EBOOK
The Crowded Hour
Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and the Dawn of the American Century
Clay Risen(0)
About
The dramatic story of the most famous regiment in American history: the Rough Riders, a motley group of soldiers led by Theodore Roosevelt, whose daring exploits marked the beginning of American imperialism in the 20th century.
When America declared war on Spain in 1898, the US Army had just 26,000 men, spread around the country-hardly an army at all. In desperation, the Rough Riders were born. A unique group of volunteers, ranging from Ivy League athletes to Arizona cowboys and led by Theodore Roosevelt, they helped secure victory in Cuba in a series of gripping, bloody fights across the island. Roosevelt called their charge in the Battle of San Juan Hill his "crowded hour"-a turning point in his life, one that led directly to the White House. "The instant I received the order," wrote Roosevelt, "I sprang on my horse and then my 'crowded hour' began." As The Crowded Hour reveals, it was a turning point for America as well, uniting the country and ushering in a new era of global power.
Both a portrait of these men, few of whom were traditional soldiers, and of the Spanish-American War itself, The Crowded Hour dives deep into the daily lives and struggles of Roosevelt and his regiment. Using diaries, letters, and memoirs, Risen illuminates a disproportionately influential moment in American history: a war of only six months' time that dramatically altered the United States' standing in the world. In this brilliant, enlightening narrative, the Rough Riders-and a country on the brink of a new global dominance-are brought fully and gloriously to life.
When America declared war on Spain in 1898, the US Army had just 26,000 men, spread around the country-hardly an army at all. In desperation, the Rough Riders were born. A unique group of volunteers, ranging from Ivy League athletes to Arizona cowboys and led by Theodore Roosevelt, they helped secure victory in Cuba in a series of gripping, bloody fights across the island. Roosevelt called their charge in the Battle of San Juan Hill his "crowded hour"-a turning point in his life, one that led directly to the White House. "The instant I received the order," wrote Roosevelt, "I sprang on my horse and then my 'crowded hour' began." As The Crowded Hour reveals, it was a turning point for America as well, uniting the country and ushering in a new era of global power.
Both a portrait of these men, few of whom were traditional soldiers, and of the Spanish-American War itself, The Crowded Hour dives deep into the daily lives and struggles of Roosevelt and his regiment. Using diaries, letters, and memoirs, Risen illuminates a disproportionately influential moment in American history: a war of only six months' time that dramatically altered the United States' standing in the world. In this brilliant, enlightening narrative, the Rough Riders-and a country on the brink of a new global dominance-are brought fully and gloriously to life.
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Reviews
"Fast-paced, carefully researched… Risen is a gifted storyteller who brings context to the chaos of war. The Crowded Hour feels like the best type of war reporting told with a clarity that takes nothing away from the horrors of the battlefield."
The New York Times Book Review
"A gripping tale ... [Risen's] more ambitious goal is to show how Roosevelt's volunteer regiment was an important catalyst in the emergence of a new understanding of America's place in the world …one of the most compelling features of The Crowded Hour is the attention paid to the mélange of characters who followed [Roosevelt] in battle. Risen depicts the Rough Riders as representatives of modern A
The Washington Post