The old lion : a novel of Theodore Roosevelt

Title:

Author:

Shaara, Jeff, 1952- author.

Summary:

In one of his most accomplished, compelling novels yet, acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do--he brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history--Theodore Roosevelt--peeling back the many-layered history of the man, and the country he personified. From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, from the waning days of the rugged frontier of a young country to the emergence of a modern, industrial nation exerting its power on the world stage, Theodore Roosevelt embodied both the myth and reality of the country he loved and led. From his upbringing in the rarefied air of New York society of the late 19th century to his time in rough-and-tumble world of the Badlands in the Dakotas, from his rise from political obscurity to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from national hero as the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War to his accidental rise to the Presidency itself, Roosevelt embodied the complex, often contradictory, image of America itself. -- Provided by publisher.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

x, 467 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Genre:

Biographical fiction.

Historical fiction.

Personal Subject:

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919-Fiction.

Subject Term:

Presidents -- Fiction.

Politicians -- Fiction.

Soldiers -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Politics and government -- 1901-1909 -- Fiction.

United States -- History -- 1901-1909 -- Fiction.

Publisher:

St. Martin's Press,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781250279941

Publication Information:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2023.

Call Number:

SHAARA

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003665133	New Adult Fiction	SHAARA Jeff	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

In one of his most accomplished, compelling novels yet, acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do - he brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history - Theodore Roosevelt - peeling back the many-layered history of the man, and the country he personified.

From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, from the waning days of the rugged frontier of a young country to the emergence of a modern, industrial nation exerting its power on the world stage, Theodore Roosevelt embodied both the myth and reality of the country he loved and led.

From his upbringing in the rarefied air of New York society of the late 19th century to his time in rough-and-tumble world of the Badlands in the Dakotas, from his rise from political obscurity to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from national hero as the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War to his accidental rise to the Presidency itself, Roosevelt embodied the complex, often contradictory, image of America itself.

In gripping prose, Shaara's The Old Lion tells the story of the man who both defined and created the modern United States.

" Shaara deftly weaves a growing intensity that explodes on the pages." - Bookreporter.com on To Wake the Giant ."

Author Notes

Jeff Shaara was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on February 21, 1952. He received a degree in criminology from Florida State University in 1974. He was a professional dealer in rare coins for many years and operated his own business in Tampa until the death of his father, Michael Shaara, in 1988, when he became actively involved in the elder Shaara's literary estate.

He continued his father's work by researching the history of the characters his father had brought to life in The Killer Angels, and in 1996 his prequel, Gods and Generals, was published. The book was awarded the American Library Association's Boyd Award for Excellence in Military Fiction and was adapted into a motion picture in 2003. His other works include The Last Full Measure, Rise to Rebellion, The Glorious Cause, The Steel Wave, No Less Than Victory, The Final Storm, A Blaze of Glory, A Chain of Thunder, The Smoke at Dawn, and The Fateful Lightning. He received another Boyd Award for To the Last Man.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Shaara (The Eagle's Claw) delivers a ponderous narrative of Theodore Roosevelt. In December 1918, a 60-year-old Roosevelt is near the end of his life, and with his decline exacerbated by news that his son Quentin perished in WWI, he agrees to a final set of interviews with his biographer, Hermann Hagedorn. Shaara then flashes back to 1868 New York City, as the nine-year-old "Teedie" struggles with asthma. His father implores him to toughen up, and he goes on to become an accomplished boxer, Harvard graduate magna cum laude, author of an acclaimed book on the War of 1812, New York City police commissioner, Spanish-American war hero, and politician. He deals with personal tragedies along the way, most notably the deaths on the same day in 1884 of his mother and his first wife, the former by a severe case of typhoid fever and the latter of complications after delivering their child, causing Roosevelt to feel as if his life has become a "cruel nightmare." Shaara occasionally returns to the bedside dialogues with Hagedorn, but these scenes often feel as strained as his stricken subject, whose responses to the biographer's questions are prefaced by stock reactions like "ill-disguised annoyance" and "a long, painful breath." Despite the richness of the source material, this is a bit of a slog. (May)