The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

Hopefully this hasn't be covered, but I watched the first episode and I am hooked. I like the timeline they use it really keeps my interest. Highly recommend even if your not a history buff I think it speaks to anybody and everybody.

I'm recording it, they had a premiere down the road from me at FDRs library but I didn't get out of work in time. He was an extraordinary person who would never get elected today.

I watched last night's episode. It should be noted they are covering both FDR and TR, and the story jumps back and forth between the two.

Having read biographies of both TR and FDR in the past, and being a lover of a good historical miniseries, I was hooked before it even aired.

stuart in mn wrote: I watched last night's episode. It should be noted they are covering both FDR and TR, and the story jumps back and forth between the two.

They are also following Eleanore

It's been quite interesting. I didn't know that Franklin and Elenor were cousins.

One thing I noted was some of the things that were going on at that time (ie big monopolizing companies (1%ers) abusing the little man) are exactly what is going on today. So I guess some things never change.

Teddy Roosevelt was both awesome and slightly nutty.

While president, he damaged his eyesight permanently in a sparring match with heavyweight champion of the world John L. Sullivan.

He got shot and delivered his speech before going to the hospital.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor.

I don't think he's the kind of man who died regretting all the things he should have done.

Will wrote: Teddy Roosevelt was both awesome and slightly nutty. While president, he damaged his eyesight permanently in a sparring match with heavyweight champion of the world John L. Sullivan. He got shot and delivered his speech before going to the hospital. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor. I don't think he's the kind of man who died regretting all the things he should have done.

That's for sure. One of the interesting points brought up in the doc was that, these days, a kid like that probably would have been prescribed Ritalin and gone on to be nothing special.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Will wrote: Teddy Roosevelt was both awesome and slightly nutty. While president, he damaged his eyesight permanently in a sparring match with heavyweight champion of the world John L. Sullivan. He got shot and delivered his speech before going to the hospital. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor. I don't think he's the kind of man who died regretting all the things he should have done.

That's for sure. One of the interesting points brought up in the doc was that, these days, a kid like that probably would have been prescribed Ritalin and gone on to be nothing special.

Having worked as a teacher for a middle school that statement really spoke to me.

Tom_Spangler wrote: That's for sure. One of the interesting points brought up in the doc was that, these days, a kid like that probably would have been prescribed Ritalin and gone on to be nothing special.

Ummm... he was sickly. He had asthma. He also had a heart problem. I'm pretty sure they still don't prescribe Ritalin for asthma or irregular heartbeat. It kept him out in the Hamptons hanging out on the estate alone drawing birds and wildlife. He wasn't anti-social - he was alone.

Can't anyone just be a smart, driven, stubborn motherberkeleyer who ignored the advice of pretty much everyone he ever met and lived to tell the tale? Large appetite for life != ADHD. He grew up privileged enough to travel the globe as a child - then to live out all his childhood cowboy, explorer and soldier fantasies as an adult.

I missed the first episode, but I'm hoping I can catch it when it they rerun it.

I've read TR's autobiography a couple of times. It's pretty clear that he had at least one regret, and that was announcing that he would not seek another term in his inaugural address. It's really remarkable just how much stuff happened during his seven year presidency.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Tom_Spangler wrote: That's for sure. One of the interesting points brought up in the doc was that, these days, a kid like that probably would have been prescribed Ritalin and gone on to be nothing special.

Ummm... he was sickly. He had asthma. He also had a heart problem. I'm pretty sure they still don't prescribe Ritalin for asthma or irregular heartbeat. It kept him out in the Hamptons hanging out on the estate alone drawing birds and wildlife. He wasn't anti-social - he was alone. Can't anyone just be a smart, driven, stubborn motherberkeleyer who ignored the advice of pretty much everyone he ever met and lived to tell the tale? Large appetite for life != ADHD. He grew up privileged enough to travel the globe as a child - then to live out all his childhood cowboy, explorer and soldier fantasies as an adult.

Ummm.. did you watch it? I'm not the one suggesting this, it was one of the people they interviewed on the show. He was all those things you describe, but he was also manic and full of energy. They do prescribe ADHD drugs for that kind of thing. And my point, and the point being made in the show was, it's probably not a good thing for people like him that were just that driven.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

GPS, I think Tom's point wasn't that Roosevelt had ADHD, but that it's massively overdiagnosed in children today. I think.

That said, TR was a non-stop ball of energy once he overcame his sickly childhood. As president he was still climbing trees, swimming naked in the Potomac, and practicing judo. He grew up, but he never lost his sense of being a little boy, and I think that's fantastic.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Ummm.. did you watch it?

Not yet, DVR has hold of it though. I've read most of the biography material available on him.

I wasn't suggesting that you said it - I was calling the entire premise bullschit. It's just a talking head trying to get their own little niggle with the world today into a place it never was. I hate when they bring these nozzles in and ask questions that have no answer. It's a pet peeve.

To turn that table... if he never had to overcome being a sickly kid he probably would not have had the drive he had or If he had Call of Duty he would never have left the house! Or... if Hitler hadn't been spurned by a little Jewish girl when he was young the world may have never heard his name. (true statement from an A&E biography).

Sounds good - but there is zero grounds to inject it into the discussion. Just the facts please. Everyone else... get off the set.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Will wrote: Teddy Roosevelt was both awesome and slightly nutty. While president, he damaged his eyesight permanently in a sparring match with heavyweight champion of the world John L. Sullivan. He got shot and delivered his speech before going to the hospital. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor. I don't think he's the kind of man who died regretting all the things he should have done.

That's for sure. One of the interesting points brought up in the doc was that, these days, a kid like that probably would have been prescribed Ritalin and gone on to be nothing special.

I am sorry to hear that you think that a kid diagnosed with ADHD and medicated means he'll grow up to be "nothing special". Unfortunately ignorant opinions like yours will probably be what holds my ADHD son back, not his medication.I guess the advanced math he is in and the fact he set the record in the district for Reading Olympics is just another sign of being "nothing special"...

Not only is my son even more studious, he participates in class a lot more now that he has medication. It's hard to learn when you are sent to the principal's office everyday for disrupting class or are constantly being bullied by your teacher who just can't handle a energetic child along with the other 23 students in class.

Will wrote: Teddy Roosevelt was both awesome and slightly nutty. While president, he damaged his eyesight permanently in a sparring match with heavyweight champion of the world John L. Sullivan. He got shot and delivered his speech before going to the hospital. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor. I don't think he's the kind of man who died regretting all the things he should have done.

.... and he was speed reading before anyone even knew what it was. A book a day, three a day if he had some free time. He could also cite a reference in the book 5 years later.

Cone_Junkie wrote:

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Will wrote: Teddy Roosevelt was both awesome and slightly nutty. While president, he damaged his eyesight permanently in a sparring match with heavyweight champion of the world John L. Sullivan. He got shot and delivered his speech before going to the hospital. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor. I don't think he's the kind of man who died regretting all the things he should have done.

That's for sure. One of the interesting points brought up in the doc was that, these days, a kid like that probably would have been prescribed Ritalin and gone on to be nothing special.

I am sorry to hear that you think that a kid diagnosed with ADHD and medicated means he'll grow up to be "nothing special". Unfortunately ignorant opinions like yours will probably be what holds my ADHD son back, not his medication.I guess the advanced math he is in and the fact he set the record in the district for Reading Olympics is just another sign of being "nothing special"... Not only is my son even more studious, he participates in class a lot more now that he has medication. It's hard to learn when you are sent to the principal's office everyday for disrupting class or are constantly being bullied by your teacher who just can't handle a energetic child along with the other 23 students in class.

Oh, for berkeleys sake, settle down! I'll say it again: IT WAS NOT SOMETHING I SAID!!!! One of the people on the show suggested it, and I thought it was an interesting point, that's all. I would most certainly never suggest that kids on ADHD meds are all destined to be "nothing special", many kids (and adults) do need them, and they've been a huge help to millions. They've also been overprescribed in some cases, and it's possible that that may have happened to TR if they'd been available in his day.

So, can we all put a little salve on our hurt butts and go back to talking about the show? Please?

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

It looked like a stated opinion by you. If you were just quoting the story, my apologies.

Liking the show. I knew many of the facts, but having all three Roosevelts' stories overlaid against one another in that episode really connected a lot of dots for me, both in terms of timelines and in their relationships to each other.

It also reawakened my appreciation of Alice Roosevelt, even though she was only touched on tangentially. She was still alive into my h.s. years, and I had forgotten a terrific "60 Minutes" interview with her that aired when I was in 8th grade. Every picture of her shows her staring into the camera with a level, intelligent, FU gaze that was very much NOT of her time... and awesome. Eleanor was not the only Roosevelt lady who rejected the role assigned to her.

Margie

Teddy was my favorite President

Hmm . . . missed this one. I guess I've been watching too much baseball and not enough A & E lately.

Semi-related: He apparently passed on a rather stout constitution to his son, as well:

Just finished reading about him in "The Guns At Last Light" - highly recommended, BTW.

I like Teddy's comment right after Theodore gets married (to his distant cousin with the same last name, daughter of Teddy's brother):

"Way to keep the family name in the family Theodore"

(Teddy was quite a personality apparently)

Sounds like something I need to check out. I loved Dan Carlin's description of Teddy Roosevelt in the Hardcore History American Peril episode: "Heavily armed, imperialistic, racist version of Peter Pan". (He goes on to talk about how you have to grade him on a scale in regards to the racist thing and that by today's standard's he makes Archie Bunker look like a lefty, but that at the time he would have been considered quite progressive in that regard). Carlin did mention that when his son was shot down in WWI and died, he seemed to finally see the downside to the adventure of war and never really recovered.

kazoospec wrote: Hmm . . . missed this one. I guess I've been watching too much baseball and not enough A & E lately.

FYI, it's on PBS. I don't even know if A&E shows this kind of thing anymore.

And yes, Teddy Jr. was a badass in his own right.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard:

She was an amazing personality. A relative of mine was elected to a government position years ago. In his letters he described Alice Roosevelt as formidable, witty, and viperous. He also used various graphic sayings to describe her, but I think retelling them would be too insulting and inappropriate.