The Crowded Hour
Theodore Roosevelt, The Rough Riders, and the Dawn of the American Century
1 of 1 copy available
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. "A revelatory history of America's grasp for power" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
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 an influential moment in American history: a war of only six months' time that dramatically altered the United States' standing in the world. "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).
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 4, 2019 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781508293033
- File size: 369282 KB
- Duration: 12:49:20
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Narrator Fred Sanders makes the audiobook welcoming for both casual listeners who are interested in one of the adventures that set this country on its path to becoming a world power and those who seek an in-depth look at Theodore Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War. Sanders delivers the work in an authoritative tone and what can only be called an even keel, moving through the audiobook without varying his straightforward approach. While his voice is not crystal clear, he pauses effectively to keep the story interesting, pronounces the Spanish words with an appropriate accent, and paces himself well. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine -
April 29, 2019
In this well-constructed account of future president Theodore Roosevelt and his “Rough Riders,” officially known as the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, journalist Risen argues that the “American Century” began not in 1900, but two years earlier. Between April and July 1898, the United States government annexed the Hawaiian archipelago, while its army and navy defeated those of Spain and seized Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Roosevelt’s role in the invasion of Cuba, and especially his unit’s famous charge up San Juan Hill, made him a national hero, leading him first into the governor’s mansion of New York State and not long afterward into the White House. Risen also focuses on the Rough Riders, volunteers who “set aside families, careers, wealth, and celebrity to fight and die for something other than themselves.” Many came from the region their fellow Americans romanticized as the “Wild West”; as the frontier era drew to an end, the national press endlessly hyped the “cowboys” who seemed destined to prove the New World’s superiority over the old. Risen’s lively and extensively researched social history illuminates a transformative moment in America’s past. Agent: Heather Schroder, Compass Talent.
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