The Lion and the Journalist

The Unlikely Friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and Joseph Bucklin Bishop

This is a richly drawn portrait of the exceptional lives of two great men. More than that, it’s a remarkable tale of power, politics and presidential courage.

Roosevelt, privileged New Yorker and accidental president, and Bishop, a crafty editor from old New England stock, met when the future Rough Rider was reform police commissioner of New York City. Bishop hitched his wagon to the politician’s star and used his positions at influential New York newspapers to buttress Roosevelt’s initiatives first as commissioner, then as governor and president of the U.S., adroitly shaping the opinions of voters and decision makers.

As president, after deploying his trademark gunboat diplomacy to execute plans for the Panama Canal, T.R. anointed Bishop Secretary of the Isthmian Canal Commission in Washington D.C. But when construction dragged and the canal became a political liability, T.R. dispatched him to Panama, where he rebounded by using his skills to bolster Congressional support, improve worker morale and push public opinion in the president’s favor.

This is a fresh and welcome look at one of our nation’s most important leaders, still admired in the 21st century by Republicans and Democrats alike, and the largely unknown strategist who deftly helped him achieve his goals.

Chip Bishop’s first book skillfully explores how a pioneering president yoked the media to his advantage and how men and machines united two vast oceans in the face of death-defying odds. It is also a fascinating story of mutual loyalty and dedication that begins in shared opposition to corruption in New York, pushes through ambition and hardship in the jungles of Panama, and culminates in days of boldness and courage in the White House and beyond.

The Lion and the Journalist is a necessary book for everyone who enjoys history and politics and seeks a better understanding of the role that friendship and loyalty play in both.

Order Online

Buy at your Local Independent Bookstore
or

Click here to Order

Lion and Journalist Facebook Page: