The Old Lion Quotes

“or intimidate by their skill at manipulation. But what they’re missing is respect. Most of those people don’t know what respect is anymore. They’re just trying to stay in power. And make no mistake. Power isn’t respect. It’s just power.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“The outdoors should become your hobby, as it is mine.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“No man gains the respect of any around him if he does not stand up for himself, even if it means responding to a gross insult with a hearty use of the fist. I should like to see you tighten yourself, gain some girth.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“By splitting the Republican vote, it is quite likely that Roosevelt is responsible for the election of the Democrat, Woodrow Wilson, a historical footnote that Roosevelt would despise.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“Nothing in this country is ours for free. I have friends who did everything in their power to keep their boys out of the war. Their sons have turned out to be nothing more than pretty boys who know all the steps of the tango, how to make small talk at parties, all the proper kinds of socks and neckties—all of them useless and mollycoddled. My boys all volunteered willingly, and they all served this country well.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“After an era of corporate mergers and backslapping dealmaking, Roosevelt had suddenly shined a light where darkness had prevailed for decades.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“looked again at the sculpture, the cowboy struggling to handle the bucking bronco. Such is life, he thought. Mine, theirs. We must all learn to handle what comes next, no matter the struggle.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“No matter if an entire squadron is fresh, no one wants to be the man who runs, who can’t take it. They say that cowardice is contagious. I don’t believe that. From my experience, it’s the other way around. It’s bravery that’s contagious.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“You ever get afraid? Dying and all?” Roosevelt was surprised by the question. “Every day. And never. If I’ve done the right thing and have a clear conscience, I’m ready to go out. If I have to make up for something, well, then I want more time. I suppose that’s what makes me afraid, that I’ve left too much undone.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“George Washington once said, ‘to be prepared for war is the most effectual means to promote peace.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“If God had a lesson, or a message, there shouldn’t be a go-between.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“The worst of all fears is the fear of living. —THEODORE ROOSEVELT”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“Roosevelt hated President Woodrow Wilson, considered him a disaster for the nation’s foreign policy, and was absolutely certain that Wilson’s naked idealism and mindless ambition would accomplish nothing to heal anyone’s wounds and might sow the seeds for yet another war.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“We must either wear out or rust out. My choice is to wear out. —THEODORE”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“More”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“It’s up to the government to keep the peace, to maintain justice.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“Good lesson, Mr. Hagedorn. Listening can sometimes be better than talking. I’m not the best example of that, I admit.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“the troops should be housed in quarters that were thoroughly ventilated and disinfected. As a crowning touch of lunacy to the recommendations, the War Department advised that the soldiers avoid moving about in the sun, making every effort to move outdoors only in the coolest part of the day. It was certain that none of these medical people had ever been in a war.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“no one should have to be ordered to prepare for war. It’s a dangerous world,”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“Weakness invites aggression. I truly believe that, and I truly believe we are dangerously weak.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt

“And right now, we are not prepared for anything. That could have deadly consequences in this world.”
― Jeff Shaara, The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt