Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena ed. by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson

Abstract

Reviewed by: Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena ed. by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson Julie Courtwright Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena. Edited by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2020. vii + 264 pp. Illustrations, index. $24.95 paper. Theodore Roosevelt: Naturalist in the Arena, edited by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson, is an anthology about Theodore Roosevelt (TR)'s enduring legacy as a conservationist and lover of nature. It is a familiar topic, but the writers attempt to add fresh perspectives by studying Roosevelt's "manifold encounters with the great outdoors" through an interdisciplinary lens (xiv). The result is an appealing and readable book that highlights both TR's familiar and less familiar connections with nature, as well as his quirky behavior and notable intellect. Some of the writers also explore Roosevelt's less laudable opinions, most notably his evolving attitudes toward race, and their connection to the president's "intellectual and affective response to the natural world" (xiv). The editors have divided the book into three sections. The first, "Field Notes," examines Roosevelt's lesser-known work as a "scientist and curator, observer and recorder" (xiv). Here, writers feature TR as a writer, bird-lover, and urban explorer. Melanie Choukas-Bradley's chapter about Roosevelt's love affair with Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC, is a fascinating window into his everyday relationship with nature, independent of his famous trips to the American West. For Great Plains enthusiasts, Thomas Cullen Bailey and Katherine Joslin include an analysis of Roosevelt's writing, including Hunting Trips of a Ranchman (1885) and its relationship to the president's personal grief and the Great Plains landscape. The second section, "Outside Influences," explores TR's relationship with notable individuals such as George Bird Grinnell, Gifford Pinchot, John Muir, and William T. Hornaday. Jenkinson's chapter, "The Cowboy, the Crusader, and the Salvation of the American Buffalo," is the most Great Plains-centric chapter. It describes Roosevelt and Hornaday's separate hunting trips to the Northern Plains, taken at a time when the number of bison in the region was negligible and declining fast. Hornaday, chief taxidermist at the National Museum of Natural History, collected bison specimens for preservation at his museum. Both men had "conversion experiences" (xix) regarding the bison, although Roosevelt initially viewed their extermination as an unfortunate consequence of white conquest of the West. Hornaday, after personally killing some of the last wild bison in the Plains, worked to save the animals from extinction. Eventually the two men met and joined forces as prominent members of the American Bison Society, a group charged with preservation. After multiple chapters focused on details surrounding Roosevelt's relationship with nature, section 3 widens the scope to place Roosevelt as a naturalist within the context of history and the world. Elliott West connects Roosevelt's thoughts and actions about big business, immigration, and conservation to the American West and its place within the American story, while Ian Tyrrell looks at Roosevelt's influence on the world stage and his impact on conservation beyond the United States. There are occasional errors in the book. The University of Iowa is not at Ames (138), for example, and at least one author presents an ahistorical interpretation of the near-extinction of the bison (127). At other times, the book would have benefited from closer [End Page 267] editing. Jenkinson is unclear about whether Roosevelt and Hornaday were true friends or just professional acquaintances, for example. There are also virtually no historical women in the entire book. Inconsistencies and omissions aside, Theodore Roosevelt: Naturalist in the Arena is a welcome addition to the Roosevelt historiography. Its interdisciplinary approach allows for diverse topics and points of view, grounded by their shared connection to the natural world and Roosevelt's place within it. Julie Courtwright Department of History Iowa State University Copyright © 2023 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln