The Naval War of 1812, Volume 2 (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

Published in 1882, when he was just twenty-four years old, this lively and at times pugnacious history established Roosevelt as somewhat of an iconoclast among historians, as he set out to disprove the prevailing idea that America’s naval victories in the War of 1812 were due more to luck than to skill. Volume Two picks up in the year 1814, describing various battles on the ocean and on lakes—such as Ontario and Erie. Roosevelt then makes concluding remarks, adding an appended chapter on the “Battle of New Orleans.”