Theodore Roosevelt was a prolific author, the twenty-sixth president of the United States, the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and the only United States president to be awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor. He was a rancher, a hunter, an heir to a sizable fortune, and the devoted father of five children. He is also responsible, through his writings and legislative actions, for helping to preserve more of the environment of the United States than any other individual. As one reads through Roosevelt's nature writings, one is compelled to notice his strong desire simultaneously to preserve the environment for the enjoyment of future generations and to learn all he can about the flora and fauna. At times Roosevelt treats the natural world harshly: the number of animals he killed in hunts is perhaps staggering. Following such a slaughter, however, he frequently comments on the supreme beauty of nature, revealing detailed knowledge that could have come about only through long study and unstinting devotion to nature.
