Publisher's Synopsis
Read the epic story of the Rough Riders, the original book written by Theodore Roosevelt in 1899--now fully illustrated for the first time!
In May 1898, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt resigned his post to form an all-volunteer cavalry unit destined for greatness in the Spanish-American War. Officially the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, the group became better known as the Rough Riders. It comprised an assortment of more than 1,000 cowboys, miners, gamblers, American Indians, Buffalo Soldiers, and college students representing all 45 states and 14 countries. Though best known for their assault on San Juan Hill in the Cuban foothills, the Rough Riders' story is more expansive than that, even though they were together little more than a few months.
The following year, Roosevelt published The Rough Riders, his account of the 1st USV's derring-do, from their recruitment, to their intensive training near San Antonio, Texas, to their embarkation for Cuba, the three battles in which they participated, and their return home. Throughout, readers experience a rollicking, guns-blazing two-fisted tale of the motley band's summer adventure. Recklessness, bravery, honor, heat, hunger, military snafu, death, illness, and ultimately victory are all here. Further, for the first time, The Rough Riders, an instant bestseller upon its initial release in 1899, is packed with period photography, illustrations, and ephemera.
Theodore Roosevelt remains a towering figure in American history. This illustrated and beautifully produced edition of The Rough Riders is destined to be the classic account of the events that catapulted Roosevelt into the national consciousness.
