In this episode, we speak with renowned-Roosevelt scholar and former host of the podcast Michael Patrick Cullinane about his new book Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet. We often imagine Theodore Roosevelt as a singular force who reshaped the presidency through sheer energy and will. But Cullinane offers a different perspective, showing how Roosevelt relied on a network of informal advisors—his “Tennis Cabinet”—to generate ideas, implement policy, and expand the reach of the federal government. Together, we explore how this network functioned, what it reveals about the emergence of the administrative state, and how it reshapes our understanding of executive power, both in the Progressive Era and today.
You can purchase the book directly from the University of Nebraska Press here. Use the discount code \"6AS26\" at checkout to receive a 40% discount.
About our guest:
Michael Patrick Cullinane is Professor of History at Royal Holloway University of London and a leading scholar of the Theodore Roosevelt presidency. He is the author of several books, including Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost: The History and Memory of an American Icon and Remembering Theodore Roosevelt. His work focuses on U.S. political history, memory, and the global dimensions of American power.
Further Reading:
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Imperial Presidency by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
","author_name":"Michael Patrick Cullinane"}