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The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt by Jeff Shaara traces the life of America’s 26th President. Mr. Shaara is a best-selling, award-winning author known for his historical-fiction series about the American Civil War.

I found myself, over the years, reading a lot about Teddy Roosevelt. We even stopped at his house, Sagamore Hill, in Oyster Bay NY for a visit. Unlike several other Presidents’ homes we visited, this one is a “man’s home” with very few, if any, feminine touches.

Previously, I read the famous trilogy by Edmund Morris, so I was familiar with many of the events in the The Old Lion, including some of the anecdotes. These anecdotes, to me, really make history come alive and I’m glad Jeff Shaara included them.

The author doesn’t fall into the trap many historians fall into, either loving or hating their subject. I like to think that this book really captured the persona of Teddy Roosevelt, his manners, speech, and vulnerabilities.

Mr. Roosevelet led an exciting, full life, which even a three volume biography found it somewhat difficult to encompass. What this books accomplished is to capture the essence of the personality of Teddy Roosevelt. Sometimes his behavior is praiseworthy, other times it was cringe-worthy – but it was always fascinating.

Mr. Shaara never puts himself into the book. Instead, he uses chapters where Roosevelt is talking to his biographer Hermann Hagedorn, who is known for promoting the legacy and ideals of the President. This tool works very well, as it gives readers enough background, both historically and politically, to enjoy the story as told from the point of view of Roosevelt.

I enjoyed reading about the human side of this larger-than-life figure, with exciting narrative and a dash of history for (a full) good measure. To be honest, I didn’t expect Mr. Shaara to pull this off, and honestly thought this was going to be a series.

I started this and then asked myself why I was reading it when there are actual biographies (and an autobiography) of Teddy Roosevelt. I suppose this will please fans of historical fiction but it just wasn't for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I DNF.

I would like to thank Net Galley an DSt. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I like Historical Fiction and always look for new books in this genre. I admit that while I knew of the bare bones of Theodore Roosevelt ( Rough Rider, President, Naturalist), I did not have a lot of in depth information about him. Although this is fiction, I fell like I now have a clearer , fuller picture of the man. The story bis told in flashbacks, as Roosevelt is being interview by a writer at the end of his life. The story line moves back and forth, from his youth, to his days in the West, his time in the Spanish American war, to his to his political life.It is a fascinating tale, with looks at his personal life as well. It is a richly told story , one that I enjoyed. Thank you once again for this opportunity to read this well researched and well written book.

Thank you to Jeff Shaara, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of this new novel by Jeff Shaara.

If a writer can teach me some history and pique my interest to find out more, that writer has written a great story. What I knew about Teddy Roosevelt was basically the light glossing over of one of many important characters in U.S. history. While Shaara does point out in the author's note that this is not a biography, the novel does cover many factually based events that occurred in Roosevelt's life. While the only person who could have written what was truly inside of Roosevelt's mind was Roosevelt himself, Shaara does a unique job of personifying the man and revealing what he may have been like, how he thought, and how his own history shaped how he made history.

I really enjoyed the book. It provided me with context for some of the bare bones history that I learned in school or gathered from random quotes on television. I'd heard of the Rough Riders but had no idea who they really were or how they came to be. I've seen the portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in his buckskin suit with his rifle but did not know why he was wearing such an outfit if he was from the city.

This was a quicker read than I was expecting and I learned a lot about T Roosevelt. He continues to be my favorite president.
Learned a lot more about his earlier years, that was really cool

Overall, this format isn't for me. My fault for not taking the 'novel' part in the title more seriously. I personally would've preferred simply a biography without the framework device, but still very educational

Historical fiction about one of my heroes Teddy Roosevelt.An interesting look at his life, presidency, post presidency adventures, and the terrible sorrows snd illnesses he suffered. I thoroughly
Enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Jeff Cheers can do no wrong when it comes to historical novels. This novel of Theodore Roosevelt is perfection for historical fiction buffs. What a man and what a story! Read this now!

Jeff Shaara states in his foreward "To the Reader" that The Old Lion is intended as "a story" about Theodore Roosevelt, "exploring his life from his point of view." I feel he does an excellent job of making this legendary man a human being; a man who has an adventurous spirit, who grieves deeply, is passionate about the things he believes in, and, at times, acts like a grown up child.

I found parts of the book very interesting and other parts very boring. I can't imagine the time and research that went into writing this book. However, I felt Shaara was selective about which aspects of Roosevelt's life he chose to write about: he goes into great detail about his experiences in the Badlands and exploring the Amazon, but there is scant details about his roles as Governor and Vice-President. I liked the fact that Hermann Hagedorn, Roosevelt's biographer, was interviewing him in the 1918 sections of the book.

Overall, The Old Lion is a good read if you are wanting a glimpse into the life of Theodore Roosevelt. If you are wanting something more comprehensive and detailed about his political career, this is not the book for you.

I would sincerely like to thank Jeff Shaara, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of this book for my honest review.
#NetGalley #TheOldLion

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I caught a glimpse of the life of a boy to the death of this gregarious man. He loved life and intended to live it to the fullest. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do as he got older but went out and tried things that others would quake at doing. He loved his father who died too soon but did things to make his dad proud.

Most people loved him and his "get it done" attitude while others hated the ground he walked on, but he did his best to work with everyone.

I hated to see the book end, it made me feel as if I were on the adventures with this man and I even shed a tear at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I like history but find reading about it dull. I guess you can say I am a fan of "history-lite". When I was given the chance to read a novel about Teddy Roosevelt, I jumped at it (thank you Net Galley).

I can't say I enjoyed the book (it is >400 pages) but I can say I liked it. I have read many of Jeff Shaara's books and have found his writing to flow smoothly and hold my attention. I learned a lot about Teddy...simple things such as assigning the executive mansion the title White House! I learned that he had great passion whether for those he loved or for the people he served as President. I can certainly see now why he is held in such high esteem.

Teddy Roosevelt is so fascinating, it seems like he would be a perfect protagonist for a novel. He is in fact a significant character in several, most notably in my mind at the moment the Caleb Carr novels set when TR was the NYC police commissioner. He's a marvelous personality, full of charm and passion and action. But in a story of his life that doesn't drive into spec fic or alt-history, there really isn't much to say beyond the truth - and the truth has been documented in a number of excellent biographies which, themselves, read in a narrative style akin to what Shaara is trying to accomplish here.

Maybe that's where I struggled with this one. I was engaged but not as much as I thought I would be, and I realized it was because I basically already knew this story thanks to Edmund Morris. There's nothing wrong here, the writing is easy enough to fall into and of course Roosevelt's life is fascinating. For someone new to the story, and perhaps wary of non-fiction for some reason, it is likely a fine place to start. But if you've read any of the biographies, you may find yourself - like me - wondering why you were reading it and what exactly you were going to get out of it...

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time reading this book and seriously considered DNF'ing it multiple times. Shaara is well renowned and I felt obligated to read this book in its entirety because it was my first Shaara, but I made it to the end and felt like I had no idea why he is so beloved as a historical fiction writer. He gave his characters almost no emotion and it felt more like he truly wanted to write a history book but only wanted to examine certain parts. The framing of this, where each part opened with Roosevelt being interviewed on his death bed by a biographer, felt like Shaara just needed an expository device to help move through the history he did not find as interesting. From there, he went into a series of discrete vignettes that were supposed to connect into some greater narrative. This is a structure that I admittedly find hard to deal with in other novels, so that perhaps colored my experience. Overall, I just don't really understand how one of the most interesting presidents couldn't redeem the sheer dryness of this book.

This is my first time reading a book by Jeff Shaara, which is surprising because I love a meaty historical fiction novel. I picked this one up, in particular, because I have conquered Edmund Morris’s Biography trilogy about Theodore Roosevelt and wanted to read about his life from a fictional perspective. I like the history covered in this book and even though at times the author jumps around between events, I felt like it covered a good amount of his life. I did not, however, love the writing. The dialogue was especially hard to read and I almost put the book aside for that reason. I did keep reading, because I find Roosevelt fascinating but I am not sure I will pick up another by this author.

I received a digital Advance Reader’s Copy of this book from the Publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read countless books about Theodore Roosevelt and believe he was one of the top three U.S. Presidents we’ve ever had. What could a historical fiction novel tell me that I didn’t already know?

Not much, it turns out. The story begins with Roosevelt on his death bed, talking to his biographer. This setting is interspersed with flashbacks to the past, starting in childhood and ending post-presidency.

Roosevelt certainly led and interesting life and the author had a multitude of life events to choose from, but I personally think he missed the mark on what he chose to concentrate on. While many say Roosevelt’s time in the Badlands as a cowboy and rancher made him the man who could become president, I found the section overly long and lacking much insight; I found myself skimming this portion of the book.

The section on the Spanish American War was also overly long and tedious. While I appreciate the fact that Theodore Roosevelt was a hero of the war and this catapulted him into New York’s governor’s mansion when he returned, I felt like this section could also be shorter.

In fact, very little time is spent going over Roosevelt’s political career and the choices he made while holding office. It’s as if Shaara decided to spend more time upon Roosevelt’s adventures and less on what made him such a well-known and much beloved figure in the American populace. This was confirmed when much time was spent covering Roosevelt’s trip down the River of Doubt in South America in 1914.

I didn’t find any insights into Roosevelt’s psyche or new takes on how he formed his views. The controversies that surrounded Roosevelt, like the machinations behind the building of the Panama Canal, or his handling of race relations with Booker T. Washington, aren’t given much of a chance. The mistakes he made were glossed over, just as Roosevelt himself tended to do. I think a further exploration of them would have made a more interesting book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Old Lion was a fascinating read about Theodore Roosevelt. I am going to give it a very well deserved five plus stars.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jeff Shaara, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Having read a number of Jeff Shaara’s historical fiction novels based on various wars, I was surprised to see a biography of Theodore Roosevelt come from him. However, once I got a little deeper into the tome, I could see that Shaara’s powerful writing abilities shone through, illuminating the life and times of one great US President. While the book must be called fictional, it is merely due to the use of character dialogue that gives it thins moniker. Shaara does a fabulous job illustrating the life of Teddy Roosevelt and his various experiences, sure to impress the attentive reader.

Teddy Roosevelt was always a passionate person, who invested his time in many projects. Even in his youth, Roosevelt made strong connections with others and sought to always ask how the world worked, as well as what he could bring to it. Roosevelt used this passion to propel him forward, gaining access to Harvard, where he could study and enrich himself. That being said, he did not stick strictly to the books, choosing to look outside, to nature, to fuel his mind and open new doorways to potential future studies.

Even with his education, Roosevelt was always looking to add to his personal foundation. He headed into the Dakotas, where he helped develop nature preserves and establish a connection with others. Some saw him as a great advocate for the Dakotas, such that he should run for Congress to represent those who lived there. Roosevelt had not yet found his passion for national office, choosing instead to educate himself and those around him. He remained a name on everyone’s lips, which would prove fruitful in the years to come.

When he did take the plunge, Roosevelt served in New York, rallying the people around his ideas and sentiments, in hopes of better shaping the country as it inched towards the 20th century. One detour he took was to help settle the Cuban territory during the Spanish-American War, feeling that it was his duty to protect the small country and ensure its freedom, while also keeping American interests at the top of the pile. He did so effectively and without complaint, feeling that it was his duty to forge onwards and make a difference.

While his ascension to the presidency was a fluke, Roosevelt took on the role effectively and without criticism. He sought to shape America in the very early 20th century in his own image, as a place where people could learn and challenge the rules. While there was certainly blowback for many of his views, Roosevelt never shied away from making the tough choices, all in hopes of making a difference and creating a better America for the next generation.

While politics could be a bloodsport, something Roosevelt tired of quickly, he never lost his spark for discovery and used the post-presidential yers to find new hobbies and discover new adventures that could help him feel satisfied. He used nature as his playground and sought to open his eyes, as well as those of people around him, to see what they could do, rather than waiting for others to take up the task. This enamoured him to many, while it baffled others as well. Whatever people said, Teddy Roosevelt left his mark and will forever be remembered as someone who tried to make America greater for others, something Jeff Shaara makes sure is clearly visible throughout.

Jeff Shaara is one of the great writers of history that I have encountered in my reading life. Choosing to flavour his novels with a fictional angle through dialogue does not lessen the impact of what he has to say or the end result for the reader. His books, this one included, tell of history as pulled from the various tomes that have documented American involvement in all corners of the globe. Shaara uses his passion for storytelling to bring to life those vignettes he feels as worth the reader’s time. While this was not a comprehensive biography, choosing to skip across certain aspects and focus on others, Shaara does a masterful job at illustrating the life and times of Teddy Roosevelt. The characters who emerge, as well as the banter they share with one another, cannot be dismissed and should be noted for all to see. Teddy Roosevelt lived a varied life and his interactions with others proved fruitful, no matter where he was. The book’s progression touches on a number of great parts of the Roosevelt legacy, though does not dive too deeply into any of them. This is a conscious choice Shaara made and I applaud him for it. Short chapters help push the story along and provides the reader with a number of stopping points, or at least moments to regroup before forging onwards. I am eager to see if there will be others branch-offs from those epic war stories, or if this one-off was a treat for readers, before returning to the trenches. I suppose we will have to see.

Kudos, Mr. Shaara, for a great piece of writing that captured my attention.

Jeff Shaara has long been one of my favorite writers for his well-researched, engaging historical fiction. The Old Lion tells the story of one of the biggest personalities in US History: Theodore Roosevelt. Shaara manages to cover the span of Roosevelt's entire life without becoming tedious. I liked the way the book was divided into parts, covering natural sections of Roosevelt's life, experiences, and contributions. The story moves quickly and represents many aspects of Roosevelt's personality and emotions. I'm curious to see if Shaara will continue to write in this vein, exploring more historical figures. This is a great read if you're looking for an interesting overview of Teddy Roosevelt's without the intimidating volume and academic language of a biography.

I was so pleased and excited to read about one of my favorite Presidents. This is my first book by Jeff Shaara but I can tell you honestly it won’t be my last.

To me, Jeff Shaara created a wonderful history of the remarkable life of Teddy Roosevelt. The book was very thoughtfully written with much research behind it. I had always felt that Teddy Roosevelt was one of nations most fascinating and colorful people in the history of our nation. Mr. Shaara has managed to weed through the myths and come up with a truly expansive narrative of President Roosevelt. As I was reading I felt the heart and essence of this extraordinary man.

This book spans a significant part of President Roosevelt’s life, from when he was a small boy to his love and fascination of the western United States. Mr. Shaara adeptly shows how President Roosevelt’s love of the west developed into his quest to create as many National Parks and Forests as he could so it would be saved for future generations. The book also shows his tremendous leadership during the Spanish American War, his presidency and his love of his country and family.

If you are a fan of history, this is a must read. Mr. Shaara definitely captured the essence of this national treasure. It showed me that President Roosevelt definitely earned his place on Mount Rushmore. This book was so “dee-lightful” that I am going to start read Mr. Shaara’s other books. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next. I would like to thank Mr. Shaara, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I was contacted through e-mail to read and review this book, and I am so happy I was chosen for this job. I thought this book was fabulous! I have read other books about Theodore Roosevelt and his family, and they were very good. I liked this book because it focused mostly on just TR. It was interesting to learn about his earlier life, before he became President. He sure was a go-getter and didn't seem to be afraid of anything. .I REALLY liked this book, and I hope Author Jeff Shaara continues to write more books about famous people. I would read all of them. Highly recommend this book!

Wow, just blow me away… Jeff Shaara knocked this one out of the ballpark. I especially love a biography that has been well researched and it is told as if the person is telling you about his life and his experiences. One that makes you feel that you interacted with and listened to their stories. This is a fine, yes, a fine example of that style.
I immediately followed this story with Mornings on Horseback, and I did find they both complemented each other, but if you have a choice, this one is my favorite.
I will highly recommend this story and I learned so much about President Roosevelt. What a kind, great man. One of the best presidents. I can only wish we had someone that would fight the corruption that our politics are consumed with now.
I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with high 5 stars.