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When Trumpets Call: Theodore Roosevelt After the White House by Patricia O'Toole

In When Trumpets Call, Patricia O'Toole examines the life of Teddy Roosevelt after he left the Presidency at age 50. After leaving office, he went to Africa on safari, killing many more animals than his Smithsonian sponsors needed. Used to being powerful and getting his way, Roosevelt had difficulty with anyone who had replaced him. He quickly turned on his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft, and formed the Bull Moose party to challenge him in the 1912 election. That split in the Republican party led to Woodrow Wilson becoming president. He fared no better with Roosevelt, who pushed him early on to enter World War I. Once the U.S. entered the war, Roosevelt wanted to lead a cavalry troop, but was blocked by Wilson. Instead, he sent his four sons to fight in the war in his stead. Patricia O'Toole details the pros and cons of a great American, his egotism and lust for power along with his dogged determination to lead and fight for freedom. When Trumpets Call has received mostly positive reviews with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch saying, "O'Toole has written a fascinating book - just wonderful reading - about a wonderfully fascinating fellow."