The Naturalist

Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History

By: Darrin Lunde

Narrated by: Scott Brick

The surprising story of intrepid naturalist Theodore Roosevelt and how his lifelong passion for the natural world set the stage for America's wildlife conservation movement.

Perhaps no American president is more associated with nature and wildlife than Theodore Roosevelt, a prodigious hunter and adventurer and an ardent conservationist. We think of Roosevelt as an original, yet in The Naturalist, Darrin Lunde shows how from his earliest days Roosevelt actively modeled himself in the proud tradition of museum naturalists - the men who pioneered a key branch of American biology through their desire to collect animal specimens and develop a taxonomy of the natural world. The influence these men would have on Roosevelt would shape not just his personality but his career, informing his work as a politician and statesman and ultimately affecting generations of Americans' relationships to this country's wilderness.

Pulling from Roosevelt's diaries and expedition journals, Lunde constructs a brilliantly researched, singularly insightful history that reveals the roots of Roosevelt's enduring naturalist legacy through the group of little-known men whose work and lives defined his own.

©2016 Darrin Lunde (P)2016 Random House Audio

Informative and interesting

First, the narrator is wonderful. It's easy to drone on a topic like this but he was able to keep my interest without going over the top.
The book itself is what you'd expect from the title. It's a comprehensive look on Teddy Roosevelt's naturalist life. I was expecting more about the west but was pleasantly surprised with the stories about Africa.
Wonderful if you're a Roosevelt fan.

great

I loved listening to this book. It reviled a part of Roosevelt's life that is not as well known.

amazing book

as a naturalist explorer it is interesting to hear a lot of where it all began. it's amazing to hear his story.

Wonderful Telling of a President Naturalist

Thoroughly enjoyed the book- great insight into an era that seems long since past. My only complaint is that the book completely left out Roosevelt's trip with John Muir into Yosemite (which I was looking forward to learning about it from this naturalist perspective- even the cover of the book was taken during this trip, and not even a mention!).

Fascinating!

Wonderful preformance of a fantastic story. Theodore Roosevelt was/is a tremendous influence on conservation and species propagation.

I'm not sure that I could've enjoyed this more than I did. Bravo to all involved!

Great History

A great back story to alot of unknown knowledge about one of the most important men in American history.

Naturalist or Hunter

I now have a better understanding of what many people considered a Naturalist back then. Fine line between a naturalist and a hunter. As long as he could justify that museums needed these animals for display he could justify killing them. Glad we have a better conservation program today.

Very interesting!

I initially bought this book more for my husband than for myself, but I'm glad I did! It was interesting and I learned a lot about Theodore Roosevelt that I didn't know prior to listening to this book. Great road trip listen!

Couldn't put it down!

Great narration and vivid descriptions on what it was like to be a naturalist during TRs time. It was a wonderful read.

get your adventure and the natural world in 1900s

loved it! really good presentation and it flowed nicely. great in-depth look into the outdoorsy nature and side of theodore roosevelt. Good for any nature lover, history lovers, or outdoor enthusiast.