Teddy Roosevelt - An American Lion

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A sickly, asthmatic child who became a world adventurer and renowned politician, with jobs ranging from cowboy to Police Commissioner of New York City to the 26th President of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt contained almost literary contradictions: He was both a social reformer who fought the abusive power of corporate monopolies and an advocate for war who sought to extend American power across the globe. The History Channel's enormous biography Teddy Roosevelt: An American Lion follows this prickly personality from such low points as the death of his mother and first wife on the same day to his rapid political rise to his tumultuous presidency (which was launched by the assassination of President McKinley and included trust-breaking, labor conflicts, environmental reform, brokering an end to war between Russia and Japan, and setting in motion the Panama Canal) to his failed attempt at creating a third political party. It's fascinating viewing, told through photographs, films from the time, dramatizations, and interviews with Roosevelt's descendants, academics, and former President Bill Clinton. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

I can't get enough TR..........2006-08-11

I have read no less than six books about TR. This DVD is a great compliment to any TR biography. Very good presentation. The thing I found a little humorous were the interviews with Bill Clinton. If TR had been around now-a-days Clinton would surely be absolutely against him. I got a little chuckle out of that, maybe it was just me. A very good buy. Highly enjoyable.

Best TR documentary.......2004-06-10

This is an extremely well made and interesting documentary. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had the time to read Edmund Morris' biography.

An Interesting and Entertaining Look At Theodore Roosevelt.......2004-03-08

"Teddy Roosevelt: An American Lion" is an interesting and entertaining look at Theodore Roosevelt. Disc One talks about Roosevelt's life from 1858 to 1901. Disc Two talks about Roosevelt's life from 1901 to 1919. "Teddy Roosevelt:An American Lion" talks about everything that happened in Roosevelt's life, and the most interesting parts are where you learn about Roosevelt's work in President Benjamin Harrison's cabinet and where you learn about Roosevelt's relationships with Woodrow Wilson and William Howard Taft. Former President Bill Clinton is in "Teddy Roosevelt:An American Lion" and discusses things that happened during Roosevelt's administration and the impact Roosevelt had on him. "Teddy Roosevelt:An American Lion" is an awesome DVD,and even if you're not a fan of Theodore Roosevelt, this is a must have for all TR/History buffs.

You can't help but love this guy.......2003-10-26

Theodore Roosevelt--lover of the limelight, ambitious to the extreme at times, pain in the rear for anyone who got in his way or opposed him--externally, this man doesn't seem like much of an American icon. Yet icon he is, for he stands for everything the ideal American should: Ambition, the drive to do what it takes to accomplish your dreams, the courage to stand up to the bully (in his case, big business) who no one else will stand up to. Call him what you will, Roosevelt was an incredible man.

This documentary is beautifully done. Richard Dreyfuss is perfect as the voice of Teddy--I couldn't imagine a better match. Clips of video, photographs, and splendid views of gorgeous scenery make this documentary pleasing to the eye, and superb editing and dubbing, coupled with relevant commentary and quotes from Teddy himself make it enjoyable to listen to as well. These features combine to make Teddy a REAL person, with insecurities and fears to match his ambitions and acheivements, and serve to endear him to almost any viewer.

I have studied almost nothing on Theodore Roosevelt, so I can't really comment on how accurate this is. It is possible (it wouldn't be the first time) that the History Channel is a little hazy on some of the facts, but for all I know this film is accurate. This is definitely one of the best new documentaries I have seen in a long time.

Superb.......2003-01-26

TR is like America's favorite uncle - sure he was President but wow was he cool. I saw this new, sweeping biography on cable and immediately pre-ordered it. Technically innovative and thoroughly accurate, it presents a moving portrait of a man you can't help but like. Stunning in the use of camera angles, dissolves, pans, edits and re-creations, the action is riveting. Rare film clips abound, perfectly edited. We see, for example, TR chopping down a tree, galloping on horseback, flashing his famous grin; troops landing and horses swimming onto the Cuban shore for the Spanish-American War; TR in "his" Panama clambering, clad in white suit, onto a giant bulldozer. And much more indeed.

The stills are also revealing: his father's honest face ("the best man I ever knew"); Alice, his lovely first wife (dead on the same "cursed" day as his mother: "the light has gone out of my life"); his comely childhood sweetheart and wife, Edith; TR in a dandy's cowboy outfit complete with Tiffany knife; his favorite son Quentin, later to die in the Great War, with head cocked lovingly on TR's shoulder. Richard Dreyfuss as TR proves the value of a good actor's voice and Edward Hermann's narration is richly textured. Presidents Bush II and Clinton, numerous TR descendants, and scholars galore are nicely picked and interwoven into the narrative. Though TR was the first American to win the Nobel Prize (settling the Russo-Japanese War) and the only president to earn the Medal of Honor (charging up San Juan into a hail of bullets), these awards seem almost incidental to his simple humanity. We are left wondering if there are men like him today, warts and all. But we are grateful for what one writer calls "this largest of American characters". (Also recommended: McCullough's classic "Mornings on Horseback"; Morris' Pulitzer-winning "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and his meticulous second volume, "Theodore Rex").

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