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I have travelled to the Black Hills of South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore, which contains enormous carvings of the heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, probably our four greatest presidents. It is a spectacular place. Let’s focus on Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt, from a wealthy and influential background, led American into the 20th century and international influence with the support of a strong navy. Roosevelt was instrumental in promoting the national park system and conserving natural beauty for people to appreciate over the years. In the years between the 1800s and the 1900s, an American effort, led by President Theodore Roosevelt, finally achieved a working canal across Panama. The achievements that I have listed, accomplished in a relatively short life of sixty years, are just some of the many reasons his bust is carved into Mt. Rushmore
Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism, by George Grant, is one of the Leaders in Action series published by Highland Books. This biography is a quite readable book, on a high school level, but it still contains an extensive reference list (over 300 citations) so that it is well-documented. What is even more helpful is a list of all the books that Roosevelt wrote along with some of his more famous quotations. He read voraciously, up to five books per week even in the middle of his busy life of six children, various political positions including the vice-presidency and presidency of the United States, and winning the Nobel Peace Prize for personally negotiating the peace settlement between Japan and Russia in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War.
However, this book about Roosevelt is not just a standard biography, as useful and interesting as that may be. It is divided into three sections: his life, his character, and his legacy, and the section on Roosevelt’s character is by far the largest part of the book. His achievements are inextricably linked to his character and personal integrity, which the book makes clear via many examples. Everyone should have heroes from history - Theodore Roosevelt is an excellent candidate for everyone’s personal list. He is certainly one of my heroes!
Note that the author, George Grant, is a Christian academic, teacher, and writer.