When Lions Roar

Reviews

“Laden with significant new research, the book offers up many intriguing tangential revelations about virtually everybody…Ultimately, however, he succeeds at what matters most: bringing to life Kennedy and Churchill’s fatal differences and fascinating similarities.”

“Weaving the life stories of nearly thirty Churchills and Kennedys into a seamless narrative, Maier smartly anchors his reportage on the clans’ larger-than-life cornerstones: Winston Churchill and Joseph Kennedy. The sheer accumulation of colorful anecdotes in When Lions Roar

“A thoroughly told and fascinatingly detailed account of the Churchill and Kennedy families that brims with revelation and showcases the dynamic relationship between these roaring dynasties.”

“Torches pass from fathers to sons—and sometimes get dropped—in this sprawling saga of two political dynasties…Gossipy, entertaining…full of wartime adventure, romance, and innumerable adulteries. Maier’s vivid profiles of these charismatic figures make for a nuanced study.”

“A sprawling yet intimate panorama.”

“Fascinating…Its wealth of details, smoothly told, will hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end. An excellent work for all history collections, especially those devoted to twentieth-century political history.”

“Journalist Maier pieces together a multigenerational saga of two renowned families…Perhaps most pleasing is Maier’s skill at locating information about less famous individuals who played key roles in the ways the two families connected and disconnected…His research carries the book along as interesting anecdotes continue to emerge.”

“Narrator Malcolm Hillgartner [gives] each major player his own voice. In the case of the easily recognizable—Winston Churchill, FDR, JFK, and RFK—he provides rough but serviceable imitations that enliven the reading and aid listener comprehension. He lends excitement to the material without overdoing it and…his persistent energy helps keep the listener focused, and his strong voice and serious manner make the book’s main material—gossip—seem more substantial. Overall, Hillgartner’s narration renders this work more enjoyable than it might otherwise be.”

“Thomas Maier has achieved the remarkable feat of offering rich new insight into the lives, achievements, and failures of two famous families, the Churchills and the Kennedys. If you think you know everything there is to know about the Churchills and Kennedys, you’re wrong. Maier examines his subjects as no biographer has before. It is a monumental accomplishment.”

“A highly enjoyable and expertly told account of two of the most important political families of the twentieth century.”

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