'In Command' tells the story of Theodore Roosevelt's relationship with the military before, during, and after his Presidency. Most readers would be aware of his exploits during the Spanish American War with the Rough Riders. The author, Matthew Oyos, has written extensively about it. TR's ego was seemingly unbounded and he was always looking for ways to use military action and hardware to increase his need for involvement and destiny. The politics of the era could be written by and about politicians of today. TR had to contend with senior military officers and politicians who were more concerned about re-election and promotion than war preparation and efficiency. TR himself was not above ignoring best practices if his actions kept his name in the public eye. He is shown in this book to be very much the hero history has given us to love and the precursor of today's politician we hate.

In Command is a fascinating look at the militaristic tendencies of Theodore Roosevelt. Matthew Oyos offers Roosevelt and military buffs both lots of detail and analysis in this well documented book. I was not aware of all these important moments in Roosevelt's life and just how differently things might have turned out had he governed in war time rather than in peace. In Command is written rather conversationally, which made it easy for me to follow and understand Professor Oyos' conclusions. I very much recommend this important historical account.

An interesting take on a Theodore Roosevelt biography. This book concentrates on TR's experience and engagement with the military, bot the Army and Navy. It provides an interesting and well written account.