The War Lovers

Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, and the Rush to Empire, 1898

By: Evan Thomas

Narrated by: Richard Davidson

On February 15, 1898, the American ship USS Maine mysteriously exploded in the Havana Harbor. News of the blast quickly reached U.S. shores, where it was met by some not with alarm but great enthusiasm.

A powerful group of war lovers agitated that the United States exert its muscle across the seas. Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge were influential politicians dismayed by the "closing" of the Western frontier. William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal falsely heralded that Spain's "secret infernal machine" had destroyed the battleship as Hearst himself saw great potential in whipping Americans into a frenzy. The Maine would provide the excuse they'd been waiting for.

On the other side were Roosevelt's former teacher, philosopher William James, and his friend and political ally, Thomas Reed, the powerful Speaker of the House. Both foresaw a disaster. At stake was not only sending troops to Cuba and the Philippines, Spain's sprawling colony on the other side of the world-but the friendships between these men.

Now, bestselling historian Evan Thomas brings us the full story of this monumental turning point in American history. Epic in scope and revelatory in detail, The War Lovers takes us from Boston mansions to the halls of Congress to the beaches of Cuba and the jungles of the Philippines. It is landmark work with an unforgettable cast of characters-and provocative relevance to today.

Excellent and Provoking

As an Black American it was appalling to hear all the white man should rule the world and eradicate and/or subjugate anybody else and scrub the world of any other cultures after cruelly plundering their cultures for anything of value.

However, upon finishing the book I could not help but to admire those men for what they did, and to furthermore recognize how much we all benefit from this conquest. Also, it illustrates the predatory relationships engendered by unregulated free markets, and how foreign war and conquest seems to create these markets where unfettered capitalism can flourish. It also makes one think about what an egalitarian world might look like, and what pirate treasure would have to be returned for true reconciliation and understanding to take root.

Entertaining History Great Reader

Thomas, the author, is a flaming lefty but nonetheless has given his subjects a fair and entertaining read.
The reader adds to this exponentially.

History is Cyclic

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. As one who sees parallels in our history, it is apparent that the late 1890s and the 1990s are similar. I see links to imperialism regarding Cuba and other Spanish "possessions" and our current affairs. One critic saw this book as misrepresenting us as imp r realistic, but I must disagree. We did develop a taste for an empire and had mixed results of it. This book also makes me want to study Theodore Roosevelt in much more detail.

Interesting Listen

It was an interesting time in the history of the USA. The old imperialists from Europe were losing their colonies. The book showed how the three main characters shared a vision for America while not being friends. TR and Lodge were best friends but neither cared for Hearst at all. Hearst didn’t like TR. The old saying that politics makes strange bedfellows was so true.
The performance kept the story moving along. It was read more like a novel than a history lesson.

Ooh, but the accents...

Would you listen to The War Lovers again? Why?

Yes.

What other book might you compare The War Lovers to and why?

McCulloch, Mornings on Horseback; any good biography of Hearst.

How could the performance have been better?

Good overall reading, but the attempt at a New England accent (chiefly for Tom Reed) yielded a travesty. I grew up there; I can't speak it any more now, but I sure know it when I hear it and this wasn't even close. For a sense of a real New England accent, listen to Marilyn Roach discuss the Salem witch trials, here: http://goo.gl/HJEJTD

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

No.