The Naturalist by Darrin Lunde

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

When we think of Theodore Roosevelt so many images come to mind. We see him as a trust buster, a President, a reformer, and a great hunter. He was all of these things and so much more. The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History by Darrin Lunde tells the other side of Roosevelt. Lunde’s  book shows how Roosevelt’s love of natural history started in his youth as a way to deal with many different illnesses. Roosevelt's father saw the need for his son to get out into nature and helped to develop his love of nature. The book follows Roosevelt's life first as a young boy reading books about adventures, his trips out West as a young man, and finally his expeditions into Africa and the Amazon. Throughout the book Lunde shows that Roosevelt was keen on the study of natural history, especially the study of birds and how this love of nature influenced his views on conservation.

Drawing from primary sources such as Roosevelt’s diaries and other writings, Lunde is able to tell the story of the development of the study of natural history in America. Using Roosevelt as his main source, he is able to show how Roosevelt and others pushed to ensure that the study of the natural world was seen as an important academic study. While many view Roosevelt’s hunting practices as over zealous and at time unnecessary, Lunde shows that these practices held a purpose in providing specimens for study.

This book is well written, reading more as a fictional work than non-fiction. Lunde is able to show Roosevelt’s love of nature and his struggle to ensure that the natural wonders of the United States were preserved for future generations. It is clear from this book that Roosevelt, while at time forceful and unyielding, this book shows his willingness to stand up for what he felt needed to happen in the area of conservation and the study of natural history.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.