Theodore Roosevelt’s so-called “Rough Riders” captured the imagination of the nation for their heroics in their charge up the San Juan Heights in Cuba in a climactic moment in the Spanish-American War in 1898. These grizzled citizen-soldiers adopted the tune They’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight as their anthem, and the song stuck to Roosevelt for the rest of his political career. It was a perfect fit, as there was always a “hot time” wherever and whenever Theodore Roosevelt appeared throughout his entire life. As one of his sons remarked, “Father always wanted to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.” Roosevelt lived life to the fullest, earning his rightful place as the center of attention in any crowd.
 
There were no half measures in the life of Theodore Roosevelt. He idolized his father, the person to whom he forever sought to prove his worth, beginning with building physical prowess despite a youth filled with asthma-induced illnesses. There was no mountain tall enough for him to climb, no hunt too dangerous for him to pursue, no enemy too menacing to fear on the battlefield, no political foe too formidable to get him to back down when he was fighting for a cause, and no personal tragedies (of which there were several) that could keep him from his lifetime of worthy pursuits. Roosevelt’s entire political career was one premised on reform, to root out evils wherever they existed – in government (at the city, state, and national levels), in the economic battles between capital and labor, and in international affairs in which he often found himself in the middle of daunting geopolitical strife. Roosevelt’s moral compass charted his path, always landing him on the right side of the equation since he unilaterally determined the purveyors of right and wrong. He was equally indefatigable in pursuing “rights” as he was in tearing down “wrongs” with his customary acerbic verbal assaults that his legion of followers adored.
 
Roosevelt left the presidency in 1909 idolized throughout the land he loved. His post-presidency, however, became increasingly complicated as he concluded that no one could lead as well as him, which was simply unacceptable. To this end, he pursued the political destruction of his hand-picked successor and tore apart the Republican Party to which he had committed his entire political existence. To Roosevelt, this was the “right” thing to do, but it left a lot of pain in its wake, and ultimately handed power to his greatest political foe. There was never a dull moment in the dramatic life of Theodore Roosevelt, and while many of the “Hot Times” in his presence brought joy to millions, there were others where both his friends and enemies got burned to a crisp.