Go West Mr. President: Theodore Roosevelt’s Great Loop Tour of 1903
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited 21states (and two territories, Arizona and New Mexico) in a trip dubbed the “Great Loop Tour.” Roosevelt went to meet the American people, giving 265 speeches − all written by himself − focusing on good citizenship, a strong naval force, forest and land conservation, and the importance of the new irrigation bill.
You will follow Roosevelt during his 16-day visit to Yellowstone National Park with naturalist and friend John Burroughs. Share the time he spent with John Muir in Yosemite, and appreciate his first visit to the Grand Canyon, which ignited his determination to protect this unique natural landmark for future generations. Spend time with the President as he shares a morning breakfast eating off the back of a chuck wagon with local cowboys. Learn how the baby badger he named Josiah became part of the White House menagerie. You will saddle up with him on a 60-mile horseback ride from Laramie to Cheyenne, Wyoming, accompanied by his friend, former marshal of Deadwood, Seth Bullock. Recently discovered is a thwarted assassination attempt against Roosevelt’s life just a few hours before his arrival in Walla Walla, Washington.
Michael F. Blake is no stranger to writing about Theodore Roosevelt. The Cowboy President: The American West and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt won the Will Rogers Medallion gold medal for best biography in 2019. His book was also a finalist for the prestigious Western Writers of America Spur Award, and True West magazine named it the Best Political Biography of 2018.
Go West Mr. President is the first book to focus on this fascinating trip during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. His words, spoken to the American public over 100 years ago, are as meaningful and important today as they were in 1903. Theodore Roosevelt described his trip as “a corking good time.”
Come share the adventure.
Go West Mr. President: Theodore Roosevelt’s Great Loop Tour of 1903 by Michael F. Blake. Hardbound, $26.95. (ISBN 978-1-4930-4846-5) Also available as an E-book.
