This study of Theodore Roosevelt, politician, owes much to the conception of an American political tradition and to the people and events that gave it life, to political idea and historical reality. It proposes to distill from Roosevelt's mind and spirit, as well as from his words and his actions, an understanding of why any account of that tradition would suffer grievously, perhaps fatally, from a failure to give TR his due.

The author analyzes TR's political thought and ways, assessing the importance of the purposes and practices found in the life of a working politician.

The author draws on Roosevelt's life and the political history of the times, resulting in an analysis that is familiar to scholars as well as to the larger audience, that of historical readership. What is different here, however, is the application of the principles of decision-making theory both to decisions taken and mistakes made.

Perhaps sterile in itself, the theory comes to life when used to objectify much of what is too often looked upon as the result of impulse in TR's conduct of affairs, in both his triumphs and his failures.