When Lions Roar: The Churchills and the Kennedys

When reading the sub-title of the book, my first thought was: someone has come up with another far-fetched idea for an angle on Churchill. After reading the book, however, I have to confess there is nothing fanciful about the idea. Thomas Maier's book is a sound study of the influence Churchill had on JFK, how this came about and its influence on history.

The book focuses first on the two family patriarchs, Winston Churchill and Joe Kennedy. It tells of their shady dealings at the end of the Prohibition era in America, when with the help of Franklin Roosevelt oldest son, Joe brokered a deal to import British liquor to the US. Winston obtained some lucrative stock in two companies controlled by Joe. From that moment onwards the lives of the two families intertwine. Joe and Winston becoming divided over America's entry into World War II. In the end these isolationist views will cost Joe his is political career. The spotlight shifts to the next generation, on the political rise of JFK and the tragic decline of Randolph Churchill into alcoholism, after he tried in vain to hold his own in the shadow of his overpowering father. Maier superbly dissects the role women played in the lives of these powerful man, be it as wives or mistresses. There are vivid profiles of colorful figures like Bernard Baruch, Evelyn Waugh, Aristotle Onassis, Averell Harriman, John Winant and Edward R. Murrow. Although the book is a bit gossipy now and then, it certainly is an important addition to the written history of both families.

I have bought the e-book version when the book became available, together with the audio version. The e-book was a big disappointment, in that the book didn't have any index. How publishers think a reader will be helped by a search function in a book of 714 pages, is beyond me. Can you imagine how many hits there are for Winston? Still more of a problem where the notes. Notes occupy more than 100 pages, but their numbers are not in the text. So while reading a passage you haven't any idea there's a note on the subject. For a well-researched book like this, a sad omission.

The audio book was read by Malcolm Hillgartner, who did a superb job. When a narrator is able to retain your attention for 22 hours, he's certainly doing it right.