W. Todd Benson was raised in Dover, New Jersey and graduated in 1976 from Princeton University. He has lived in Virginia since attending law school at the University of Richmond. Throughout his legal career, Todd has had an active interest in environmental issues, particularly with reference to local government. His Republican predilections steered him toward learning more about Theodore Roosevelt and, ultimately, to writing this book. Presently, Todd lives along the Maury River in Rockbridge County, Virginia - a lovely community where the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains meet amidst the splendor with which God has graced Virginia.