Overview

The ""gripping"" (The Washington Post) story of the most famous regiment in American history: the Rough Riders, a motley group of soldiers led by Theodore Roosevelt, whose daring exploits marked the beginning of American imperialism in the 20th century. When America declared war on Spain in 1898, the US Army had just 26,000 men, spread around the country--hardly an army at all. In desperation, the Rough Riders were born. A unique group of volunteers, ranging from Ivy League athletes to Arizona cowboys and led by Theodore Roosevelt, they helped secure victory in Cuba in a series of gripping, bloody fights across the island. Roosevelt called their charge in the Battle of San Juan Hill his ""crowded hour""--a turning point in his life, one that led directly to the White House. ""The instant I received the order,"" wrote Roosevelt, ""I sprang on my horse and then my 'crowded hour' began."" As The Crowded Hour reveals, it was a turning point for America as well, uniting the country and ushering in a new era of global power. ""A revelatory history of America's grasp for power"" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Both a portrait of these men, few of whom were traditional soldiers, and of the Spanish-American War itself, The Crowded Hour dives deep into the daily lives and struggles of Roosevelt and his regiment. Using diaries, letters, and memoirs, Risen illuminates an influential moment in American history: a war of only six months' time that dramatically altered the United States' standing in the world. ""Fast-paced, carefully researched...Risen is a gifted storyteller who brings context to the chaos of war. The Crowded Hour feels like the best type of war reporting--told with a clarity that takes nothing away from the horrors of the battlefield"" (The New York Times Book Review).

Full Product Details

9781508293057

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Reviews

An illuminating and elegant account...Restless and brave, flawed and noble, TR and his compatriots embodied an emerging global nation-for better and for worse. -- Jon Meacham, #1 New York Times bestselling author

""A fascinating and sometimes forgotten part of American history--when Theodore Roosevelt led the volunteer cavalry unit called the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War and marked a turning point for the country and for the future president."" -- ""Garden and Gun"" ""Eminently readable...That TR's men are famous as much for what they symbolize as for what they did makes them no less fascinating to read about."" -- ""Wall Street Journal"" ""Risen is a gifted storyteller who brings context to the chaos of war. The Crowded Hour feels like the best type of war reporting--told with a clarity that takes nothing away from the horrors of the battlefield."" -- "" New York Times Book Review"" ""An illuminating and elegant account...Restless and brave, flawed and noble, TR and his compatriots embodied an emerging global nation--for better and for worse."" -- ""Jon Meacham, #1 New York Times bestselling author""

Author Information

Clay Risen, a reporter and editor at The New York Times, is the author of The Crowded Hour, a New York Times Notable Book of 2019 and a finalist for the Gilder-Lehrman Prize in Military History. A member of the Society of American Historians, he is also the author of two other acclaimed books on American history, A Nation on Fire and The Bill of the Century. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two young children. Fred Sanders, an actor and Earphones Award-winning narrator, has received critics' praise for his audio narrations that range from nonfiction, memoir, and fiction to mystery and suspense. He been seen on Broadway in The Buddy Holly Story, in national tours for Driving Miss Daisy and Big River, and on such television shows as Seinfeld, The West Wing, Will and Grace, Numb3rs, Titus, and Malcolm in the Middle. His films include Sea of Love, The Shadow, and the Oscar-nominated short Culture. He is a native New Yorker and Yale graduate.

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