Theodore Roosevelt was more than the popular image of a cowboy president: he was exceptionally well read and a serious naval historian. His account of the naval War of 1812 remains useful and was strong enough to assign to students. The book also reveals how Roosevelt reasoned about sea power before his later political decisions. Reading it alongside public actions such as dispatching the Great White Fleet produces a more complex picture of the ideas behind the statesman.
Notable Point · 20:52
Theodore Roosevelt as naval historian
Roosevelt's history of the War of 1812 is presented as a durable and revealing work of naval history.