★★★☆☆ If you cross historical fiction with biography

The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

Jeff Shaara

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.

Amazon review

Goodreads review

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AnonymousMay 17, 2023 at 6:25 PM
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