About this item
The first comprehensive history of the deeply entwined personal and public lives of the Churchills and the Kennedys and what their "special relationship" meant for Great Britain and the United States When Lions Roar begins in the mid-1930s at Chartwell, Winston Churchill's country estate, with new revelations surrounding a secret business deal orchestrated by Joseph P. Kennedy, the soon-to-be American ambassador to Great Britain and the father of future American president John F. Kennedy. From London to America, these two powerful families shared an ever-widening circle of friends, lovers, and political associates - soon shattered by World War II, spying, sexual infidelity, and the tragic deaths of JFK's sister Kathleen and his older brother Joe Jr. By the 1960s and JFK's presidency, the Churchills and the Kennedys had overcome their bitter differences and helped to define the "greatness" in each other. Acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier tells this dynastic saga through fathers and their sons - and the remarkable women in their lives - providing keen insight into the Churchill and Kennedy families and the profound forces of duty, loyalty, courage and ambition that shaped them. He explores the seismic impact of Winston Churchill on JFK and American policy, wrestling anew with the legacy of two titans of the twentieth century. Maier also delves deeply into the conflicted bond between Winston and his son, Randolph, and the contrasting example of patriarch Joe Kennedy, a failed politician who successfully channeled his personal ambitions to his children. By approaching these iconic figures from a new perspective, Maier not only illuminates the intricacies of this all-important cross-Atlantic allegiance but also enriches our understanding of the tumultuous time in which they lived and the world events they so greatly influenced. With deeply human portraits of these flawed but larger-than-life figures, When Lions Roar explores the "special relationship" between the Churchills and Kennedys, and between Great Britain and the United States, highlighting all of its emotional complexity and historic significance.
About the Author
America in our times is the backdrop for my biographies, which have been singled out by critics for best-of-the-year honors. My new book "Mafia Spies" shows how the CIA recruited two gangsters to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro during the Cold War. In a starred review, Booklist called it "brilliant" and "enormous fun" and "standout" among non-fiction spy books. My previous book, "WHEN LIONS ROAR: The Churchills and the Kennedys," (Crown) examines the relationship of the two famous dynasties and how they defined the Anglo-American "special relationship" during the 20th Century. It got rave reviews from The Washington Post and Library Journal, was excerpted in The Wall Street Journal, Time.com and Salon, gained TV appearances with Chris Matthew's "Hardball" and on "Morning Joe", made headlines in London's Daily Mail and news sites around the world, and was a featured forum at the JFK Presidential Library televised by C-Span's BOOKTV. WHEN LIONS ROAR is based on extensive research at the Churchill Archives and other repositories in the United Kingdom, the JFK Library in Boston, the FDR Library in NY, and the Library of Congress in DC. It recasts history by putting important new light on the little-known personal history between the two families and contains several important disclosures about their business and political dealings and their impact on our lives today. I'm also the author and a producer of "MASTERS OF SEX" - the Emmy-winning Showtime drama series based on my biography of Masters and Johnson. (On Amazon, make sure to look for the new book edition featuring actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan on the cover) . WATCH THIS VIDEO to hear about the making of "Masters of Sex" from my biography into the Showtime series. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=nQy6fyy5LgU When first published as a hardcover in 2009, "Masters of Sex" was called "eye-opening" and "a bombshell" by the Sunday New York Times Book Review, "well written with good humor" by the NY Times daily reviewer Dwight Garner, "an intelligent and well-conceived biography" by The Washington Post, along with a starred review by Booklist. The Chicago Tribune listed it among the paper's favorite non-fiction books of 2009. [Oprah's "O" magazine even cited it among its top 10 "smart, engaging, occasionally uproarious" books dealing with sex]. "THE KENNEDYS: America's Emerald Kings" (Basic Books, 2003) was featured on ABC's "20/20" program, the CBS Evening News, NBC's "Today" show and in publications around the world. "The Kennedys" was praised as one of the top 10 all-time JFK books by the American Booksellers Association's "Book Sense" program. It was featured prominently as annual holiday choice by
