Customer Reviews

The Other Teddy Roosevelts

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i will begin by requesting subterranean press to keep this book in print beyond it's innitial run. mr. resnic has not only created succesful tales of alternate history, but to endear an already-heroic character to readers. contrary to the opinion of the previous reviewer, further tales of roosevelt by mr. resnic should be most welcome.

it is true however, that the first three stories should have been explored to greater depth, but the stories "bully!" and "over there" are touching and inspiring, thus worth the price of the book in themselves- as much as i doubt teddy roosevelt NOT keeping abrest of innovation on the battle-field in the 18 years that passed since the battle of san juan hill. mr.resnick's book prompted me to study more of t.r's involvement in the great war, which is something more to his credit. more please!

Teddy Roosevelt lived one of the most extraordinary lives of any American: New York City Police Commissioner, President, author, big game hunter, South American explorer, war hero, manhunter in the Dakota country and recipient of the Nobel Prize. In these stories, Michael Resnick takes Teddy in a couple of new directions. TDR solves the Jack the Ripper murders, confronts Dracula in New York City and fights HG Wells' Martians in Cuba. Three other stories represent alternate history. In one, Resnick explores Teddy's career if his first wife had not passed away at a young age. In another, Roosevelt is granted his wish by President Wilson to reconstitute the Rough Riders in the Great War.

The longest story is the most interesting. Roosevelt expels Belgian colonialists from the Congo and tries to bring democracy and civilization to the Dark Continent. Anticipating in this 1991 story another Republican president's attempt to transplant the American political tradition into the body politic of Iraq, Teddy learns the folly of ignoring the traditions of tribal rivalry in Africa. He gives up his quest and decides to try to make the Congo an American Protectorate so that the latter has the breathing space to evolve its own indigenous political structure.

Resnick knows Roosevelt well enough to make the initial stories fun but underestimates the subtlety of TDR in the alternate history stories. TDR comes off more blustery than substantive in trying to civilize the Congo with 50 mercenaries.

Upon completion of the book, I am a bit uncomfortable with the whole concept and have little wish to read the continuing adventures of Theodore Roosevelt or of seeing what would happen if JFK met Batman for that matter.