{"product_id":"the-strenuous-life-theodore-roosevelt-and-the-making-of-the-american-athlete-9781635767377","title":"The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete","description":"\u003cb\u003eFeaturing an amazing cast of historical figures, this is the story of how President Theodore Roosevelt led an American sports and fitness revolution.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"An engaging book you can hold with one hand while doing light bicep curls with the other.\" -\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"A fascinating account...Sports fans and history buffs alike will enjoy this focused portrait.\" -\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Give up exercise, a doctor told Theodore Roosevelt while he attended Harvard, or you might die of a heart attack! This after suffering crippling asthma, myopic eyesight, and other ailments as a child. Roosevelt's body was his weakness, the one hill he could never conquer . . . But, oh, how he tried! \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In vivid detail, \u003ci\u003eThe Strenuous Life\u003c\/i\u003e shows how Roosevelt carried his obsession to the nation's highest office, championing a new age of American athleticism. As President, Roosevelt boxed, practiced Ju-Jitsu, played tennis, conducted harrowing \"point-to-point\" walks, and invited athletes to the White House. Unsurprisingly, Roosevelt's personal quest reverberated broadly: his administration saw an unprecedented rise in sports and recreational activities. With Roosevelt in office, baseball's first ever World Series took place, interscholastic sports began, and schools placed a legitimate emphasis on physical education. The NCAA formed, and the United States hosted the Olympics for the first time. It was an American sports and fitness revolution. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Yes, the \"Bull Moose,\" as he'd come to be known, resided squarely in the midst of this upheaval. Filled with amazing anecdotes, a who's who of American political and sports figures from the early 20th century, and Rooseveltian gusto and humor, this book is the play-by-play and color commentary on Roosevelt's \"Strenuous Life.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"Swanson...[is] one of those enterprising academics who have perfected slicing American history into ever finer layers.\" -\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSwanson, Ryan:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Ryan Swanson is an Associate Professor of history at the University of New Mexico's Honors College. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown in 2008 and has been studying and researching Theodore Roosevelt and his role in athletics in the United States for the past ten years. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eWhen Baseball Went White: Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Dreams of a National Pastime\u003c\/i\u003e, which won the 2015 Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) research award, and co-editor of \u003ci\u003eSeparate Games: African American Sport Behind the Walls of Segregation\u003c\/i\u003e, which received a North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) book prize in 2017. Swanson has also published a wide variety of articles and book chapters on the role of athletics in the United States.","brand":"Diversion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50376805810450,"sku":"9781635767377","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_82e45591-7d79-46e8-845d-3d07ee5507b0.jpg?v=1728608536","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-strenuous-life-theodore-roosevelt-and-the-making-of-the-american-athlete-9781635767377","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}