Theodore Roosevelt and His Library at Sagamore Hill

Mark I. West is a professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he teaches courses on children's and young adult literature. He also holds the title of Bonnie E. Cone Professor in Civic Engagement. He has written or edited sixteen books, the most recent of which is Shapers of American Childhood: Essays on Visionaries from L. Frank Baum to Dr. Spock to J. K. Rowling, which he co-edited with Kathy Merlock Jackson. His articles have appeared in various national publications, such as the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Americana, and British Heritage, as well as many academic journals. He has published several articles on Theodore Roosevelt including “Theodore Roosevelt and the Golden Age of Children’s Literature,” which appeared in The Journal of American Culture, and “Preserving a Presidential Persona: A Bibliophile President Created a Well-Traveled Library” which appeared in New York Archives. He recently gave an invited lecture titled “Theodore Roosevelt and the Makings of an Activist Reader” as part of the Rites of Reading Lecture Series at the University of Michigan.

An archivist’s dream—a catalog of 3,600 books from Sagamore Hill! Wander this treasure trove to encounter an extraordinary man and what he read. Mark West’s commentary details Theodore Roosevelt’s childhood favorites, also in-person meetings, correspondence with authors, and literary exchanges that shaped his views on civil rights, militarism, conservation, women’s suffrage, and immigration.

• Foreword by Laura CinturatiAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. An Overview of Theodore Roosevelt’s Life as a Reader2. Fourteen Books That Shaped Theodore Roosevelt’s Life and Career3. Theodore Roosevelt’s Library at Sagamore Hill4. A Bibliography of Theodore Roosevelt’s Books at Sagamore HillAppendix “Books for Holidays in the Open” by Theodore RooseveltAbout the authorIndex