Book Review- The King and The Cowboy by David Fromkin

David Fromkin's book, The King and The Cowboy, is subtitled "Theodore Roosevelt and Edward the Seventh, Secret Partners". There is an attempt to connect the former United States President Roosevelt and Edward the Seventh of Great Britain as close confidants who shaped history. However, as the book details the relationship between the two world leaders, there is little evidence that much connected the two. In fact, as outlined in the book, the primary contact between the two was via correspondence as well as political emissaries. There was a distinct absence of closeness between these world leaders.

Fromkin is an historian whose specialty is the early 1900's/World War I era. As a result, there are very interesting biographical sketches of Roosevelt, Edward the Seventh as well as Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany (Edward's nephew). Additionally, there is concise history of the interactions of the European monarchies at the turn of the 20th century.

Containing 31 chapters across 225 pages, The King and The Cowboy, is interesting, fast-paced, highly readable and would lead me to read other works by the author. It just doesn't make the case that the two world leaders were secret partners.