SKU: 90404496810

The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism

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The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of JournalismOne of the Best Books of the Year as chosen by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, Time, USA TODAY, Christian Science Monitor, and more. "A tale so gripping that one questions the need for fiction when real life is so plump with drama and intrigue" (Associated Press). Doris Kearns Goodwin's The Bully Pulpit is a dynamic history of the first decade of the Progressive era, that tumultuous time when the nation was coming unseamed and

One of the Best Books of the Year as chosen by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, Time, USA TODAY, Christian Science Monitor, and more. "A tale so gripping that one questions the need for fiction when real life is so plump with drama and intrigue" (Associated Press).

Doris Kearns Goodwin's The Bully Pulpit is a dynamic history of the first decade of the Progressive era, that tumultuous time when the nation was coming unseamed and reform was in the air.

The story is told through the intense friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft--a close relationship that strengthens both men before it ruptures in 1912, when they engage in a brutal fight for the presidential nomination that divides their wives, their children, and their closest friends, while crippling the progressive wing of the Republican Party, causing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to be elected, and changing the country's history.

The Bully Pulpit is also the story of the muckraking press, which arouses the spirit of reform that helps Roosevelt push the government to shed its laissez-faire attitude toward robber barons, corrupt politicians, and corporate exploiters of our natural resources. The muckrakers are portrayed through the greatest group of journalists ever assembled at one magazine--Ida Tarbell, Ray Stannard Baker, Lincoln Steffens, and William Allen White--teamed under the mercurial genius of publisher S.S. McClure.

Goodwin's narrative is founded upon a wealth of primary materials. The correspondence of more than four hundred letters between Roosevelt and Taft begins in their early thirties and ends only months before Roosevelt's death. Edith Roosevelt and Nellie Taft kept diaries. The muckrakers wrote hundreds of letters to one another, kept journals, and wrote their memoirs. The letters of Captain Archie Butt, who served as a personal aide to both Roosevelt and Taft, provide an intimate view of both men.

The Bully Pulpit, like Goodwin's brilliant chronicles of the Civil War and World War II, exquisitely demonstrates her distinctive ability to combine scholarly rigor with accessibility. It is a major work of history--an examination of leadership in a rare moment of activism and reform that brought the country closer to its founding ideals.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 09/09/2014
ISBN: 9781416547877
Pages: 912
Weight: 2.56lbs
Size: 9.54h x 6.10w x 1.67d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 10/05/2014 pg. 28
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SKU: 90404496810

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4.1 ★★★★★
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Verified Purchase
Donna K
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Makes a great graduation gift
Format: Hardcover
It's a classic! I bought it for my granddaughter's kindergarten graduation. I've asked her teacher to write a note in it.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2026
B
Verified Purchase
Brad layland
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Meaningful, Enjoyable and Uplifting
Format: Paperback
I don’t read a lot of novels, but after hearing recommendation after recommendation, I finally picked up Theo of Golden—and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Alan Levi tells a story that is inspiring, wholesome, thoughtful, and genuinely fun to read. The characters felt real, the writing was engaging, and the story carried deeper themes about life, purpose, and relationships without ever feeling forced. I also know Alan through Young Life, which made reading the book even more special for me personally. If you’re looking for a meaningful novel that is both enjoyable and uplifting, I highly recommend this book.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026
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jubydo
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
a swim through literary magic
Format: Kindle
Reading this book reminds me of jumping into a pool of water and the way the water tickles your skin as you descend into it, then surrounds you and totally encompasses you in its liquid wonder. There is so much here: beautiful metaphors that conjure up both visual images and the emotions that accompany it. Wonderful character development: presented with gentleness, respect and grace. An intricate plot that carries the reader along lightly and buoyantly, not calling attention to itself, but carrying through to the end. The book itself is a portrait of Theo, in keeping with the portrait style described within.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Lisa W.
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful and Thought Provoking
Format: Kindle
This book: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I absolutely loved this book! I tried reading it about 2 months ago and couldn’t get into it after reading a few pages. Then my neighborhood book club picked it so I decided to try listening to it on audible. I was hooked immediately as the narrator had such a warm, calming voice that perfectly captured the heartwarming and sincere nature of the story. I was so invested in this book that I listened to it every moment I could whether it was while I was doing chores around the house or driving. Then when I couldn’t listen to it so as to not disturb others I had my face in my kindle just wanting more and more. THIS BOOK should be read by everyone as we all need a bit of Theo in our lives. Theo is a wound with a voice, a messenger from heaven, the epitome of kindness, and the friend that you didn’t know you needed. 😢❤️
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Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
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Arty
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 4
The end is only the beginning
Format: Kindle
Theo appears in a small fictional Georgia town named Golden. He’s a distinguished old man with a mysterious past. He’s a quiet observer; then he makes friends in a coffee house and there pursues a plan to personally gift every portrait drawing on the wall to the townsfolk simply pictured there. As an artist, I appreciated the detailed descriptions of each face, and then the invited dialogue with each person behind those drawings. The characters Theo gets to know are varied and storied. Of even more value to me was Theo’s visit to the studio of the originator of all the portraits. Layers start getting unpeeled in this tale. I started to highlight phrases when the motivation for doing the work got uncovered between them. There were times when I felt the main character was “too good” to be believable. I personally appreciated the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) references to Theo being a Christ figure. But remember that Jesus was the one who said “woe to you when all men speak well of you”. The Theo who is pictured in this book, and the reactions of most around him is maybe a little too syrupy? A friend who is in my book club felt herself being “manipulated” when reading this book. I ponder that. There was a plethora of reactions to Jesus too, but I don’t think any honest quester ever felt manipulated. He let them walk freely away. For me the significance of each face was the key theme, and each face held sorrow. There are some beautiful lines in the book around this. The ambitions: true and false in the “art world” also the business world resonated also. The Pastor’s words during a funeral at the end were valuable. And the little girl’s imagination (prompted by Theo) of all the musical notes flying on their wings into the chandeliers so that they can sing again later was a wonderful metaphor. There are some excellent passages in this book if you remain in it. As one grandmother said in this tale: “Baby, they’s justice and they’s mercy. If you not sure what to do and you gotta choose one or the other, I say always go the mercy way. If you make a mistake, make it for mercy. Bad mercy don’t hurt nearly like bad justice and always remember, the eye of God can see.”
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Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2026

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