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Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality
The New York Times bestselling author of George Washington's Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates turns to two other heroes of the Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington.
When President Theodore Roosevelt welcomed the country’s most visible Black man, Booker T. Washington, into his circle of counselors in 1901, the two confronted a shocking and violent wave of racist outrage. In the previous decade, Jim Crow laws had legalized discrimination in the South, eroding social and economic gains for former slaves. Lynching was on the rise, and Black Americans faced new barriers to voting. Slavery had been abolished, but if newly freed citizens were condemned to lives as share croppers, how much improvement would their lives really see? In Teddy and Booker T., Brian Kilmeade tells the story of how two wildly different Americans faced the challenge of keeping America moving toward the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Theodore Roosevelt was white, born into incredible wealth and privilege in New York City. Booker T. Washington was Black, born on a plantation without even a last name. But both men embodied the rugged, pioneering spirit of America. Kilmeade takes us to San Juan Hill, where Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to a thrilling victory that set the stage for a legendary presidency, and to a small town in Alabama, where Washington founded the first university for African Americans, paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Both men abhorred the decadence and moral rot the nation had fallen into, believed that improvement through careful collaboration was possible, and trusted that the American ideals of individual liberty and hard work could propel the neediest toward success, if only those holding them back would step aside.
As he did in George Washington's Secret Six, Kilmeade has transformed this nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out how these two heroes, through their principles and courage, not only changed each other, but helped lay the groundwork for true equality.
When President Theodore Roosevelt welcomed the country’s most visible Black man, Booker T. Washington, into his circle of counselors in 1901, the two confronted a shocking and violent wave of racist outrage. In the previous decade, Jim Crow laws had legalized discrimination in the South, eroding social and economic gains for former slaves. Lynching was on the rise, and Black Americans faced new barriers to voting. Slavery had been abolished, but if newly freed citizens were condemned to lives as share croppers, how much improvement would their lives really see? In Teddy and Booker T., Brian Kilmeade tells the story of how two wildly different Americans faced the challenge of keeping America moving toward the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Theodore Roosevelt was white, born into incredible wealth and privilege in New York City. Booker T. Washington was Black, born on a plantation without even a last name. But both men embodied the rugged, pioneering spirit of America. Kilmeade takes us to San Juan Hill, where Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to a thrilling victory that set the stage for a legendary presidency, and to a small town in Alabama, where Washington founded the first university for African Americans, paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Both men abhorred the decadence and moral rot the nation had fallen into, believed that improvement through careful collaboration was possible, and trusted that the American ideals of individual liberty and hard work could propel the neediest toward success, if only those holding them back would step aside.
As he did in George Washington's Secret Six, Kilmeade has transformed this nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out how these two heroes, through their principles and courage, not only changed each other, but helped lay the groundwork for true equality.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2023
About the author
Brian Kilmeade
12 books503 followersAs cohost of FOX & Friends, the number one rated morning program on cable television for the past nine years, Brian Kilmeade shares his unique perspective on the daily news. He has interviewed the biggest names in politics, sports and entertainment, often securing exclusive content.
Kilmeade played a large part in FOX ís coverage of September 11th, as well as coverage including reporting from war zones in the middle east and over a dozen military bases from coast to coast. In addition, he has contributed live coverage of both the Democratic and Republican Party Conventions.
Also serving as the networks sports anchor, Kilmeade has reported on or provided live coverage of every major American sport over the last twenty years.
Currently, he is the host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show on FOX News Radio, Kilmeade & Friends. The show is heard on 80 stations, as well as XM and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Kilmeade’s first book, The Games Do Count: America’s Best & Brightest On The Power Of Sports (2004), was The New York Times best-seller and presents more than seventy stories straight from America’s top leaders and those who were closest to them. Kilmeade reveals this simple and compelling truth: America’s best and brightest haven’t just worked hard—they’ve played hard, too.
His companion volume, It’s How You Play the Game: The Powerful Sports Moments That Taught Lasting Values to America’s Finest (2007), reveals personal stories of the defining sports moments in the lives of athletes, CEOs, actors, politicians, and historical figures—and how what they learned on the field prepared them to handle life and overcome adversity with courage, dignity, and sportsmanship. Sports Illustrated said of it, “This book taught me more about some of my favorite leaders than any profile of them I had ever read.”
A graduate of Long Island University, Kilmeade began his career as a correspondent on Channel One, a daily national high school television news program. He then served as an anchor and host for KHSC-TV in Ontario, California. Brian also hosted sports talk radio for top rated XTRA-AM 690 whose duties included co-hosting The Jim Brown Show.
Prior to joining FOX News Channel, Kilmeade served as a freelance sports anchor for NBC in Hartford, as well as a sideline reporter for the MSG Network, where he covered the New York/New Jersey Metro-Stars, a major league soccer team based in Giants Stadium. He worked as a feature reporter and anchor for Newsport TV, where he hosted Newsport Journal, a daily magazine show for the national sports network. He also anchored Scoreboard Central, a live half-hour general sports program.
In addition to his career in journalism, Kilmeade has 10 years of experience as a stand-up comedian. He lives in Massapequa with his family, where he still coaches soccer.
Kilmeade played a large part in FOX ís coverage of September 11th, as well as coverage including reporting from war zones in the middle east and over a dozen military bases from coast to coast. In addition, he has contributed live coverage of both the Democratic and Republican Party Conventions.
Also serving as the networks sports anchor, Kilmeade has reported on or provided live coverage of every major American sport over the last twenty years.
Currently, he is the host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show on FOX News Radio, Kilmeade & Friends. The show is heard on 80 stations, as well as XM and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Kilmeade’s first book, The Games Do Count: America’s Best & Brightest On The Power Of Sports (2004), was The New York Times best-seller and presents more than seventy stories straight from America’s top leaders and those who were closest to them. Kilmeade reveals this simple and compelling truth: America’s best and brightest haven’t just worked hard—they’ve played hard, too.
His companion volume, It’s How You Play the Game: The Powerful Sports Moments That Taught Lasting Values to America’s Finest (2007), reveals personal stories of the defining sports moments in the lives of athletes, CEOs, actors, politicians, and historical figures—and how what they learned on the field prepared them to handle life and overcome adversity with courage, dignity, and sportsmanship. Sports Illustrated said of it, “This book taught me more about some of my favorite leaders than any profile of them I had ever read.”
A graduate of Long Island University, Kilmeade began his career as a correspondent on Channel One, a daily national high school television news program. He then served as an anchor and host for KHSC-TV in Ontario, California. Brian also hosted sports talk radio for top rated XTRA-AM 690 whose duties included co-hosting The Jim Brown Show.
Prior to joining FOX News Channel, Kilmeade served as a freelance sports anchor for NBC in Hartford, as well as a sideline reporter for the MSG Network, where he covered the New York/New Jersey Metro-Stars, a major league soccer team based in Giants Stadium. He worked as a feature reporter and anchor for Newsport TV, where he hosted Newsport Journal, a daily magazine show for the national sports network. He also anchored Scoreboard Central, a live half-hour general sports program.
In addition to his career in journalism, Kilmeade has 10 years of experience as a stand-up comedian. He lives in Massapequa with his family, where he still coaches soccer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
November 24, 2023
I know that author is a popularizer of history, but I think that he tried to pack way too much US history into this short book. He took a scattershot approach, and did not cover anything with depth. Washington and Roosevelt don’t even meet until the half way point of the book. Then there are examples of how Washington influenced Roosevelt’s decisions as President. Before that, we get parallel histories of the two men. Both men led fascinating and accomplished lives, and the book races through them. Roosevelt’s life, in particular, takes volumes to relate.
I hope that this book piques the interest of people who knew little about Washington and/or Roosevelt and convinces them to read further. There is a reading list at the end of book. Unfortunately, this book was too condensed for me. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I hope that this book piques the interest of people who knew little about Washington and/or Roosevelt and convinces them to read further. There is a reading list at the end of book. Unfortunately, this book was too condensed for me. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
November 23, 2023
I’ve read several of Brian Kilmeade’s books. I enjoy his take on history; he makes it interesting, entertaining, and informative. Teddy and Booker T, in my opinion, is his best yet, and I highly recommend it.
I have been fascinated with Teddy for years and read several biographies. I knew less about Booker T, but found him as fascinating as Teddy. Booker’s concept of black education and training, be it classical, technical, or trade-related, was spot-on for his time and still very relevant today. However, I am less impressed with the Du Bois concept of “the talented tenth.”
Brian’s story of Teddy and Booker T drives home the point that history is an unending journey that requires time, patience, and wisdom. Regardless of race, we desperately need more men like Teddy and Booker T today.
I look forward to Brian’s next story.
I have been fascinated with Teddy for years and read several biographies. I knew less about Booker T, but found him as fascinating as Teddy. Booker’s concept of black education and training, be it classical, technical, or trade-related, was spot-on for his time and still very relevant today. However, I am less impressed with the Du Bois concept of “the talented tenth.”
Brian’s story of Teddy and Booker T drives home the point that history is an unending journey that requires time, patience, and wisdom. Regardless of race, we desperately need more men like Teddy and Booker T today.
I look forward to Brian’s next story.
December 4, 2023
I would recommend this title for those who desire an overview of both President Roosevelt and Dr. Washington, specifically of their combined efforts to raise up and help Black Americans to be seen as equal citizens and to prosper during the Reconstruction era and during the Jim Crow period. Kilmeade also gives great detail to the life and works of Mr. W.E.B. Du Bois, who tendered different views than Washington on the race problem.
I felt that Kilmeade did a wonderful job with using the model of comparing and contrasting the two men's lives to illustrate their correspondence, visits, and warm relationship.
I felt that Kilmeade did a wonderful job with using the model of comparing and contrasting the two men's lives to illustrate their correspondence, visits, and warm relationship.
September 12, 2023
Brian Kilmeade is fast becoming as known for his accessible books about some of the lesser covered aspects of American history as he is already known for his conservative political commentary on radio and television. Past Kilmeade books have included volumes on Andrew Jackson's miracle win of the Battle of New Orleans, on Thomas Jefferson's "forgotten war" against the Tripoli Pirates, on Sam Houston's army of "Alamo avengers" who won Texas from Santa Ana's Mexican army, on Abraham Lincoln's relationship with Frederick Douglas, and on George Washington's Revolutionary War spy ring. This time around, Kilmeade tackles the special relationship that developed between Teddy Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington around the turn of the twentieth century.
In the two decades prior to the turn of the century, Southern backlash to the policies of Reconstruction at home and in Washington D.C. had effectively ended the Reconstruction Era. Any further progress of America's black citizens was practically impossible in many states, but as so often happens in history, the exact right people to help right this wrong came along just when they were most needed. Teddy Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington stepped up and took over where Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas left off.
It is hard to imagine a more unlikely pair, with one born into wealth and the other into slavery. But the two also had much in common, and they worked together during and after Roosevelt's time in office to get black men appointed to positions of power they would otherwise not have achieved for decades. But it all began with a single misstep that almost doomed their efforts before they had a chance to accomplish a thing when Roosevelt, in his naive audacity, invited Washington to the Roosevelt family's private White House dinner table. The backlash was quick and it was fierce, and in the eyes of many Southerners it overshadowed anything that Roosevelt would go on to accomplish as President of the United States.
Teddy and Booker T is a reminder of just how unique, brave, and accomplished Roosevelt and Washington were, and how important a role they played together to make this country a better place for all of its people. Their struggle was at times frustrating and dangerous, but we are very lucky that each of them came along when they did - and even luckier that they found each other.
In the two decades prior to the turn of the century, Southern backlash to the policies of Reconstruction at home and in Washington D.C. had effectively ended the Reconstruction Era. Any further progress of America's black citizens was practically impossible in many states, but as so often happens in history, the exact right people to help right this wrong came along just when they were most needed. Teddy Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington stepped up and took over where Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas left off.
It is hard to imagine a more unlikely pair, with one born into wealth and the other into slavery. But the two also had much in common, and they worked together during and after Roosevelt's time in office to get black men appointed to positions of power they would otherwise not have achieved for decades. But it all began with a single misstep that almost doomed their efforts before they had a chance to accomplish a thing when Roosevelt, in his naive audacity, invited Washington to the Roosevelt family's private White House dinner table. The backlash was quick and it was fierce, and in the eyes of many Southerners it overshadowed anything that Roosevelt would go on to accomplish as President of the United States.
Teddy and Booker T is a reminder of just how unique, brave, and accomplished Roosevelt and Washington were, and how important a role they played together to make this country a better place for all of its people. Their struggle was at times frustrating and dangerous, but we are very lucky that each of them came along when they did - and even luckier that they found each other.
October 13, 2023
I always look forward to new books about Teddy Roosevelt, but this one also compares and contrasts the life of Booker T. Washington exhibiting their challenging customs involving systematic racial division. Roosevelt existed at a time when progressives fought for the rights of people to live freely and thrive as opposed to their fights today. Roosevelt always fought for fairness and led the way as a democratic force. I learned considerably more about Dr. Washington than I had known before, it was fascinating to see his rise adjunct to Roosevelt's. He, like the Colonel, was an educated man who led people in search of a better life but having to deal with the world as it actually was and not as they had wished it to be. It's hard to fathom in this day and age the depths that racial division existed and how pernicious it was. Washington and Roosevelt fought against it both in their own ways, and we should be thankful they did, imagine how it would be if these two great leaders weren't there to bring us out of the darkness. Kilmeade writes as eloquently as he speaks, with great intelligence and purpose, illuminating the strides made by those giants drawing this nation forward into the 20th century. Any good history book leads a curious student to other tomes, and this is no different. I now have a desire to look at more concerning the life of Dr. Washington and his successors to give voice to the suffering they chose to overcome. Kilmeade shows us the successes and failures these men endured in their lives and their attempts to move this country and its people into the world of modern nations without the stain of bigotry and hatred. This will not be the final book written by this author that I will read, knowing now how carefully he examines both sides of all these issues makes it imperative I give him the time to instruct me where my education may be lacking. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can teach me. Very well written and well researched, I highly recommend this for both the serious history buff as well as the occasional curious readers.
June 18, 2024
Great book about two great men! It was not incredibly in depth about either of them, but I don’t believe that was the intent. It was interesting to see how similar their lives were, even though the circumstances of their births wouldn’t suggest that be the case. Lots of history packed into this book!
April 6, 2024
I picked this one up because I’m a big fan of Theodore Roosevelt’s work in conservation and was interested to learn more about his record on race issues and how these two men interacted. Really, though, the concept was a bigger stretch than my beagle before his morning walk. It was just such an odd choice to make this a double biography. The similarities between the two men felt forced. “Oh, Washington’s wife died? Well, little did he know that Roosevelt’s wife was ALSO going to die soon!”
Looking at each biography individually, not much here is new. I’ve read Up From Slavery, and this is pretty much just a summary of that. And anyone who knows anything about Roosevelt knows the bulk of what you’ll read here. (I will admit I learned more about his mistakes, like dismissing entire companies of Black soldiers. I had already learned about his “successes,” like the post office incident.) The content—and perhaps even style of writing—of Roosevelt’s chapters before they blend is exponentially more interesting, so it makes sense that his chapters are longer and even more frequent. The pair didn’t meet until over 2/3 of the way through the book, and once they did it was pretty anticlimactic. The parts of the book that were most interesting to me were the conflicts between Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, so a dual biography on that pair would’ve been much more interesting and much more natural, I think.
Also apparently the author works for Fox News so that’s icky. I didn’t know that beforehand. I trust the information in the book (despite the many grammatical errors and typos), I just think reading about people “blazing a path for racial equality” is of course going to ring with a touch of disingenuousness when coming from that mouthpiece no matter how many calls for continued and future equality the author may put on the last page.
Looking at each biography individually, not much here is new. I’ve read Up From Slavery, and this is pretty much just a summary of that. And anyone who knows anything about Roosevelt knows the bulk of what you’ll read here. (I will admit I learned more about his mistakes, like dismissing entire companies of Black soldiers. I had already learned about his “successes,” like the post office incident.) The content—and perhaps even style of writing—of Roosevelt’s chapters before they blend is exponentially more interesting, so it makes sense that his chapters are longer and even more frequent. The pair didn’t meet until over 2/3 of the way through the book, and once they did it was pretty anticlimactic. The parts of the book that were most interesting to me were the conflicts between Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, so a dual biography on that pair would’ve been much more interesting and much more natural, I think.
Also apparently the author works for Fox News so that’s icky. I didn’t know that beforehand. I trust the information in the book (despite the many grammatical errors and typos), I just think reading about people “blazing a path for racial equality” is of course going to ring with a touch of disingenuousness when coming from that mouthpiece no matter how many calls for continued and future equality the author may put on the last page.
January 15, 2024
Teddy and Booker T: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality by Brian Kilmeade is such a good book, very muscular, little fat. The description of the Battle of San Juan Hill is the best I’ve read since my 2022 reading of battle descriptions in Alex Kershaw’s excellent book Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II. Kilmeade’s book expanded so much in terms of racial context for this period compared to two related books I read in 2023, Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington and The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt by Jeff Shaara. In 2021 I listened to the audiobook The President and the Freedom Fighter by Brian Kilmeade about Frederick Douglass and Lincoln which I liked very much. Both Booker T. Washington and Theodore Roosevelt were mission driven energetic men, who accomplished so much in their lives contributing to the greater good of society, and Kilmeade’s book illustrates this with details.
There are numerous examples in this book about how both state and federal courts upheld segregation, instead of interpreting issues from a Constitutional perspective. I wondered if ruling elites feared a second civil war might break out due to the powder keg of residual anger and hate many people held in the former slave states. The thing that really illustrated the degree of acrimony that existed, was when Roosevelt invited Washington, who was in town, to come to the White House for a family dinner, so they could talk afterward about political appointments. The “morning after” universal reaction in the press was immediate and explosive. You have to read it to believe it. Meanwhile, the whole time I’m reading about all the decades of work done by Roosevelt, Washington, Dubois and others to advance equality in the civil service among many other issues, I knew Woodrow Wilson’s 1913 move to segregate the civil service lay ahead, like a wrecking ball.
Reading this book made me want to learn more about W.E.B. Dubois, a player during this time period, and why he ended up moving to Ghana (he lived into his 90s). It also prompted me to want to read more books on this time period. So many historic books of this period are all about “Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Harlem Renaissance” and gloss over the pervasive horror of racism, particularly in the previous slave states. I learned about Woodrow Wilson’s efforts to restore segregation in Washington DC, and now want to read Racism in the Nation's Service: Government Workers and the Color Line in Woodrow Wilson's America by Eric S. Yellin As I read about the friction between Washington and Dubois, I flashed back to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and the plan to “yes them to death.” Despite the conflict between them, in later years Dubois defended Washington’s legacy to a critic. He had plenty of time to put things in context, as he lived almost half a century past Washington’s death.
Teddy and Booker T is an engagingly written, well researched and documented book. It is a refreshingly unvarnished look at the nation from the early days of Washington’s and Roosevelt’s lives (born two years apart: Washington 1856, Roosevelt 1858), to their deaths (Washington in 1915, Roosevelt in 1919). The narratives of their lives alternate progressively throughout the book in a way that is cohesive and easily understood. Kilmeade writes, “In the mid-nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass formed a unique friendship to confront slavery; by century’s end, Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington, an equally unlikely pair, emerged as the heirs of the Lincoln-Douglass partnership.”
There are numerous examples in this book about how both state and federal courts upheld segregation, instead of interpreting issues from a Constitutional perspective. I wondered if ruling elites feared a second civil war might break out due to the powder keg of residual anger and hate many people held in the former slave states. The thing that really illustrated the degree of acrimony that existed, was when Roosevelt invited Washington, who was in town, to come to the White House for a family dinner, so they could talk afterward about political appointments. The “morning after” universal reaction in the press was immediate and explosive. You have to read it to believe it. Meanwhile, the whole time I’m reading about all the decades of work done by Roosevelt, Washington, Dubois and others to advance equality in the civil service among many other issues, I knew Woodrow Wilson’s 1913 move to segregate the civil service lay ahead, like a wrecking ball.
Reading this book made me want to learn more about W.E.B. Dubois, a player during this time period, and why he ended up moving to Ghana (he lived into his 90s). It also prompted me to want to read more books on this time period. So many historic books of this period are all about “Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Harlem Renaissance” and gloss over the pervasive horror of racism, particularly in the previous slave states. I learned about Woodrow Wilson’s efforts to restore segregation in Washington DC, and now want to read Racism in the Nation's Service: Government Workers and the Color Line in Woodrow Wilson's America by Eric S. Yellin As I read about the friction between Washington and Dubois, I flashed back to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and the plan to “yes them to death.” Despite the conflict between them, in later years Dubois defended Washington’s legacy to a critic. He had plenty of time to put things in context, as he lived almost half a century past Washington’s death.
Teddy and Booker T is an engagingly written, well researched and documented book. It is a refreshingly unvarnished look at the nation from the early days of Washington’s and Roosevelt’s lives (born two years apart: Washington 1856, Roosevelt 1858), to their deaths (Washington in 1915, Roosevelt in 1919). The narratives of their lives alternate progressively throughout the book in a way that is cohesive and easily understood. Kilmeade writes, “In the mid-nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass formed a unique friendship to confront slavery; by century’s end, Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington, an equally unlikely pair, emerged as the heirs of the Lincoln-Douglass partnership.”
November 13, 2023
Did you know that the first guest Theodore Roosevelt invited to the White House was Booker T. Washington? I knew that since I've read most of the books about Roosevelt that have been published in the last half century, and I'm glad to see this event, and their relationship, is finally getting closer attention.
The author does a great job taking real history and making it accessible to the masses, written in a way that makes it read like a novel. Alternating chapters show how these men grew up, one as a slave who had to claw his way up, and another who was born to privilege and wealth. Some of their experiences were similar in their personal lives, while some diverged greatly.
Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive who believed in a lot of things you don't associate with the Republican Party. In fact, many of the things he pushed for during his life were brought to fruition by his fifth cousin, the Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Theodore was ahead of his time when it came to race relations, while at the same time said some things publicly that make us cringe today. He definitely had a dichotomy about him. The fact that he brought Booker T. Washington to the White House almost immediately after succeeding to the office shows he was willing to test the waters of society. Unfortunately, the backlash was so severe in the press and from the south that Washington was never invited for dinner again.
That's not to say the two men didn't work together. Many times, Roosevelt consulted with Booker T. about race relations and tried to surreptitiously move the country forward. Roosevelt appointed many black men to posts that had previously not had any, or not since Reconstruction ended. They relished in their similar goals but came to loggerheads a few times.
If you want to know more about race relations in the United States at the turn of the last century and how two powerful men attempted to make things better, I highly recommend this book.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Sentinel Books. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For more reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com.
The author does a great job taking real history and making it accessible to the masses, written in a way that makes it read like a novel. Alternating chapters show how these men grew up, one as a slave who had to claw his way up, and another who was born to privilege and wealth. Some of their experiences were similar in their personal lives, while some diverged greatly.
Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive who believed in a lot of things you don't associate with the Republican Party. In fact, many of the things he pushed for during his life were brought to fruition by his fifth cousin, the Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Theodore was ahead of his time when it came to race relations, while at the same time said some things publicly that make us cringe today. He definitely had a dichotomy about him. The fact that he brought Booker T. Washington to the White House almost immediately after succeeding to the office shows he was willing to test the waters of society. Unfortunately, the backlash was so severe in the press and from the south that Washington was never invited for dinner again.
That's not to say the two men didn't work together. Many times, Roosevelt consulted with Booker T. about race relations and tried to surreptitiously move the country forward. Roosevelt appointed many black men to posts that had previously not had any, or not since Reconstruction ended. They relished in their similar goals but came to loggerheads a few times.
If you want to know more about race relations in the United States at the turn of the last century and how two powerful men attempted to make things better, I highly recommend this book.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Sentinel Books. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For more reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com.
March 12, 2024
Compelling parallel life stories presented in alternating chapters for the first half of the book. Comprehensively presented history of persistent social, economic and political challenges that our country still -- to this day -- struggles to address and resolve. But, heartening in the presentation of the persistence of great leaders determined to make progress. I learned SO much -- and (quite honestly) thought I already was pretty well aware of the issues and dynamics. Not so much, it turns out! When history is readable and understable and well-documented (hundreds of end-notes), maybe lessons will be learned and changes can be made. We can hope, right?
March 9, 2024
Nonfiction at times doesn't hold my attention, but the writing was clear and engaging. The book alternated chapters on Booker and Teddy, starting with how they were raised, their formative years and up until they met, and formed a friendship based on a similar mentality on racial equality. Important read about two courageous and inspiring men.
March 12, 2024
Alternating chapters between both men’s lives, showcasing similarities despite their enormous differences, Teddy and Booker T is a phenomenal book! I didn’t realize just how great a role Washington played in the development of our country post-civil war. I also wasn’t aware of the bromance that existed between these two men. Highly recommend.
April 12, 2024
Listened to audio version. The narration, done by the author, was awful. This may be more due to the editing, bc some sentences are obviously spliced. The result is that the narration mostly sounds like a basketball coach talking to his team at halftime, and for a few seconds here and there like a cab driver shouting out of his window. There are sentences where the aural syntax is broken—something that often happens when someone is asked to read something out loud that they have never read before.
The book is dueling high school reference biographies of BTW and TR but really gets good about 2/3 of the way through with the actual cooperation of the two, along with the introduction of villains—for TR machine politics and for BTW, WEB Dubois.
The book is dueling high school reference biographies of BTW and TR but really gets good about 2/3 of the way through with the actual cooperation of the two, along with the introduction of villains—for TR machine politics and for BTW, WEB Dubois.
June 18, 2024
It was really interesting to learn how these two men came to be friends and worked together to promote racial justice. I really enjoyed learning about Booker T Washington and his goals for Black progress and equality. Although they faced many struggles fueled by prejudice and bigotry, they still made an impactful step towards racial progress in America. Considering the author of this book works for Fox News, it was a book that championed racial progress and equality.
January 8, 2024
History of two contemporaries who had positive visions for the country. The author included mistakes that were made by both individuals but gave a good overview of both Booker’s and Teddy’s lives. Their connection was something of which I was not familiar. I enjoyed the writing style and the careful documented research that was done.
January 4, 2024
Good survey book of these two American heroes. Felt similar to O'Reilly's Killing series. I would recommend for history-loving pre-teens/teens.
March 3, 2024
This was a very well-written book. It was fair and showed the strengths and weaknesses of both men. They were truly great men in their day. I knew some of the things about both men but really didn't know about their friendship or how that relationship affected America. It shows some of the terrible thinking and behavior at the time and how both men tried to change that. It is well worth reading. The author has written several other books on American history that I enjoyed as well.
February 8, 2024
Kind of a lightweight. Author didn’t really engage on much of substance.
February 8, 2024
I found this really boring and poorly written. There were several typos. Just seemed sloppy and uninteresting.
December 30, 2023
I enjoyed this book. I received it as a Christmas present and was curious to hear Mr. Kilmeade’s assessment of race relations. To his credit, I thought he wove the information together skillfully. I’ve done a decent amount of reading on Teddy Roosevelt, and virtually none on Booker T Washington, so it was a nice mix of refresher course and intro 101. I would be genuinely interested to hear, though, how Mr. Kilmeade reconciles his writing this book and his position as a mouthpiece for a media organization and a political party that has done and is doing immeasurable damage to the efforts TR and BTW fought for.
January 6, 2024
I anticipated a rather in-depth look at the work of these two men on the front of racial justice, but that is not what this book provided. Although full of interesting historical facts and still a good read, I don’t believe it read as advertised.
September 23, 2023
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Brian Kilmeade has done a great job of taking a HUGE topic in history and compressing it all into a coherent and meaningful history book.
January 4, 2024
I was expecting how the two interacted, not enough for me. Maybe you will feel differently.
January 1, 2024
This book was an inspiration to me. Inspiration, a word I have seldom, if ever used in my reviews, or rather reports because it implies that it moves me with hope. Today where there seems to be so much division, I believe like Robert Woodson that “we do not have a race problem, we have grace problem.” In “Teddy and Booker T.” Kilmeade shows how these two “American Icons Blazed A Path For Racial Equality.”
The book is well written and gives the direction of each man’s life from childhood in alternating chapters to when they encountered each other as they became famous at chapter 15. I have read many books about and by Theodore Roosevelt so the sections dealing with his accomplished life, I was able to read quickly because of previous knowledge. Not so in reading about Washington. I learned so much about him with appreciation of his love for his race, his country and all its citizens. And when I read of the comparisons and contrasts of these two men and their unlikely friendship, I saw how their example could bring hope for unity. We are all “stronger together!”
I also learned much about the founding, purpose, growth and influence of Tuskegee University with Booker T. being its first head and teacher. One could only appreciate him and the University more in reading this account. “Washington and his students were making a school, by themselves and for themselves, and building interracial bonds in the process…whatever the color of their skin…Better-educated citizens would earn more and spend more…” Now isn’t that the same today: my take-away from the book.
Teddy Roosevelt, congressman, cowboy, civil service commissioner, NYPD commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Rough Rider Colonel in the Spanish American War, Governor of New York, Vice President, President, Writer, Adventurer and much more was always interested in what was right and did it no matter what the political consequences. “He observed some key truths. Government is less about legislation than about administration. Good governing was possible only when one put the best people in the right places, then delegated responsibility and provided them with the support they needed. Knowing all the facts led to better decisions. These were lessons that he would rely upon…as president.” Also, it is interesting to note, “He wasn’t bashful about going public and naming names, regardless of party affiliation, and his language was always colorful, quotable, and often critical.” TR was not presidential as some define it. He acted; he started a revolution to get a canal built in Panama. He is the only American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating peace*, others received the award for efforts. With all his accomplishments Roosevelt was humble to take advise from a self-made black man of humble beginnings, Booker T. Washington.
A center point event related in the book was Roosevelt’s and Washington’s dinner together in the White House. “…to the amazement of both Washington and Roosevelt, that meal detonated a virtual explosion, provoking a wave of racist anger in the South that led to a national controversy. The fallout would threaten the careers and popularity of both men, as well as their shared goal of advancing the cause of Black Americans.”
Roosevelt subsequently appointed Black men to office and according to Washington’s recollections, “Whenever he did appoint a coloured man to office in the south, he said that he wanted him to be not only a man of ability, but of character—a man who had the confidence of his white and colored neighbours. He did not propose to appoint a coloured man to office simply for the purpose of temporary political expediency.”
Here is an added note: Theodore Roosevelt on international relations said the now famous words, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” That was repeated in a somewhat different way by two recent American presidents, “Peace through strength.”
I love reading history of the US. Again, I believe this book to not only be informative but inspiring. I would hope we would raise up leaders like Teddy and Booker T. who would care more for people of all makes than their own self-preservation, something rare in politics.
*The Abraham Accords of 2020 negotiated by the United States bringing diplomatic relationships between Israel and four Arab countries contributing to an unprecedented peace in the Middle East did not bring the Nobel Peace Prize to the American negotiators
The book is well written and gives the direction of each man’s life from childhood in alternating chapters to when they encountered each other as they became famous at chapter 15. I have read many books about and by Theodore Roosevelt so the sections dealing with his accomplished life, I was able to read quickly because of previous knowledge. Not so in reading about Washington. I learned so much about him with appreciation of his love for his race, his country and all its citizens. And when I read of the comparisons and contrasts of these two men and their unlikely friendship, I saw how their example could bring hope for unity. We are all “stronger together!”
I also learned much about the founding, purpose, growth and influence of Tuskegee University with Booker T. being its first head and teacher. One could only appreciate him and the University more in reading this account. “Washington and his students were making a school, by themselves and for themselves, and building interracial bonds in the process…whatever the color of their skin…Better-educated citizens would earn more and spend more…” Now isn’t that the same today: my take-away from the book.
Teddy Roosevelt, congressman, cowboy, civil service commissioner, NYPD commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Rough Rider Colonel in the Spanish American War, Governor of New York, Vice President, President, Writer, Adventurer and much more was always interested in what was right and did it no matter what the political consequences. “He observed some key truths. Government is less about legislation than about administration. Good governing was possible only when one put the best people in the right places, then delegated responsibility and provided them with the support they needed. Knowing all the facts led to better decisions. These were lessons that he would rely upon…as president.” Also, it is interesting to note, “He wasn’t bashful about going public and naming names, regardless of party affiliation, and his language was always colorful, quotable, and often critical.” TR was not presidential as some define it. He acted; he started a revolution to get a canal built in Panama. He is the only American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating peace*, others received the award for efforts. With all his accomplishments Roosevelt was humble to take advise from a self-made black man of humble beginnings, Booker T. Washington.
A center point event related in the book was Roosevelt’s and Washington’s dinner together in the White House. “…to the amazement of both Washington and Roosevelt, that meal detonated a virtual explosion, provoking a wave of racist anger in the South that led to a national controversy. The fallout would threaten the careers and popularity of both men, as well as their shared goal of advancing the cause of Black Americans.”
Roosevelt subsequently appointed Black men to office and according to Washington’s recollections, “Whenever he did appoint a coloured man to office in the south, he said that he wanted him to be not only a man of ability, but of character—a man who had the confidence of his white and colored neighbours. He did not propose to appoint a coloured man to office simply for the purpose of temporary political expediency.”
Here is an added note: Theodore Roosevelt on international relations said the now famous words, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” That was repeated in a somewhat different way by two recent American presidents, “Peace through strength.”
I love reading history of the US. Again, I believe this book to not only be informative but inspiring. I would hope we would raise up leaders like Teddy and Booker T. who would care more for people of all makes than their own self-preservation, something rare in politics.
*The Abraham Accords of 2020 negotiated by the United States bringing diplomatic relationships between Israel and four Arab countries contributing to an unprecedented peace in the Middle East did not bring the Nobel Peace Prize to the American negotiators
December 10, 2023
This book is for history buffs and others curious about "men of their time". As the title indicates, it describes in great detail, the collaboration of two unlikely men. One escaped the bonds of slavery to become self educated, confirming his belief that academics combined with learning a trade was the pathway for Blacks to reach beyond the racism of the Jim Crow era. The other overcame a sickly childhood to become New York state assemblyman, Governor of New York, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the hero "Rough Rider" of San Juan Hill, and ultimately a President. Both were men of accomplishment. Booker T. Washington became an educator who founded the Tuskegee Institute, raising funds from his alma mater, Hampton Normal, from New Englanders, and from Robber Barons Carnegie and Rockefeller. His compelling speeches drew crowds among Blacks and Whites but also incurred the wrath of Southern Democrats. He worked under the the radar with the President to advance the cause of Blacks in contrast to his activist contemporary W.E.B. duBois. Roosevelt believed that slavery was morally indefensible "the South's persistence in its wickedness and folly" that precipitated the Civil War as he sought direction from his colleague-in-arms to overcome the racism of the day. He used his relentless energy and force of personality to end political patronage and cronyism. He was the ultimate reformer as a trust buster and promoter of the Square Deal to address poverty. Both men, however, met with miscalculations: Washington in his challenge of the "separate but equal" law regarding public accommodations, a result of the Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v Ferguson. Roosevelt's dinner invitation to Washington at the White House roused furor among the southern politicians with whom he hoped to curry favor and votes. This and a misguided ruling in the Brownsville incident stressed and ultimately ended their close association. Today, Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for his "walk softly and carry a big stick" posture in international relations, his embrace of environmentalism which led to the establishment of national parks. These accomplishments are acknowledged in his statue at New York's Museum of Natural History (recently removed by leftist political activists). Booker T. Washington is revered among Blacks and Whites as an educator who believed in the dignity of work, who used his gift of oration along with national and international connections to address the bigotry of governance of the time. Historians have said that the friendship between Roosevelt and Washington was the progression of the one between Lincoln and Douglass. This book is cleanly and clearly written, meticulously researched, using primary sources, and is worth the time to delve more deeply into the nature of friendship and its challenges.
February 26, 2024
"Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality" by Brian Kilmeade is an account of the unspoken yet profound friendship between two significant figures in American history: President Theodore Roosevelt and African American educator Booker T. Washington. The book provides an in-depth look at the lives of these two men, their vastly different backgrounds, and how their collaboration subtly influenced the Civil Rights movement during the Jim Crow era.
The story begins by introducing the reader to the formative years of both Roosevelt and Washington. Roosevelt was born into privilege but had to overcome significant health challenges, while Washington was born into slavery and faced many obstacles in his pursuit of education. Both men were characterized by their determination and resilience in the face of adversity.
The narrative then follows Roosevelt's and Washington's early careers, detailing their successes and struggles. Roosevelt made a name for himself in New York politics, while Washington became an advocate for African American education and vocational training. Despite their different career paths, both men shared a commitment to improving the lives of marginalized communities.
The book highlights a pivotal moment in their friendship: a dinner invitation extended by Roosevelt to Washington. This event, while seemingly innocuous, was met with outrage and controversy due to the prevailing racial attitudes of the time. However, it marked the beginning of a subtle yet impactful collaboration between the two men.
Throughout the book, Kilmeade explores the challenges and criticisms faced by Roosevelt and Washington as they navigated their respective spheres of influence. Despite opposition from both sides, their partnership enabled modest yet tangible gains for African Americans in terms of education, economic opportunity, and political representation.
The book concludes by reflecting on the enduring legacy of Roosevelt and Washington's friendship. Despite the progress made, both men faced criticism for not pushing for change more aggressively. However, their patient and strategic approach to social and political change laid the groundwork for future Civil Rights leaders.
In summary, "Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality" is a compelling narrative that sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of American history. Through the lives of Roosevelt and Washington, Kilmeade provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by marginalized communities and the importance of collaboration and perseverance in the pursuit of social justice.
The story begins by introducing the reader to the formative years of both Roosevelt and Washington. Roosevelt was born into privilege but had to overcome significant health challenges, while Washington was born into slavery and faced many obstacles in his pursuit of education. Both men were characterized by their determination and resilience in the face of adversity.
The narrative then follows Roosevelt's and Washington's early careers, detailing their successes and struggles. Roosevelt made a name for himself in New York politics, while Washington became an advocate for African American education and vocational training. Despite their different career paths, both men shared a commitment to improving the lives of marginalized communities.
The book highlights a pivotal moment in their friendship: a dinner invitation extended by Roosevelt to Washington. This event, while seemingly innocuous, was met with outrage and controversy due to the prevailing racial attitudes of the time. However, it marked the beginning of a subtle yet impactful collaboration between the two men.
Throughout the book, Kilmeade explores the challenges and criticisms faced by Roosevelt and Washington as they navigated their respective spheres of influence. Despite opposition from both sides, their partnership enabled modest yet tangible gains for African Americans in terms of education, economic opportunity, and political representation.
The book concludes by reflecting on the enduring legacy of Roosevelt and Washington's friendship. Despite the progress made, both men faced criticism for not pushing for change more aggressively. However, their patient and strategic approach to social and political change laid the groundwork for future Civil Rights leaders.
In summary, "Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality" is a compelling narrative that sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of American history. Through the lives of Roosevelt and Washington, Kilmeade provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by marginalized communities and the importance of collaboration and perseverance in the pursuit of social justice.
January 29, 2024
(unofficially 4.5 stars) I want to give this 5 stars, as I feel the author is stretched at times to truly show that Teddy Roosevelt was a fighter for racial equality throughout his life. Kilmeade does make that point with Booker T. Washington, through and through. It seems it is only in the last twenty or so years of Teddy's life that he makes efforts at racial justice. Kilmeade does present Teddy as a man who develops into a fighter for justice, but not exclusive to racial justice, and I give him credit that he does that very well. I guess he is just trying to carry the argument with Teddy a mile too far.
Also Kilmeade does seem to get sidetracked at times with Booker T. Washington's side of this. It's not much, but at times it almost reads as if the author should have written a book contrasting Booker T. Washington to W.E.B. DuBois. Maybe it will be the next book he publishes.
In full appreciation of Kilmeade's book: it is very well researched, very well written, and does an excellent job of presenting Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt as men of action, focused on justice, dedicated and driven in their endeavors, and fierce fighters in their own respects. He points out similarities like their life events, positions of power, and being subject to charged public opinions. He also shows their differences really well: North vs. South upbringing, rich vs. poor socioeconomic status, black vs. white, and most importantly how they fought for racial equality/justice.
In the last 100-150 pages are Kilmeade's strength: Teddy and Booker becoming friends, working together, the challenges they had, and the public reactions to them. Also events, most forgotten to history, that shaped racial equality, justice, or more often injustice in America. Kilmeade shows each man's involvement, or lack of, and certainly their reactions (both public and private). These are critical because it sets up the racial environment Teddy and Booker had to maneuver through.
At any rate, this is a well written, well researched book. It presents the events these men created, maneuvered through, or were subjected to in their lives quite vividly. I would recommend to anyone remotely interested in either person, the time period 1860s through to 1910s, racial problems in American history, and/or the Tuskegee Institute.
Also Kilmeade does seem to get sidetracked at times with Booker T. Washington's side of this. It's not much, but at times it almost reads as if the author should have written a book contrasting Booker T. Washington to W.E.B. DuBois. Maybe it will be the next book he publishes.
In full appreciation of Kilmeade's book: it is very well researched, very well written, and does an excellent job of presenting Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt as men of action, focused on justice, dedicated and driven in their endeavors, and fierce fighters in their own respects. He points out similarities like their life events, positions of power, and being subject to charged public opinions. He also shows their differences really well: North vs. South upbringing, rich vs. poor socioeconomic status, black vs. white, and most importantly how they fought for racial equality/justice.
In the last 100-150 pages are Kilmeade's strength: Teddy and Booker becoming friends, working together, the challenges they had, and the public reactions to them. Also events, most forgotten to history, that shaped racial equality, justice, or more often injustice in America. Kilmeade shows each man's involvement, or lack of, and certainly their reactions (both public and private). These are critical because it sets up the racial environment Teddy and Booker had to maneuver through.
At any rate, this is a well written, well researched book. It presents the events these men created, maneuvered through, or were subjected to in their lives quite vividly. I would recommend to anyone remotely interested in either person, the time period 1860s through to 1910s, racial problems in American history, and/or the Tuskegee Institute.
Currently reading
February 26, 2024WIP - come back to later - delves into the actions they took to empower African Americans against racial oppression in the early 1900s, and the criticism they faced from contemporaries as a result.
Notes:
- Roosevelt enrolled at Columbia Law School but quickly lost interest in becoming a lawyer. He dropped out after one year to pursue his passion for writing and political engagement. In 1881, he published his first book, a well-received history called The Naval War of 1812.
- The same year Roosevelt published his acclaimed first book, the 25-year-old Washington received an invitation to spearhead a new teachers college for African Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama.
- Both trailblazers experienced early, crushing losses of loved ones. Their relentless drive to build enduring institutions stands as a testament to transforming private pain into public good.
- Washington - Militants pushed him to condemn lynchings and inequality more forcefully while white politicians demanded he stay in his lane uplifting Negro morality. Washington denounced injustice through his writings while adopting a conciliatory posture milder than his predecessor, Frederick Douglass.
- Roosevelt sought Washington’s perspective on the worsening crisis of racial violence and disenfranchisement throttling Reconstruction’s promise across the South. Washington laid the dire situation bare as only he could from decades of work in the trenches.
- Roosevelt shrugged off the controversy, stating it was merely natural for two prominent Americans to become acquainted. But the ruckus likely gave both pause on the immense social taboos and resentment still surrounding Black equality.
- Behind closed doors, Washington frequently visited the White House to update Roosevelt on racial affairs and strategize discreetly.
- Despite criticisms for not forcing change faster, their patient courage in laying social and political groundwork is remembered as progress against the embedded racism of their age.
Quotes:
Notes:
- Roosevelt enrolled at Columbia Law School but quickly lost interest in becoming a lawyer. He dropped out after one year to pursue his passion for writing and political engagement. In 1881, he published his first book, a well-received history called The Naval War of 1812.
- The same year Roosevelt published his acclaimed first book, the 25-year-old Washington received an invitation to spearhead a new teachers college for African Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama.
- Both trailblazers experienced early, crushing losses of loved ones. Their relentless drive to build enduring institutions stands as a testament to transforming private pain into public good.
- Washington - Militants pushed him to condemn lynchings and inequality more forcefully while white politicians demanded he stay in his lane uplifting Negro morality. Washington denounced injustice through his writings while adopting a conciliatory posture milder than his predecessor, Frederick Douglass.
- Roosevelt sought Washington’s perspective on the worsening crisis of racial violence and disenfranchisement throttling Reconstruction’s promise across the South. Washington laid the dire situation bare as only he could from decades of work in the trenches.
- Roosevelt shrugged off the controversy, stating it was merely natural for two prominent Americans to become acquainted. But the ruckus likely gave both pause on the immense social taboos and resentment still surrounding Black equality.
- Behind closed doors, Washington frequently visited the White House to update Roosevelt on racial affairs and strategize discreetly.
- Despite criticisms for not forcing change faster, their patient courage in laying social and political groundwork is remembered as progress against the embedded racism of their age.
Quotes:
February 28, 2024
Title: Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality
Author: Brian Kilmeade
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️3
GENRE: non-fiction, history, biography
📚SUMMARY & THOUGHTS📚
This is mostly a double summary biography of both Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt. During the second half of the book, the author weaves together their stories occasionally with, as he states, their “brave and imperfect relationship.” Individually there would be more to share on each of their lives and side by side the book felt a bit long. Due to the title I was expecting a deeper dive into their relationship, comparing the paths taken towards racial equality.
📚JOYS📚
I was already very familiar with both these important American historical figures. The biographies were a review for me. The book did make me think deeper about the approaches to turning tides in social justice. Compromising to stay alive (politically or physically) and make a difference in the lane you have chosen; or to be outspoken and uncompromising leading to burned bridges and untimely deaths or losses. Its a false dichotomy but a line that is challenging to walk and hard to judge when you don’t live in another person’s shoes. Often when high criticism was raised against both Washington and Roosevelt on their silence it was proven, years after their death in private letters, where they really stood and the intentionality behind their silence. A lot to think about.
📚CHALLENGES📚
I listened to the audio version and did not enjoy it. The editing of the audio, splicing of various recordings and cadence of the author’s reading were not smooth. Sometimes even breaking up sentences with different tones of voice, sound quality and speed.
I also wish the book would have been less of a shortened double biography and focused entirely on the race equality issues both of them faced during their life times.
📚TOPIC & LANGUAGE CONSIDERATIONS📚
Descriptions of war, lynchings, torture, discrimination, death, miscarriage and violence.
@mybibliophilefiels
Author: Brian Kilmeade
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️3
GENRE: non-fiction, history, biography
📚SUMMARY & THOUGHTS📚
This is mostly a double summary biography of both Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt. During the second half of the book, the author weaves together their stories occasionally with, as he states, their “brave and imperfect relationship.” Individually there would be more to share on each of their lives and side by side the book felt a bit long. Due to the title I was expecting a deeper dive into their relationship, comparing the paths taken towards racial equality.
📚JOYS📚
I was already very familiar with both these important American historical figures. The biographies were a review for me. The book did make me think deeper about the approaches to turning tides in social justice. Compromising to stay alive (politically or physically) and make a difference in the lane you have chosen; or to be outspoken and uncompromising leading to burned bridges and untimely deaths or losses. Its a false dichotomy but a line that is challenging to walk and hard to judge when you don’t live in another person’s shoes. Often when high criticism was raised against both Washington and Roosevelt on their silence it was proven, years after their death in private letters, where they really stood and the intentionality behind their silence. A lot to think about.
📚CHALLENGES📚
I listened to the audio version and did not enjoy it. The editing of the audio, splicing of various recordings and cadence of the author’s reading were not smooth. Sometimes even breaking up sentences with different tones of voice, sound quality and speed.
I also wish the book would have been less of a shortened double biography and focused entirely on the race equality issues both of them faced during their life times.
📚TOPIC & LANGUAGE CONSIDERATIONS📚
Descriptions of war, lynchings, torture, discrimination, death, miscarriage and violence.
@mybibliophilefiels
August 19, 2024
📚NOVEL THOUGHTS📚
This was a bit disappointing for me. I enjoyed the Booker T. more than the Teddy but mostly because I have read a lot of books about him and much of this was a rehash of those until the middle of the book.
I didn't know a lot about Booker and what an amazing man. What he did, said and commanded was so influential to what was happening at the time after Lincoln and Frederick Douglas were no longer able to be there for the fight of former slaves. It's like both Roosevelt and Booker T. picked up where they left off. As the Jim Crow era was happening and all the work of reconstruction and the freedom enjoyed by the now independent formerly enslaved was being once again taken away, these men independent of each other, stepped up and fought for change, not just in practice but in thought also. Eventually, they would work together and began to see a saw a small glimmer of hope but then one decision changed their lives forever. An innocent gesture for Booker T to come to dinner at the White House, would leave a lasting mark on Roosevelt's presidency, and he would lose his influence in the South. After this, changes were hard to come by and others with loud voices of opposing ideas, began to take over the changes those two fought so hard for. The author spends a lot of time discussing the ramifications of this moment describing newspaper reports, conversations and journals and how people reacted to this event.
This is a view into this time period but more of that is found in the middle and end of the book. The start is more about their childhoods and the people, places and times that challenged their thoughts and made them seek to change the world for the better.
As a side note, I listened to this as an audio book but that option doesn't appear as an 'edition' choice.
This was a bit disappointing for me. I enjoyed the Booker T. more than the Teddy but mostly because I have read a lot of books about him and much of this was a rehash of those until the middle of the book.
I didn't know a lot about Booker and what an amazing man. What he did, said and commanded was so influential to what was happening at the time after Lincoln and Frederick Douglas were no longer able to be there for the fight of former slaves. It's like both Roosevelt and Booker T. picked up where they left off. As the Jim Crow era was happening and all the work of reconstruction and the freedom enjoyed by the now independent formerly enslaved was being once again taken away, these men independent of each other, stepped up and fought for change, not just in practice but in thought also. Eventually, they would work together and began to see a saw a small glimmer of hope but then one decision changed their lives forever. An innocent gesture for Booker T to come to dinner at the White House, would leave a lasting mark on Roosevelt's presidency, and he would lose his influence in the South. After this, changes were hard to come by and others with loud voices of opposing ideas, began to take over the changes those two fought so hard for. The author spends a lot of time discussing the ramifications of this moment describing newspaper reports, conversations and journals and how people reacted to this event.
This is a view into this time period but more of that is found in the middle and end of the book. The start is more about their childhoods and the people, places and times that challenged their thoughts and made them seek to change the world for the better.
As a side note, I listened to this as an audio book but that option doesn't appear as an 'edition' choice.
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