In reading this book, I learned more about Roosevelt on a "human" level than I could in any text book. He had a personality that was larger than life and an enthusiasm for life that was amazing. Called Teedie by his family, he was a sickly child, riddled with asthma. With the help of his father, he met his illness head on, managing to conquer it and not let it interfere with whatever he wanted to do. A rich and privileged life did not keep him from his love of the common man. A graduate from Harvard gave him a good education, however, once out of school his other interests educated him further. With his fascination of the West, he eventually spent a good deal of time there and established a cattle ranch. It was bully! Nicknamed "four eyes" by the locals in the Badlands due to the fact that he wore glasses, he took it good naturedly...it didn't stop him from much; hunting, was a favorite hobby of his. In politics he was honest and couldn't abide corruption. In life he had his fears, yet he faced those head-on with the same enthusiasm that made him "larger than life." To be honest, I don't think we will see his "like" again.

Well researched and well written, this book was "dee-lightful" and one that I would highly recommend. Jeff Shaara captured the essence of the man and gave us, the readers, something to "chew" on and enjoy. I will definitely read any other book this author writes again. All I can say is "Bully."

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I first have to admit my great love for Theodore Roosevelt, I rejoiced knowing one of my favorite history authors was penning a Roosevelt biography. I didn't expect to learn anything new in this book but was anxious to hear about TR from his perspective, as he would be the ultimate authority. I knew how Shaara would give us insight not as to what TR did but as to why he did it, and he succeeded wholly as to that. There were passages that called forth tears and a great many cheers, much like the public did in Teddy's day. It humanized a great icon of the day, a man fully as American as has ever been. We didn't deserve Theodore Roosevelt, but we were damn fortunate to have had him. This is a first rate book about a man who was larger than life and to this day still has an impact on our nation.

This was an interesting examination of one of our more eccentric presidents. It read well, almost like fiction and I will be passing it on as a recommendation to my friend, who loves Roosevelt.

If you would like to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt and prefer historical fiction to nonfiction, Shaara will fulfill your goal while entertaining you. Thoroughly researched and compellingly told as Theodore Roosevelt, near the end of his life, looks back on his experiences, The Old Lion brings to life the man Shaara has come to regard as the third greatest President of the United States next only to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Opening with a December 1918 Prologue, Shaara sets the scene for what is to follow—a dying Roosevelt’s reflections on his life from childhood to old age. Deeply affected by his youngest son Quentin’s death in World War I and fearing similar fates for his other sons also in the war, Roosevelt’s health declined.
Chapter 1 opens on Christmas Day 1918 with Roosevelt surrounded by family and with talk of people wanting him to run again for President, with discussion of Herman Hagedorn’s request an interview, which will play a much larger part later in the book. It ends with a macabre gift from the War Department, which throws Roosevelt into a rage. Chapter 2 opens with nine-year-old “Teedie” Roosevelt in the grips of a monster, the asthma that repeatedly attacked him in childhood.

Shaara divides the book into five parts, the first four consisting of eleven to thirteen short chapters, and the fifth, “The Old Lion,” of six chapters. He shows the transformation from asthmatic child to adventurer, man’s man, war hero, and Progressive world leader, and beyond. Using fiction to get inside his subject’s mind, Shaara sets out to show how Roosevelt might have reacted to his experiences and the thoughts that might have gone through his head. Along with the fictional elements are the solid facts of the man’s life, gleaned from Shaara’s extensive research. Among many other topics, readers learn about the 1884 death of Roosevelt’s first wife Alice, his flight to the Badlands, Dakota Territory, where city man determined to become cowboy and rancher, his leadership during the Spanish-American War, his political rise to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Vice President, and Progressive President following McKinley’s assassination, and his grueling trip up the Amazon, hampered by an old leg injury.

Shaara’s Afterword opens with Hermann Hagedorn’s and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge’s comments about Roosevelt’s death, additional information about several key figures in Roosevelt’s life, and reflections on his legacy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy of this recommended historical novel.

Shared on GoodReads and Barnes and Noble.

I’m a huge Jeff Shaara fan but this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the dialog at all, it didn’t feel realistic, perhaps just a personal taste in reading. I can’t write a book so I’ll never be too hard on an author and the fault may lie with me as the reader. It was a very thorough look at Teddy Roosevelt’s life and the political climate he lead in. Filled with lots of interesting factual information.TR was an outsized personality and that comes through in this fictional work. I will continue to gobble up all of Jeff Shaara’s books.

#TheOldLion #Netgalley

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent historical novel based on facts from Netgalley. author Jeff Shaara, and publisher St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Old Lion of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

I had a great Uncle, my Mother's favorite uncle, Slim Mardis, who was one of the Rough Riders under Teddy - Slim was an Arizona boy, and also served in the Mexican border issues with Spain and Mexico in New Mexico and Texas. It is beautiful to see an acknowledgment of the efforts made by these men to preserve the borders of our country from European infringement and to understand the many precious gifts presented to us by Theodore Roosevelt over his lifetime. This is a book I am pleased to recommend to friends and family.

Old Lion by Jeff Shaara is a well-written and engaging novel about the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Shaara does an excellent job of bringing Roosevelt to life, and the book is full of interesting anecdotes and insights into the man who was known as the "Bull Moose."

The novel is told in the form of a reflection back on his life as told by the dying Roosevelt himself to his biographer, Hermann Hagedorn. One of the things that makes Old Lion so enjoyable is Shaara's ability to capture Roosevelt's unique personality. Roosevelt was a complex man, and Shaara does a good job of showing his strengths and weaknesses. Roosevelt was a brilliant and charismatic leader, but he could also be arrogant and impulsive. In Shaara's telling, Roosevelt is aware of his flaws, but mostly regrets how they have affected his loved ones.

I appreciated the way that Shaara used Roosevelt's own words to tell the story. This gave the novel a sense of authenticity that I found very appealing. I also enjoyed the way that Shaara explored the relationships between Roosevelt and his family and friends. These relationships were complex and often challenging, but they were also essential to Roosevelt's success. Finally, I thought Shaara did a good job of capturing the spirit of the times in which Roosevelt lived. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of great change and upheaval, and Roosevelt was a product of his time.

Old Lion is a well-written and informative novel about one of the most fascinating figures in American history. I highly recommend it.

Usually, I can read a book in a few days. This latest, however, had me enthralled for almost a week. Jeff Shaara's latest work of historic fiction, "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" is about Teddy Roosevelt, and it is an excellent book. The book is historical fiction, not because the events are not true but because he has presented them in a way that Teddy is doing the telling of the story. It makes the book readable and entertaining, bringing his character to life.
In Shaara's book, Teddy Roosevelt tells us of the tragic loss of his first wife following the birth of his daughter Alice and his trip to the West to assuage his grief and follow his wandering spirit. He tells us of hIs return to civilization and second marriage to Edith with whom he had five children. It tells of his larger-than-life presence and his affinity for telling stories. It also told me something I did not know. Teddy Roosevelt was a Republican, Franklin Roosevelt's distant kin was a Democrat and they really were immensely different. Teddy Roosevelt assumed the office of the president following the tragic shooting of William McKinley. Roosevelt was only forty-two. He finished McKinley's term and ran once himself., then chose not to run for a third term. Roosevelt was a hunter but also a conservationist. He began the creation of National Parks and curtailed the monopolies that had arisen as part of the industrial revolution. He is etched on Mount McKinley with other great presidents. His legacy is far-reaching and his life is as large as his ebullient spirit.
You will enjoy this bit of history.

Such a compelling story of Theodore Roosevelt- a president known for being passionate and full of life. Although a work of fiction, it felt as real as the person it was written about. Intimately told and made him seem as normal as any man or woman in our lives. There were many aspects I did not know about him and appreciate the fact that the author done their research.

I have always been intrigued about Roosevelt and his life and this was the match the lit the fire to my interest of wanting to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the gifted copy.

Once again Jeff Shaara has written a wonderful historical fiction, this time of the great Teddy Roosevelt. At 467 pages, it is long enough to be a biography, but, as Shaara explains, he did not intend this novel to a comprehensive story about the President.

Shaara obviously did his research before setting out to dramatize the life of this fascinating man. He brings the reader into Roosevelt’s head. The result is that the reader comes away seeing Roosevelt for who he was and who he became. Shaara himself rates T.R. As one of the three greatest U.S. presidents (the others are Washington and Lincoln). It is easy to see why. Roosevelt is a “man’s man” and by the end of the book I wanted to learn more about him and his many exploits.

As with Shaara’s other books, you won’t be disappointed.

I wanted to read this book because it was a new release by Jeff Shaara, an author whose books I've enjoyed in the past. Even better, it centers on my favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt. Unfortunately, the book really fell flat for me.. Its pacing is slow; it uses a dual timeline framework, but the way that it moves between the past and present feels very random; the dialogue feels awkward and forced. I made it to the 30% mark before I decided that this isn't a book that I want to spend my time reading, when my reading time is currently very limited. I am rating it 3 stars because I didn't dislike the book and there's nothing particularly wrong with it, it just bored me and didn't feel like a good use of my time.

Thank you very much to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review! It is always an honor to receive an ARC, even when the book doesn't click for me.

This book is perfect for anyone wanting to know a little about Teddy Roosevelt but not committing to massive volumes of nonfiction. Theodore is portrayed in this novel as the hero I think he was, but you also see the man that was obstinate, headstrong, and not afraid of anything but his wife and mother dying. I did both the ebook and the audio and I must say that the audio was my favorite. The narrator embodies the TR ambition and bull-mooseness of ole' Teddy himself. He also inserts some depression over the loss of his loved ones, and Quentin. All this to say, this book will take the reader through all the stages of Theodore's life quicker than nonfiction. There are some embellishments (because of the fiction part), and most importantly, to me, this voice gives TR a voice that I could really imagine him using in real life. This book was excellent and I highly recommend the audiobook.

Theodore Roosevelt was an icon in American History. He was charismatic and intelligent. This novel spans his early life with his first wife, Alice, to the Badlands and the Spanish-American war all the way to the Roosevelt’s last breath.

I learned so much about Theodore Roosevelt in this novel. It covers so many aspects of Roosevelt’s life and in such great detail. The author and the narrator brought Roosevelt to life for me. I honestly did not know half of what this man did. Now, did he make mistakes and misjudgments, sure he did. He is human. And the author portrays all of this, Roosevelt’s faults and his great deeds!

The reason for the 4 stars is this novel can get a little dry In places and it is very long. But, that is because it is so very well researched.

The narrator, Paul Michael, is on if my favorites and he sounded just like I expected Theodore Roosevelt to sound. A job well done!

Need a very good novel about a true American…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I have always enjoyed biographies and this one was no exception. It takes one through the life of Theodore Roosevelt based on his letters, reminiscences at life’s end and an author’s view of him. The perspective and writing show a human Roosevelt and captures his charisma and lust for learning and exploration for an America that was truly new and exciting. This was a fantastic read.

Though this was the work of fiction, it read like an extremely entertaining biography. It was very detailed and very factual based on my knowledge of the life of Teddy Roosevelt, on whom I’ve read many other biographies. I really enjoyed this narrative, and the glimpse into what he might’ve been thinking during the different portions of his life. The layout and pacing was great, and I didn’t get bored once, even though it was lengthy. Highly recommend!

I have loved Theodore Roosevelt for the longest time, but this book deep-dives into his life - and brings the man that we see as a myth to life.
Theodore Roosevelt was a larger-than-life figure, but he was not always the rough-and-tumble man that we know from history.

Absolutely LOVED this book! It was a great read, and being able to take a deeper look into this enigmatic man was a treat. I highly recommend this book!

Jeff Shaara once again demonstrates why he is a best selling author in this account of the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Although identified as fiction due to the use of dialog and the technique of viewing events from Roosevelt’s POV, it is well researched and based in fact. The reader is privvy to a comprehensive view of Roosevelt, his many interests and accomplishments, along with his tenacious personality.

Shaara is a great story teller; there is considerable information to share and it is covered at a good pace. There is so much to Roosevelt’s life besides the political. The reader sees his interest in wild life, cattle ranching in the Badlands, leading the Rough Riders in Cuba in the Spanish American War, exploring a tributary of the Amazon in Brazil. Most notable are the realistic depictions of the west of the late 1800s and the rough and tumble political machinations in the late 1800s-early 1900s. I loved how Shaara captured the rhythm of Roosevelt’s bombastic character, speech and actions.

Theodore Roosevelt. A man known for many things. From big time hunter, to rancher, to political figure, Mr. Roosevelt approached each endeavour with every ounce of passion and enthusiasm he had. This is the story of his life.

I will be the first to admit, I only knew a little bit about the 26th president of the US when I first picked up this book. It was interesting to read an account of his life, starting when he was a young boy afflicted by asthma up through to his death in 1919. Presented as Mr. Roosevelt reminiscing about his life, the author gives what he thinks the man’s thoughts would have been.

It did take me a while to get used to how the book is presented. It felt like many scenes of Roosevelt’s life that are loosely stitched together. So the important parts of his life are shared, but there are some gaps in between these parts. At times, this format makes it feels like there is something missing in the story.

Overall, this was interesting to read and I feel like I learned a lot. I would recommend this to those who want to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt, but are intimidated by biographies.

The Old Lion
By Jeff Shaara

What makes a historical novel compelling is the amount of research that the author does to create a story based on facts. Shaara has written a number of books – both fiction and non-fiction – dealing with historical subjects: from the American Revolution to the Civil War to World War II. All have been built on a foundation of historical accuracy.

This book is about Theodore Roosevelt. Each segment is told from the point of view of Teddy – old, ill, on his deathbed. These are his reminiscences about the stages of his life – successes and failures, regrets and adventures.

What I like most about this book is what it taught me about Mr. Roosevelt. I did not know, for instance, that Teddy was a proponent of women's suffrage well before most men of his time. Teddy was a complex man. He was revered by many and hated by many. Above all, Mr. Shaara succeeds in showing the reader that, while a war hero, a fighter for workers' rights, a lover of the natural world, and an adventurer – he was human!

This is a fictionalized biography of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. The author does a good job of using Roosevelt’s personality to help bring the book to life. He addresses most of the major events of his life, but since it is not a true biography there are several events that receive little or no mention in the novel. Overall it is a good read.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.