The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete

Featuring an amazing cast of historical figures, this is the story of how President Theodore Roosevelt led an American sports and fitness revolution.

Give up exercise, Theodore Roosevelt was told by a doctor while attending Harvard, or you might die of a heart attack! This after being plagued by crippling asthma, myopic eyesight, and other ailments as a child. Roosevelt’s body was his weakness, the one hill he could never conquer.

But, oh, how he tried!

In vivid detail, The Strenuous Life shows how Roosevelt developed an obsession with athletics, carried it to the nation’s highest office, and championed a new age of American athleticism. As President, Roosevelt boxed, practiced Ju-Jitsu, played tennis, conducted harrowing point-to-point walks, and invited athletes to the White House. He also made certain that each of his children played sports. Not surprisingly, Roosevelt’s personal quest had broad reverberations. During his administration, America saw an unprecedented rise in sports and recreational activities. With Roosevelt in office, baseball’s first ever World Series took place, interscholastic sports began, and schools placed a legitimate emphasis on physical education. Additionally, the NCAA formed, and the United States hosted the Olympics for the first time.

Yes, the Bull Moose, as he’d come to be known, resided squarely in the midst of this upheaval. Filled with amazing anecdotes, a who’s who of American political and sports figures from the early 20th century, and Rooseveltian gusto and humor, this book is the play-by-play and color commentary on Roosevelt’s Strenuous Life.