tarmstrong112's review against another edition
5.0
This was fantastic. It's the third book I've read about the Rough Riders in the past 2 years, the others being "Rough Riders" by Mark Lee Gardner and Roosevelt's own memoir on the subject. This book and Gardner's books were both incredibly good and while not the intention, serve as good companions to one another. Some information is repeated in both, while either book also presents different information, context and perspectives.
This books take a wider view of the events of the Spanish-American War and where the US and Spain were in 1898. And while the focus is on Roosevelt and his Rough Rider regiment, this added context and information only enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
Also what a cover! I am a sucker for colourized photos and this cover jumps out to me and begs me to read the book. I highly enjoyed this book.
This books take a wider view of the events of the Spanish-American War and where the US and Spain were in 1898. And while the focus is on Roosevelt and his Rough Rider regiment, this added context and information only enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
Also what a cover! I am a sucker for colourized photos and this cover jumps out to me and begs me to read the book. I highly enjoyed this book.
jeremyanderberg's review
4.0
There’s always more to be written about Theodore Roosevelt. And this one was especially fun for me to read; my great-great-grandfather, Fred Bugbee, was a Rough Rider with Roosevelt and was in fact hit by a glancing shot to the head from a Spanish rifle.
It bled a lot, but wasn’t enough for Bugbee to seek medical attention. Roosevelt ordered him to the rear, to which Bugbee responded: “Go to hell.” That’s my heritage. Amazing.
So of course this was a book that I'd be drawn to. Though Bugbee was not mentioned in the book, The Crowded Hour provided a superb look at the realities of the Rough Riders — that ragtag group of volunteer soldiers who fought in the Spanish-American War.
It goes well beyond just that regiment's story though. Clay lays out the context of the war: how it came to be, why America got involved, and perhaps most interestingly, how it set the stage for future US involvement in international conflicts. Before this war, the US had not fought on another people's behalf; after this war, our soldiers did so in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, and numerous other minor conflicts.
The writing was a hair slow, to be honest, but I was fully gripped by both the broader scope of the conflict and the day-to-day experiences of Teddy Roosevelt's now-famous band of fighters. The story reminded me of Candace Millard's Hero of the Empire, which was about Winston Churchill's wartime experience as a young man. This follows a similar trajectory, showing how those few weeks in Cuba had an outsized impact on the rest of Roosevelt's life and philosophy.
Ultimately, I'm incredibly glad that I was able to learn about my great-great-grandfather's real-life experience in Cuba.
It bled a lot, but wasn’t enough for Bugbee to seek medical attention. Roosevelt ordered him to the rear, to which Bugbee responded: “Go to hell.” That’s my heritage. Amazing.
So of course this was a book that I'd be drawn to. Though Bugbee was not mentioned in the book, The Crowded Hour provided a superb look at the realities of the Rough Riders — that ragtag group of volunteer soldiers who fought in the Spanish-American War.
It goes well beyond just that regiment's story though. Clay lays out the context of the war: how it came to be, why America got involved, and perhaps most interestingly, how it set the stage for future US involvement in international conflicts. Before this war, the US had not fought on another people's behalf; after this war, our soldiers did so in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, and numerous other minor conflicts.
The writing was a hair slow, to be honest, but I was fully gripped by both the broader scope of the conflict and the day-to-day experiences of Teddy Roosevelt's now-famous band of fighters. The story reminded me of Candace Millard's Hero of the Empire, which was about Winston Churchill's wartime experience as a young man. This follows a similar trajectory, showing how those few weeks in Cuba had an outsized impact on the rest of Roosevelt's life and philosophy.
Ultimately, I'm incredibly glad that I was able to learn about my great-great-grandfather's real-life experience in Cuba.
maddyb001's review
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 against another edition
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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