strenuously fit man ever to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and someone who believed firmly that sport and competition maketh the man. No fiction writer could concoct a more amazingly complex presidential character than Teddy Roosevelt, and Ryan Swanson captures him in all his bombastic genius. Perhaps the most important tidbit unearthed by Ryan Swanson: be aware that if summoned by Teddy Roosevelt to 'take a walk,' leave the dress shoes and good outfit at home. It is not going to be a Harry Truman 'constitutional.'"—Bob Ryan, Boston Globe and ESPN, winner of the PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing"A fascinating account of president Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1918) and his influence on sports in America…. Sports fans and history buffs alike will enjoy this focused portrait." —Publishers Weekly"So Teddy Roosevelt, President of the United States, invites a few of his advisers for a little five-mile walk along the Potomac River. There's an assistant secretary of state, a major general in the U.S. Army, the French ambassador, and 'a couple other guys.' They ditch the secret service, climb a few ragged stretches of rock, take off their clothes, swim naked in the river's swirling and dangerous waters, return damp and dirty to the White House and resume work and Teddy didn't even worry about how his hair looked.... Read this joyous book about the birth of Roosevelt's 'strenuous life' and sport in America. This is great fun. Teddy got everything rolling."—Leigh Montville, New York Times bestselling author of Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero and The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth"The Strenuous Life is essential reading for anyone who cares about the history of sports in America. In luminous prose, Ryan Swanson shows how, as athlete and president, Teddy Roosevelt shaped the contests we play, watch, and to which we are gloriously addicted." —Michael Kazin, author of War against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914-1918"It seemed as if Theodore Roosevelt's biographers had closed the book on his life story. But Ryan Swanson has uncovered an untold chapter in Roosevelt's life. His work reveals how Teddy Roosevelt, the forefather of the 'Strenuous Life,' became America's first sports president, shaping the country's obsessions with sports at a pivotal moment in American history." —Johnny Smith, author of Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcom X"Offers a window into the sporting culture that influenced Roosevelt's life and vice versa…This work adds intriguing depth to Roosevelt histories. Highly recommended."—Library Journal"In The Strenuous Life, Ryan Swanson does a superb job of illuminating how America's 26th president helped propel the concept of 'wellness' long before it was fashionable, during an era when modern sports was still in its infancy. The press of the day gobbled up Roosevelt's practices and pronouncements, and history buffs will likely gobble up this book."—Washington Independent Review of Books"Peppered with expertly researched anecdotes…The Strenuous Life is an extraordinary look into a lesser-studied aspect of American History, thoroughly accessible to scholars and lay readers alike…Highly recommended."—Midwest Book Review"The sports fan is going to love The Strenuous Life."—The Bookworm Sez"In the richly detailed new book, The Strenuous Life, Swanson tells the story of Roosevelt's personal fitness odyssey and incredible athletic boosterism, and how it changed America."—Brooklyn Digest"Introduces a further side of a President already celebrated for skill as a soldier and statesman. It's a wonderful tale of the asthmatic boy, encouraged by his father to be a sportsman, emphasizing effort to be more important than success on the field or the tennis court…Whether or not one is a Teddy Roosevelt admirer or a sports junkie, the book's detail and humor are captivating."—Manhattan Book Review

Promotional

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Review Quote

"An engaging book you can hold with one hand while doing light bicep curls with the other...Swanson succeeds in telling stories that will be entertaining for readers without any previous knowledge of Roosevelt, as well as those who don''t closely follow sports." -- Washington Post "Ryan Swanson, a history professor at the University of New Mexico, [is] one of those enterprising academics who have perfected slicing American history into ever finer layers...Roosevelt is such a compelling figure that the book snaps awake when he''s in action." -- Wall Street Journal "There can hardly be a better companion for a romp through American history than TR, and Ryan Swanson''s The Strenuous Life captures the great man in all his vividness. Through the sheer force of his personality, Roosevelt changed the way Americans take their leisure--and their sports--and ushered in the age of mass participation in athletics. Swanson takes this facet of Roosevelt''s legacy and makes a compelling case that this is the way in which he most powerfully shaped us as a people. This is important stuff--and fun to boot." --Jeremy Schaap, ESPN Journalist and New York Times bestselling author "A contemporary described Theodore Roosevelt, America''s most peripatetic president, as ''pure act.'' He prefigured modern America, including its passion for competitive sports. Ryan Swanson shows how the person who turned himself from a sickly youth into a robust man saw athletics as means of making a muscular nation." --George F. Will "Do Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, Mike Krzyzewski, and John Calipari realize that when they cash one of those hefty paychecks they should be thanking the 26th President of the United States? For, thanks to Ryan Swanson, we know that college sports as we know it owes a huge debt of gratitude to Theodore Roosevelt, surely the most obsessively strenuously fit man ever to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and someone who believed firmly that sport and competition maketh the man. No fiction writer could concoct a more amazingly complex presidential character than Teddy Roosevelt, and Ryan Swanson captures him in all his bombastic genius. Perhaps the most important tidbit unearthed by Ryan Swanson: be aware that if summoned by Teddy Roosevelt to ''take a walk,'' leave the dress shoes and good outfit at home. It is not going to be a Harry Truman ''constitutional.''" --Bob Ryan, Boston Globe and ESPN, winner of the PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing "A fascinating account of president Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1918) and his influence on sports in America.... Sports fans and history buffs alike will enjoy this focused portrait." -- Publishers Weekly "So Teddy Roosevelt, President of the United States, invites a few of his advisers for a little five-mile walk along the Potomac River. There''s an assistant secretary of state, a major general in the U.S. Army, the French ambassador, and ''a couple other guys.'' They ditch the secret service, climb a few ragged stretches of rock, take off their clothes, swim naked in the river''s swirling and dangerous waters, return damp and dirty to the White House and resume work and Teddy didn''t even worry about how his hair looked.... Read this joyous book about the birth of Roosevelt''s ''strenuous life'' and sport in America. This is great fun. Teddy got everything rolling." --Leigh Montville, New York Times bestselling author of Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero and The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth " The Strenuous Life is essential reading for anyone who cares about the history of sports in America. In luminous prose, Ryan Swanson shows how, as athlete and president, Teddy Roosevelt shaped the contests we play, watch, and to which we are gloriously addicted." --Michael Kazin, author of War against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914-1918 "It seemed as if Theodore Roosevelt''s biographers had closed the book on his life story. But Ryan Swanson has uncovered an untold chapter in Roosevelt''s life. His work reveals how Teddy Roosevelt, the forefather of the ''Strenuous Life,'' became America''s first sports president, shaping the country''s obsessions with sports at a pivotal moment in American history." --Johnny Smith, author of Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcom X "Offers a window into the sporting culture that influenced Roosevelt''s life and vice versa...This work adds intriguing depth to Roosevelt histories. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal "In The Strenuous Life, Ryan Swanson does a superb job of illuminating how America''s 26th president helped propel the concept of ''wellness'' long before it was fashionable, during an era when modern sports was still in its infancy. The press of the day gobbled up Roosevelt''s practices and pronouncements, and history buffs will likely gobble up this book." -- Washington Independent Review of Books "Peppered with expertly researched anecdotes... The Strenuous Life is an extraordinary look into a lesser-studied aspect of American History, thoroughly accessible to scholars and lay readers alike...Highly recommended." -- Midwest Book Review "The sports fan is going to love The Strenuous Life ." -- The Bookworm Sez "In the richly detailed new book, The Strenuous Life , Swanson tells the story of Roosevelt''s personal fitness odyssey and incredible athletic boosterism, and how it changed America." -- Brooklyn Digest "Introduces a further side of a President already celebrated for skill as a soldier and statesman. It''s a wonderful tale of the asthmatic boy, encouraged by his father to be a sportsman, emphasizing effort to be more important than success on the field or the tennis court...Whether or not one is a Teddy Roosevelt admirer or a sports junkie, the book''s detail and humor are captivating." -- Manhattan Book Review

Description for Sales People

- Theodore Roosevelt's Popularity in Marketplace: From massive biographies to tiny slices of his life, Teddy Roosevelt has proven time and again to be a figure who sells books, and 2020 will mark the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library - Slice of Teddy Roosevelt's Biography as Lens: The book uses Teddy Roosevelt's athletic biography--up-close accounts of his intense, sometimes humorous obsession with sports and fitness from asthmatic child to the Bull Moose--as a means to tell the story of America's first sports revolution and its impact on various parts of American culture - Filled with Sports Firsts and Origin Stories: Among the sports "firsts" that took place during TR's presidency are: the first World Series; the first Olympics hosted by the USA; the first Rose Bowl; the formation of the NCAA; and the introduction of physical education and sports in public schools - Amazing Roosevelt Anecdotes: Stories of his tennis matches with his cabinet members at the White House; his charging the field at the Army/Navy football game; and, of course, his outdoorsmanship - Amazing Cast of Characters: General Leonard Wood (TR's White House workout partner); Honus Wagner and Cy Young; Walter Camp; Pierre de Coubertin (father of modern Olympics); Edith Roosevelt; Jack Johnson (first African American heavyweight boxing champ); Albert Spalding -Award-Winning Sports Historian Author: Ryan Swanson won the 2015 SABR research award for When Baseball Went White: Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Dreams of a National Pastime and writes for College Football News (owned by USA Today ) as well as The National Pastime Museum

Details ISBN1635767377 Author Ryan Swanson Short Title The Strenuous Life Pages 336 Language English Year 2020 ISBN-10 1635767377 ISBN-13 9781635767377 Format Paperback Subtitle Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete Imprint Diversion Books DEWEY 796.0973 Publication Date 2020-12-17 UK Release Date 2020-12-17 Country of Publication United States NZ Release Date 2020-12-17 US Release Date 2020-12-17 Place of Publication New York Publisher Diversion Books Audience General AU Release Date 2021-02-07 Illustrations Illustrations We've got this

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