When Lions Roar by Thomas
Maier is definitely the most daunting nonfiction book I’ve ever read. It’s also
one of my favorites. At 750 pages (640 once you account for the notes and other
supplements at the end), this book will take more than a few sittings to get
through. I read it in bits and pieces over the course of about two months, and
that’s how I’d recommend reading this book. It’s not a page-turner in the sense
that a thriller would be, but I constantly found myself deciding to read to the
end of a section and then reading several sections past that before I put the
book down.
The book tells of the
political lives of the Churchills and the Kennedys, as well as their
overlapping social circles, from just before World War II to 1970. The “main
characters” are Winston Churchill and son Randolph, as well as Joe Kennedy and
his son John. It was interesting to see how much the same people kept popping
up in relation to the main characters. This book does an excellent job of
building the relationships between the four men, using their interactions with
each other and with their similar social circles to illustrate each politician.
My favorite part of this book was the beginning, as WWII is looming, when the
book is mainly about Winston Churchill and Joe Kennedy. I’d never felt a burning
desire to learn much more about these figures, but now I’d love to read
something more in-depth about each of them, especially Churchill’s role in
politics before WWII.
My only point of
contention with this book is that it does the occasional time jump, or it’ll
talk about 5 years of Churchills and then go back to the same starting point
for the Kennedys, and I lost track a few times. Also, just a tip, don’t look at
the photos in the middle until you’re done with the book. Or at least don’t
read the captions. I “spoiled” some events (though if you’re familiar with the
history then you’d probably already know what’s to come) and I wish I hadn’t.
Similarly, don’t Google people to see what they look like without being
prepared to shield your eyes from any death dates or new spouses. I did
appreciate having photos in the book, though, since the descriptions of people
made me curious about their actual appearances.
I recommend this book to
anyone with time on their hands – not necessarily all at once, just twenty
minutes a day or so (but don’t blame me if you find it hard to put the book
down)- or an interest in the Churchills or the Kennedys. I really enjoyed the
experience and thought it was well worth the hours I spent reading.
5 out of 5 stars
