Well written and detailed biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth ( )

boring. not going to even try to finish. ( )

I gravitate to any strong woman (I am unapologetically a feminist). However, give me a strong woman who is also a smart-ass and you have alighted in me pure hero worship. Alice Roosevelt Longworth would never have classified herself as a feminist. She honestly disavowed any formal identity whatsoever besides as a member of the Republican/Bull Moose party of her father. Yet, Gloria Steinem was one of her admitted heroines (Cordery, 2007, p. 463). Her lack of identification was fully explained in that "Alice told a reporter that her lifelong preference as a nonjoiner kept her away from the women's liberation movement [of the 1960s] -- and the fact that she "feels she has been treated by men as an equal"" (Cordery, 2007, p. 463). Indeed, she was not only treated as an equal, she was an equal.

Alice was the only daughter of TR's first marriage. Her mother died due to complications from childbirth. TR concentrated on his political career, never fully giving Alice the attention she needed. TR then married Edith, a long-time family friend. Although Alice and her stepmother eventually became good friends, Edith was never outwardly affectionate toward Alice. This did not give Alice excuse to behave as she did in terms of her independent antics that just bordered on scandal; however, it did mold her into the person she became who was at the center of Washington, D.C., politics no matter the administration in place.

Alice was an equal because she never saw herself as anything but. She studied (was a voracious reader) and educated herself in a wide range of subjects, displaying a keen sense of curiosity nurtured by a willingness to learn. She despised self-pity, and despised anyone who displayed such nonsense. She was not overly-affectionate, but a tremendously funny, sarcastic, quick wit with a penchant for adventure and laughter. Alice lived her life on her own terms, even when life did not turn out as she expected. She made chicken soup out of chicken shit and ate it with relish. It was a life well lived and lived without regrets.

I have her autobiography "Crowded Hours" -- unfortunately I am between residences and it is packed away in storage. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Alice was not as brilliant a writer as she was a social speaker (social meaning 'informal' in that she was extremely shy and rarely gave official speeches). Her mannerisms and wit did not come through well on the written page. To know her personally was to delight in her.

This biography concentrates marvelously on Alice's position as THE go-to person in D.C. politics. She influenced more than a few national and international leaders. She WAS the D.C. political scene surpassing the clout of her husband, Nick Longworth (R-OH, Speaker of the House), and brother Ted (the only Roosevelt offspring to enter a political career). Socially, Alice did exactly what she wanted and displayed independence long before the ERA. If you condemned her, she did not care. If you fawned over her, she lost interest. If you could speak intelligently on any matter, you had her ear and her attention. She was a progressive Republican...my favorite kind. She has also long captured my admiration, esteem, and imagination. ( )

I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both--Teddy Roosevelt.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884 1981), eldest child of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, was known throughout her long life for her wide-ranging intelligence, piercing insights, love of mischief, fascination with politics, passionate loyalty, and sharp cutting wit, all of which is well captured in this entertaining biography, as interesting for its history as it is for its personalities. Those personalities include both sides of the politically active but sometimes divisive Roosevelt family, the Oyster Bay faction with Teddy and Alice, and the Hyde Park Roosevelts with Franklin and Alice’s cousin Eleanor--there could not be a larger contrast in temperaments than that between wild Alice and staid Eleanor.

Alice was a teenager when her father became president after McKinley’s assassination in 1901, and the country was fascinated with her and her daring exploits as she ran around Washington and then traveled the world as an ambassador for her father, charming everyone but ignoring social conventions and breaking boundaries proscribed for women in that pre-feminist time. Her While House wedding in 1906 was the social event of the season, and even after her father left the presidency Alice stayed connected and involved with politics, in part by being friends or frenemies with most of the presidents through Richard Nixon.

She never received much of a formal education but read so widely, including books of literature and science, that she educated herself. Alice had first hand experience of many of the important events of the last century, and it’s fascinating to read about The Great Depression, the pre-WWII America First movement, the McCarthy Cold War interrogations, and the Civil Rights era with regard to her informed but opinionated perspectives. Characteristically, she was playful even on her death bed. One of her final acts was teasingly sticking out her tongue.

This is a lengthy book, 483 pages of text and almost another 100 of notes, but time flew while I was reading it. It makes a great follow up volume to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. After reading that book I really wanted to know more about Alice, a craving this book by author and historian Stacy Cordery went a long way towards satisfying. ( )

I thought Alice led such an interesting life but about half way though I felt a little bored. ( )