I've been a long fan of Jeff Shaara's novels and also a big fan of Theodore Roosevelt. I was very excited to get my hands on this book. My knowledge of Roosevelt was already pretty extensive due to reading multiple non-fiction books about his life, but I was excited to see what Shaara could do to bring this colossal giant to life on the page. I was not disappointed. Shaara uses his talent to create a very life-like and relatable Teedie from his youngest years to his final moments. The scope of this novel is amazing but is also its weakness. Part one of the book focuses on his early years and his time out in the Dakotas. It really shed light on that part of his life. The rest of the book focuses on his military and political life. I really wish this could've been divided into two books because I felt that a lot of his later life was rushed through and it would've been more interesting if we could dive into some of that history. I also enjoyed the fact that Shaara didn't make Roosevelt perfect. He had his flaws and acknowledged that he made some decisions that he viewed as right at the time, but looking back was wrong. Overall, this was a great book for fans of Roosevelt and those who don't know the history.

Jeff Shaara’s The Old Lion, is a fictional telling of Theodore Roosevelt, told from his perspective, covering primarily several major periods in his life. This includes childhood, early adulthood, his time in the Badlands after the death of his first wife Alice, his time serving with the Rough Riders in Cuba during Spanish-American war, his time as president, and his journey through the Amazon. This book, as historical fiction, does presume conversations, interactions and feelings that Roosevelt may have had, but is grounded in real life events. This may make this a more palatable alternative to learning about Roosevelt’s life and major events in it than working one’s way through the many nonfiction works that exist, some that specifically cover some of the major events addressed in this novel. That being sad, for me personally, since Roosevelt is such a high profile historical figure, reading a fictional novel felt more than a little bit uncomfortable to me. He’s so much larger-than-life, so well-known that it feels weird to read a fictional story where words are put into his mouth. And even though non-fiction writers can be less than objective and can gloss over negative events, this story mainly feels like a role call of Teddy feel good moments, with very few blunders – most of which are reflectively and remorsefully viewed by Teddy in retrospect as mistakes that he’s learned from. Often, any time he gets his dander up in this book it reads like someone else caused him to do so justifiably. Any reader can tell from reading this book that Roosevelt was an ambitious, adventuresome, patriotic man that was more comfortable speaking his mind and leading from the front, but it doesn’t really reflect any flaws or shortcoming of the man himself with viewing them with a more than glass half full approach. It’s a very readable book, but flaws and foibles make a man just as much as their accomplishments and I would have liked to have seen more of that. A complimentary copy of the book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m sure there are many who will enjoy this novel that seeks to tell the life of Theodore Roosevelt (“TR”). Unfortunately, I found it tough sledding and a work that often invited me to become absorbed only to then throw huge roadblocks in the way.

Yes, “The Old Lion” has its good points. Mr. Shaara, who has produced a number of best-sellers about historical events, has succeeded in imparting a broad outline and the major events and phases of TR’s life. Readers unfamiliar with that life may find “The Old Lion” an enjoyable alternative to the many biographies currently available.

However, those seeking an accurate portrayal of TR, or to discover how he might have been a transformative figure in American politics and history, may be disappointed.

To give potential readers an idea of the scope and content of the novel, Mr. Shaara divides TR’s story into five phases: 1) childhood through service as a New York state legislator; 2) ranching in the Dakota Territory; 3) his involvement in the Spanish-American War as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and then Colonel in the “Rough Riders;” 4) his vice-presidency and presidency; and 5) his post-presidency.

Shara specifically details, among other things: TR’s struggle with asthma, his family relationships with parents, siblings, spouses, and children, the death of his first wife Alice, his love of hunting including his trips to Maine and the Dakotas which led to his purchase and operation of a cattle ranch that ultimately failed, his time in Washington with the Navy Department, his battle experiences in Cuba, the assassination of William McKinley, and TR’s ascension to president, his and second wife Edith’s renovation of the White House, and some of the travels and activities he engaged in once out of office Interspersed amongst these are depictions of Roosevelt at the end of his life reminiscing (sometimes to biographer Hermann Hagedorn) about major events not covered in the contemporaneous chapters.

It's a long book. Some of it I found interesting and engaging. Some of it I found drawn out, repetitive, and slow, indeed “skim-worthy.” Much of the writing is expository, designed more to convey information (as one might expect in a history or biography) than to draw the reader into the story (as one hopes for in a novel). This tendency towards exposition often found its way into dialogue, with characters “speechifying” for whole paragraphs and pages, expounding on subjects it seemed odd for them to talk about. This “information dump” kind of writing had the unfortunate effect of damaging the credibility of many scenes and pushing me out of the story. Time and time again, I found myself thinking: People don’t converse this way. I don’t believe these characters ever talked this way.

And I thought the portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt himself sometimes melodramatic and, many times, not very believable – a caricature who spouts “bully” or “dee-lightful” or “By Godfrey!” at every turn (indeed, some 56 times according to my Kindle’s search function). More important, while Mr. Shaara’s was able to portray TR’s brash energy, he was less effective in explaining or depicting why Roosevelt should be counted as one of our three greatest presidents. I know that’s a difficult task, but it is one Mr. Shaara set for himself in his “Note to the Reader” at the front of the book.

Part of the problem, I suspect, lies in the settings Mr. Shaara chose. Major portions of the novel are devoted to Roosevelt’s time ranching in the Dakota Badlands, soldiering in Cuba, and exploring the Amazon River with his son, Quentin as part of a large, very dangerous expedition. Conversely, his service as New York City Police Commissioner and Governor of New York, his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize and what he did to earn that honor, his voluminous writings, and his 1912 campaign to retake the presidency are given little attention. Indeed, Roosevelt’s term as president in his own right (1905 – 1909) is not treated at all. Consequently, I came away from this novel knowing very little about the political or foreign policy issues of the time, what Roosevelt thought about them, his skills as a politician, or how his presidency was in any way transformative.

So, while I can respect all the work that went into this novel, I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed by it.

If you cross historical fiction with biography

A book recounting the life of Theodore Roosevelt could be one of (at least two) things: a biography (including in that category autobiography -- these exist) or a novel. The subtitle of The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt makes it clear which of these author Jeff Shaara was aiming for. And his "To the reader" note explains that choice

The best way to describe this book is perhaps to describe what it is not. This is not a biography (and there are many), nor is it an academic examination of the man or his political policies (and there are many of those). Consider that the definitive biography of the man, by Edmund Morris, covers three volumes and totals more than 2,400 pages. Morris’s admirable work is essential to anyone seeking the most minute details of Roosevelt’s life. I did not have the means to expand this story into three volumes, nor would I wish to.

What I have tried to do is create a story, with Roosevelt as the center point, exploring his life from his point of view, through the events as he creates them, as he marches or sometimes struggles through them. This is a novel because, often, you are in his thoughts, seeing events directly through his eyes. No writer can pretend to know what any character thinks or feels at every moment.*

Fair enough. A novel can go inside the head of a character and tell you the unknowable: what he was thinking and feeling. That purpose, however, has less force for Roosevelt than for most historical figures. Roosevelt was a prolific author and speaker. His thoughts were recorded contemporaneously by many writers, included his first biographer Hermann Hagedorn (who is a character in this novel). Now, of course, one must always doubt that what a person writes and says honestly report his thoughts and feelings. But there is less reason to doubt Roosevelt's honesty than that of most politicians. He was a man of action, actions speak, and what his actions said is for the most part close to what his mouth and pen said.

As a novel The Old Lion is severely handicapped by the constraints the author labors under. Unlike most novelists, Shaara doesn't get to invent a plot or characters. To be sure, Roosevelt himself is as interesting a central character as any novelist could invent, and his life was full of incident. But still, there is little scope for creativity.

As I read, I could not help asking myself, "Why does this book exist?" Why read fiction instead of one of the many excellent biographies? (Even if you don't feel up to to tackling a 3-volume, 2400-page biography, there are many shorter biographies, including some that have been highly praised.) I honestly couldn't come up with a really convincing answer. My disenchantment was confirmed by my feelings upon finishing the book. When I finish a book with a feeling of relief, of satisfaction with a long job completed, I can't call that a really good book.

In summary, The Old Lion is a gentle introduction to one of our greatest presidents. However, there are probably better ways to accomplish that.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advance reader copy of The Old Lion. This review expresses my honest opinions. Release date 16-May-2023.

*Quotes are from an advance reader copy and may change before publication. Any misquotes will be connected on the release date.

The Old Lion is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read.
Jeff Shaara has written a novel about the remarkable life of Teddy Roosevelt that spanned a significant period of that life, including his fascination with the western United States, out of which grew his commitment to developing so many of our major national parks; his leadership of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American war in Cuba; his presidency; and his love of his family and country.
While I have read non-fiction books about Teddy Roosevelt's life, and enjoyed those books, none were as compelling as the stories so ably communicated by Jeff Shaara. I could not stop reading this book once I started it and I suspect others will share that experience.

I received a free ARC of this book, but I am leaving my honest opinion voluntarily.

I was recently pleased to receive an ARC of Jeff Shaara's latest historical novel, entitled "The Old Lion" to be published by St. Martin's Press. I came to this book after having read most of the rest of his canon. He tends to write historical fiction, generally in the area of military fiction (not surprising from a man whose father wrote the iconic Civil War novel, "The Killer Angels"). This one is a fictionalized biography which put me in mind of much of the kind of history I read when I was a young adult. The topic is that most charismatic of American Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt. Now candidly, I must confess that while the book was generally engaging and well-written, I have a more than passing knowledge of Teddy Roosevelt's life and career, and probably as a consequence of that, I found this interesting but somewhat disappointing. The book is ambitious in trying to expose the reader to the key features of Roosevelt's life and personal development, focusing on his youth, his early tragic love life, his attraction to the American West and last but not least his political Progressivism (don't necessarily confuse this with the modern iteration). Given this vast canvas, it is no wonder that the reader is given only a light taste of all of these many facets of Teddy's life. You will recall that I started out by pointing out how similar this book seemed to much of my YA reading many decades ago; that is both its greatest charm and its greatest weakness. If you come to this with minimal knowledge of Roosevelt's life and career, this can be quite illuminating and might well spark more study, but if you have already spent some time studying Roosevelt and his many eclectic interests, your time might be better spent elsewhere. It certainly belongs in secondary school libraries (I would argue that most of this author's canon is a bit more appropriate to the generalized public library). Taken on it own terms, I would certainly recommend it to young readers exploring American history and wanting just a bit more than they encounter in high school classrooms. Don't get me wrong, there is much here to commend it, taken on its own terms, but to me, it is a springboard to further reading.

I am a huge fan of Teddy Roosevelt. And Jeff Shaara helps bring him to life in this historical fiction. The book starts with “Teedie” as a young boy causing apoplexy in the house with his animal specimens left cooling on the same ice as the family’s milk or stored in the laundry cabinet. It moved back and forth through his life, using an interview with his biographer as the plot mechanism. I can’t say it was entirely successful, as those chapters would tend to slow the flow down.
I thought I knew a lot about Roosevelt, but this book gave me greater insight into the thoughts and beliefs that led to his political stances. Despite his privileged background, he was a strong believer in equality between the rich and the working classes. He was a firm believer in the suffragist movement. He wasn’t quite as open about equality of the races but still believed that no individual should be denied the ability to move forward based on their own merits. Listening to TR talk about his political beliefs, it was obvious not much has changed over the last 100+ years and we’re still just fighting a lot of the same old battles.
What impressed me about TR is that he wasn’t fearless. Rather he faced his fears and worked hard to vanquish them. Likewise, he wasn’t so much healthy as determined to overcome his health issues. He didn’t suffer fools or foolish ideas. My favorite part of the book was how he managed in the Spanish American War, getting around idiotic orders.
Roosevelt was a huge personality. Shaara manages to give us a true feeling for the man without making him come off as a cartoon hero. He confronts his mistakes (his Bull Moose run for President), although maybe not in as much detail as I would have liked. His list of accomplishments is mind boggling, whether the number of acres preserved, his Nobel Peace Prize, the laws passed to protect the common man. Truly one of our best presidents ever.
This is my first book by Jeff Shaara, but it won’t be my last.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Jeff Shaara has done it again! I have read other books by Shaara and they were great, but when I saw a,book in which Theodore Roosevelt was the topic, I was a bit skeptical. I was so wrong!

I opened this book and was immediately gripped into the story. Being told in the first person, The Old Lion has Theodore Roosevelt telling his own story - from early childhood until his death. Shaara, through the use of various sources, is able to create vivid descriptions and dialogues of Roosevelt's various adventures and discussions - political and non-political. Though obviously historical fiction, it reads more like a very well-written autobiography or even a transcription of Roosevelt himself telling his life stories!

A great read and if you like historical fiction about the real lives of U.S. presidents, this book is for you!

So I thought I would just skim this book, as I have read quite a bit about Roosevelt before. BUT....I really got sucked in. Though it's presented as fiction, most events were true, and I learned many things I had not come across before. This was well written, and I actually read it in two days. Definitely recommend! Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
As a European I didn't know that much about American history, not having been to school here.
But thanks to Jeff Shaara I feel I've come up to speed. I love this author, he has obviously done a ton of research and writes beautifully.
The book brought TR to life for me and I enjoyed it immensely. I had to pry my Kindle away from my husband who wanted to read the book first! He's a fan too and will be reading it next.
Highly recommended!

Jeff Shaara writes excitement into history. That's the easiest way to explain all his books, and this one is no exception. You get all sides to Teddy Roosevelt, which is refreshing as he was a complicated figure.

We were given 2 days to read this book so I scanned it. I was disappointed because I've read many of Shaara's books (especially the Civil War) and really enjoyed them. The beginning of this book states that this is not a biography, bur a story with Roosevelt as the center point - and exploring his life through Roosevelt's lenses.

It still felt like a biography and in a general sense, it is. I felt the conversational idiom was a bit juvenile - like this book would be good for middle school kids - and I believe it would be. As an adult, you already know TR's story. This unfolds accurately. I believe Mr. Shaara did a good deal of research for this book - but it really is another biography - just told in a middle school voice.

The Old Lion, by Jeff Shaara, is an excellent retelling of the life of Teddy Roosevelt. The author brings to life TR’s larger than life personality, as a child dealing with asthma to his days out West in the Dakota Territory, on to his Rough Rider days in the Spanish-American War, his Presidency, and so much more. I learned so much about the man and his love of his country. It is a long book but well worth the read for those who enjoy history and learning about the men and women so instrumental in the development of our country.

I love Jeff Shaara's books. He has the innate ability to bring history to life, even when you know the outcome in advance you just cannot quit reading. The books grab you right from the start and don't let go. As such, I was a little surprised by the slow pace at the beginning of this book. Roosevelt's youth and education at Harvard (while entertaining) do not have quite the same "hook" as previous novels. (I did learn something new about Roosevelt's forward views on suffrage.) Don't get me wrong, it is still interesting enough to push you along your reading adventure. Of course, once Roosevelt begins his political journey you see the real Bull Moose. I agree with Shaara that Roosevelt is one of our greatest presidents and I think readers will come to the same conclusion when they finish this novel. I started out sounding like I didn't like the book. That could not be farther from the truth. I liked it a lot. I do think it ranks a little lower than my favorite of the Shaara novels - BUT a "lesser" Shaara book is still better than about 95% of all other books being published.

Prior to reading The Old Lion, my experience with Roosevelt was through McCullough's Mornings on Horseback. I was immediately endeared to the man and upbringing that he had which so closely portrayed the Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education I embrace for my children.
Reading Carry a Big Stick by George Grant gave me a beautiful picture of faith for Roosevelt.
Upon beginning this new title, I found neither of these things present. It was a disappointing start. It didn't feel like the Teddy I knew through said sources. However, around 60% the story began to pick up for me. This marked a time of his life that I have a desiring for further reading. Finding Candice Millard's River of Doubt and Doris Kearn Goodwin's Bully Pulpit in the end notes were an encouragement to read said titles even more so.
My thoughts are if you are inclined toward nonfiction, you may find the excellent titles above mentioned more to your liking. However, for fans of historical fiction that want a compelling read, this works.
It just at times represented a different man than the one I had portrayed him to be.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this title ahead of its release.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Old Lion</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Jeff Shaara's books usually open readers up to people and places that are part of our American story. This time he writes of Teddy Rrosevelt, adventurer, war hero, writer and president. Although I enjoyed this work, it suffers in comparison to his others. It took too long to see Roosevelt as more than an entitled rich man. In other Shaara works that I have read, the focus has been on the events and how ordinary people have performed under extraordinary circumstances. The famous leaders or politicians were present of course but not the protagonists.
Even at a young age, Roosevelt was deemed to have an important and worthy future that would matter. There was no doubt that he would do great things for others. For this reader, however, it took awhile for that destiny to become evident.

biographical-novel, famous-author, famous-persons, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, personalized*****

October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919
Against the backdrop of T. R.'s last days and the successive interviews with his biographer comes the story of his life as if told by Roosevelt himself. I've always admired the "Trustbuster" who did his best to hold others to the same high standard that he himself strove for, so I am aware of the extensive research that was done by the author. I found this book to be that from a very gifted storyteller who is able to turn a legend back into a real person. This will be a great gift for one of my family members who majored in history and thoroughly admires this Roosevelt.
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

You can’t read Jeff Shaara's The Old Lion without coming away feeling like you know Teddy Roosevelt--Teedy to his family. Though Teddy began life as a weak child with lots to complain about, his father never allowed him to feel sorry for himself, always provided guidance in how to overcome his shortfalls. That might be why Teddy developed a joie de vivre as he aged that rivaled any problems he faced. He focused this 'never quit, never complain' attitude, mixed with a firm core of justice, on doing right by the common man, those who worked hard their entire life for no other reason than they believed in the American dream. That propelled Teddy through ups and downs, wins and losses, from Assistant Secretary of the Navy who fought in the Spanish American War to president of the United States.

When I started this book, I thought I knew Teddy, would fill in a few holes in my knowledge, but soon realized all I knew was the narrative overlay of his life. I didn't know about his love of the Old West, how he selflessly fought outlaws, his leadership in the charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War, the bias for action that often made him the proverbial 'bull in a China shop, and so much more.

If I had one complaint, it would be jumping forward and back in Teddy's life as Shaara made a point about influences on Teddy's accomplishments. It wasn't clear how much time had passed between the past and present, so I had to page back to figure that out. Annoying? Maybe, but not enough for even a lost star. Highly recommended for those who love American history and biographies of passionate, history-making people.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Old Lion by Jeff Shaara

There was no doubt from the opening page that Jeff Shaara would once again bring an historical figure to life in The Old Lion---Theodore Roosevelt, cattleman, soldier, politician, adventurer and family man. Theodore Roosevelt knew himself better than anyone, his strengths and weaknesses, his gifts and his demons, and he lived every day "no holds barred".

While traveling through the life of Teddy Roosevelt, readers are aware that he faced many of the challenges that are still with us today: an unpredictable Congress that made enacting laws difficult, campaigns that relied more on darkening the reputation of the opponent rather than developing ideas for change, and racism that kept many Americans from reaching their potentials.

Each of the parts of The Old Lion focus on a particular developing aspect of Theodore Roosevelt as a man who set a goal and worked endlessly to reach it. He faced the truth at every turn and made the best of near-impossible situations.

The use of extensive dialog throughout the book brings the reader closer to Roosevelt as though absorbed into the very essence of what made Theodore Roosevelt such an icon in America's history. His legacy is with us today from the establishment of national parks to the Teddy Bear.

Reading Jeff Shaara is so much more than a read.

No one does it better that Jeff Shaara. When it comes to bringing historical figures and events to life, he shines. As a history major and history lover, I thought I knew a great deal about Theodore Roosevelt. I wasn't totally wrong. Being familiar with his life and times, however, was nothing like seeing it through the eyes of Roosevelt.

True, this is historical fiction, but Shaara backs his story with solid research. You'll feel like you're there, whether through the eyes of the young, terrified boy who feels every breath he takes may be his last. Asthma had him in its grip as a young man and treatments were not only often vomit inducing but painful to the then frail Roosevelt. His father's suggestion that he fight back by making himself stronger, not to mention take up boxing, colored much of his early life. You'll feel his desire to make his father proud.

Later, you're there with him then, just as you are when he loses both his wife and mother on the same day. You'll join him on horseback in the Badlands, during the height of his military fame, as he rears his own family, and enters politics. Most notably, you'll probably understand why many of his political foes wished he'd stayed in the Badlands. You campaign with him, knowing what it's like to be the target of an assassin. You'll travel with him to Panama. You'll feel his ever growing weakness as pain invades, pain only adding to his despair at the loss of his son Quinton in WWI.

That's really only skimming the surface of Roosevelt's eventful, meaningful life. Shaara does an excellent job putting you in his shoes, letting you feel his pain/hopes/triumphs/and more, allowing you to see it all through the eyes of Roosevelt himself. I first encountered a Shaara book while seeking insight into the Battle of Gettysburg as part of my family roots search. I'm delighted to have run into him again and the sometimes exasperating, always amazing Theodore Roosevelt. As is probably obvious, I highly recommend you read this one.

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for reminding me what I've been missing by not reading a Jeff Shaara book for, well, too long