9 h 18 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 9 h 18 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What books belong beside a saddle, and what can wild country teach that a study cannot?
In A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open, Theodore Roosevelt brings together his loves of wilderness, animals, and reading. The hunter, rancher, and naturalist writes about wild country, the people who live close to the land, and the books he carries on his travels. For him, a day outdoors and an evening with a book belong together.
This collection explores how wild places test character, how to choose reading for camp, and why close observation matters. Roosevelt looks carefully at birds and animals, seeking nature as it is rather than as a storyteller might wish it. His concern for protecting wild land adds another question: what do we leave for those who follow?
What you’ll discover
- Character in wild country Explore Roosevelt's belief that hard days outdoors strengthen both the body and the mind.
- Books beside the saddle Discover the place reading holds on journeys far from home and close to nature.
- A naturalist's close attention Follow a careful observer who wants birds and animals described as they truly are.
- People close to the land Meet the people in Roosevelt's outdoor writing, alongside the country and creatures around them.
- Wild land worth protecting Consider the care for future generations behind Roosevelt's support for reserves and national forests.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love camp stories, wildlife watching, national parks and conservation history, and anyone curious how a famous president read, hunted and travelled.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Outdoor travel invites close attention
- A hunt depends on other people
- Desert journeys depend on shared hospitality
- A ceremony deserves respectful attention
- Books connect people along the journey
- Living landscapes suggest vanished animal worlds
- Choose books by your own taste
- Bird refuges need people and laws
- Close observation leads toward responsible care
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A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open
by Theodore Roosevelt · 1916
Roosevelt rides the rim of the Grand Canyon with his sons and a pack of hounds, chasing cougars in July 1913.
Challenging5–10 hours to read20 languages
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“The joy of living belongs to those with the heart to claim it.”
In short
What does a former president do when he leaves the White House and longs to be outdoors again? Theodore Roosevelt answers in this book.
A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open at a glance
- Reading time
- About 5 h 15 min4 h 10 min fast, 6 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 75,100 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1916by Theodore Roosevelt
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A cougar hunt begins on Buckskin Mountain
The first chapter puts you on horseback at the edge of the Grand Canyon. On July 14, 1913, Roosevelt meets his sons and their cousin at the El Tovar Hotel. Under a full moon the canyon looks dim and enormous.
The trip does not start smoothly. The hired men and the outfit never arrive, and the party is stranded with little food. A cattle company foreman named Mansfield ferries them over the Colorado and lends mules and horses. Roosevelt cherishes the generosity of cattlemen.
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Details
- First published
- 1916
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 6 h 5 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Roosevelt, Theodore. A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-book-lovers-holidays-in-the-open.
Roosevelt, T. (2026). A book-lover's holidays in the open. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-book-lovers-holidays-in-the-open (Original work published 1916)
Roosevelt, Theodore. A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-book-lovers-holidays-in-the-open.
@book{roosevelt2026booklovers,
author = {Roosevelt, Theodore},
title = {A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-book-lovers-holidays-in-the-open},
note = {First published 1916}
}
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What is A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open about?
It collects Theodore Roosevelt's outdoor trips from 1913 to 1915, including the Grand Canyon, Navajo and Hopi country, South America, the Louisiana bird islands and Quebec. It adds essays on prehistoric animals and the books he reads.
Who are Archie and Quentin?
They are Roosevelt's younger sons, to whom the book is dedicated. In the first chapter they join him with their cousin Nicholas on the canyon cougar hunt, helping pack mules, wrangle horses and shoot.
Is it a true story and when was it written?
Yes, it is Roosevelt's own account of real trips, based on his experiences. He signed the preface on January 1, 1916, at Sagamore Hill, so the writing follows closely on the 1913 to 1915 journeys.
The author
Theodore Roosevelt
1858–1919 · American president and historian
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) was born in New York City and died at Oyster Bay, New York. He served as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He wrote books about history, hunting, and his life, including Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter (1905) and his autobiography (1913).
“The joy of living belongs to those with the heart to claim it.”
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