maddyb001's review against another edition
4.0
This book was super interesting. I loved the deep dive on an aspect of American history I didn't know much about. The only thing I had heard about the Spanish American war was about American colonialism. It was nice to learn how the contemporary people experienced it. Learning about how it influenced american politics and concepts of a just war was super interesting!
josephb8694's review
4.0
The best parts of Risen's "The Crowded Hour" were the Introduction: New York City, 1899 and the final chapter, "The Strenuous Life". In those two chapters, Risen puts establishes his premise that the America of the 20th Century began and was created through the Spanish-American War. T.R. and his Rough Riders epitomized that war through some excellent p.r. from the newsman, Richard Harding Davis, who was imbedded with the Rough Riders by William Randolph Hearst.
Many authors claim that the period they write about set the stage for the 20th Century (notably, David Fromkin's "A Peace to End All Peace"), but I consider Risen's claim wanting more for what was left out of this book than what was included. But it was an interesting argument.
What I found most curious was that the Rough Riders didn't seem to have a leading or overwhelming significant role in the battle for Cuba. Had it not been for the limelight offered by Davis, other characters might have been more significant to the outcome, like Dr. Leonard Wood.
I'm glad I read this book but not sure whether it warranted the subtitle ".... the Dawn of the American Century."
Many authors claim that the period they write about set the stage for the 20th Century (notably, David Fromkin's "A Peace to End All Peace"), but I consider Risen's claim wanting more for what was left out of this book than what was included. But it was an interesting argument.
What I found most curious was that the Rough Riders didn't seem to have a leading or overwhelming significant role in the battle for Cuba. Had it not been for the limelight offered by Davis, other characters might have been more significant to the outcome, like Dr. Leonard Wood.
I'm glad I read this book but not sure whether it warranted the subtitle ".... the Dawn of the American Century."
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