American Maccabee - by Andrew Porwancher Hardcover

About the Book

"A major biography of a mesmerizing statesman whose complex bond with the Jewish people forever shaped their lives-and his legacy. A scion of the Protestant elite, Theodore Roosevelt was an unlikely ally of the waves of impoverished Jewish newcomers who crowded the docks at Ellis Island. Yet from his earliest years he forged ties with Jews never before witnessed in a president. American Maccabee traces Roosevelt's deep connection with the Jewish people at every step of his dazzling ascent. But it also reveals a man of contradictions whose checkered approach to Jewish issues was no less conflicted than the nation he led. As a rising political figure in New York, Roosevelt barnstormed the Lower East Side, giving speeches to packed halls of Jewish immigrants. He rallied for reform of the sweatshops where Jewish laborers toiled for pitiful wages in perilous conditions. And Roosevelt repeatedly venerated the heroism of the Maccabee warriors, upholding those storied rebels as a model for the American Jewish community. Yet little could have prepared him for the blood-soaked persecution of Eastern European Jews that brought a deluge of refugees to American shores during his presidency. Andrew Porwancher uncovers the vexing challenges for Roosevelt as he confronted Jewish suffering abroad and antisemitic xenophobia at home. Drawing on new archival research to paint a richly nuanced portrait of an iconic figure, American Maccabee chronicles the complicated relationship between the leader of a youthful nation and the people of an ancient faith"--

Book Synopsis

A major biography of a mesmerizing statesman whose complex bond with the Jewish people forever shaped their lives--and his legacy

A scion of the Protestant elite, Theodore Roosevelt was an unlikely ally of the waves of impoverished Jewish newcomers who crowded the docks at Ellis Island. Yet from his earliest years he forged ties with Jews never before witnessed in a president. American Maccabee traces Roosevelt's deep connection with the Jewish people at every step of his dazzling ascent. But it also reveals a man of contradictions whose checkered approach to Jewish issues was no less conflicted than the nation he led.

As a rising political figure in New York, Roosevelt barnstormed the Lower East Side, giving speeches to packed halls of Jewish immigrants. He rallied for reform of the sweatshops where Jewish laborers toiled for pitiful wages in perilous conditions. And Roosevelt repeatedly venerated the heroism of the Maccabee warriors, upholding those storied rebels as a model for the American Jewish community. Yet little could have prepared him for the blood-soaked persecution of Eastern European Jews that brought a deluge of refugees to American shores during his presidency. Andrew Porwancher uncovers the vexing challenges for Roosevelt as he confronted Jewish suffering abroad and antisemitic xenophobia at home.

Drawing on new archival research to paint a richly nuanced portrait of an iconic figure, American Maccabee chronicles the complicated relationship between the leader of a youthful nation and the people of an ancient faith.

Review Quotes

"This descriptive text vividly renders Jewish life in turn-of-the-century America, internal US politics, and international relations between President Theodore Roosevelt's administration and the Eastern European nations home to the majority of the world's Jews."-- "Choice"

"Like its larger-than-life protagonist, Andrew Porwancher's 'American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews' bursts with ambition. . . . In a beautifully written passage, Mr. Porwancher observes that 'it couldn't have been lost on Raphael that back in the czar's dominions he might have been savagely slaughtered, but in the United States he could keep company with an American president.' His point is powerful, poignant, perfect."---Rich Tenorio, Wall Street Journal

"Porwancher offers a fascinating window into the deliberations, backchannel talks, and input from key advisors that shaped Roosevelt."---Maksim Goldenshteyn, Jewish Book Council

"A unique analysis of Theodore Roosevelt's personal and political relationship with the global Jewry, in ways that echo political considerations oftoday. . . . A thought-provoking read."-- "Library Journal (Starred Review)"

"Porwancher provides a compelling history of American Jews, immigration, citizenship, and world politics at the dawn of a new century."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

About the Author

Andrew Porwancher is professor of history at Arizona State University. His books include The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton (Princeton) and The Devil Himself: A Tale of Honor, Insanity, and the Birth of Modern America.