# Political fiction **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 4, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109 "2008-11-04T19:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/1 "2008-11-04T19:09:23Z")
As the election season ends, I’m interested in picking up some fiction with a strong political (preferably realistic) bent. Something that explores how mundane or grand political events were handled elsewhere and elsewhen. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/2 "2008-11-04T19:24:15Z")
See if you can find any of the old Fletcher Knebel novels. They are dated, of course, but Knebel knew how to write a good narrative. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/3 "2008-11-04T19:26:06Z")
Former Clinton staffer Joe Klein’s _Primary Colors_, a thinly fictionalised account of the trials and tribulations of a Bill Clinton {Jack Stanton, in the novel} campaign staffer during Clinton’s first run at the primaries is a pretty much indispensable read for an insider account of how the politics you see on TV is actually put together behind the scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/4 "2008-11-04T20:01:32Z")
Allan Drury’s first Washington novel, _Advise and Consent_, is a classic from 1959. It may be the best representation of that long-lost political world. Unfortunately he did a long series of sequels after that and they descended into the tropes of what was at the time nutty conservativism. One whole novel concerned the riotous upheaval of… the U.S. vetoing a U.N. resolution. (We never had at the time. We have since. I’m not sure even political obsessives remember the details today, but I’m positive there were no riots in the streets.) Edwin O’Connor’s _The Last Hurrah_ is the equivalent for local politics. Written in 1956, it features a mayor of what is obviously Boston, the head of an old-time political machine, who is stunned in the election to discover that the old ways of politicking had been turned on its head. The problem with the book is that it focuses totally on the Mayor so you never see what is attractive about or is happening in the other side. Still a classic. Gore Vidal has done a series of books, the [Narratives of Empire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narratives_of_Empire), written not in chronological order, about Washington’s place in American history. \*Burr \*is my favorite, but it’s also about the earliest era. The novel may or may not match what you would call realistic. Vidal’s take on the world often is more satiric than real, though it’s hard to tell with him. He’s also as left-wing as Drury is right-wing. Christopher Buckley has written a long series of satiric, and certainly non-realistic, books about the modern Washington scene. _Thank You for Smoking_, recently made into a very good movie, is my favorite of his. I haven’t read every book by every author mentioned, though. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/5 "2008-11-04T20:22:01Z")
If you want a very hefty dose of 19th century British politics, try Trollope’s [Palliser novels](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palliser_novels). They’ve also been made into a [TV series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pallisers). ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/6 "2008-11-04T20:26:22Z")
If you don’t mind British politics, try the following: [House of Cards](http://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Cards-Michael-Dobbs/dp/0006176909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225830247&sr=1-1) and [A Very British Coup](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-British-Coup-Chris-Mullin/dp/1842751484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225830296&sr=1-1) Both describe the subversion of democracy from within the power establishment, but come at it from VERY different political viewpoints. Both great reads, and also both were very good TV series as well. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/7 "2008-11-04T20:51:19Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > Former Clinton staffer Joe Klein’s _Primary Colors_, a thinly fictionalised account of the trials and tribulations of a Bill Clinton {Jack Stanton, in the novel} campaign staffer during Clinton’s first run at the primaries is a pretty much indispensable read for an insider account of how the politics you see on TV is actually put together behind the scenes. Another Clinton book (though it might seem dated now) is Christopher Buckley’s [No Way to Treat a First Lady](http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/first_lady/). It was so funny it made me snort coffee up my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/8 "2008-11-05T01:59:27Z")
[Becoming Madame Mao](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becoming_Madame_Mao) It deals quite a bit with Madame Mao’s life in general, but even that seems to largely be involved with politics though it seems like it shouldn’t be (like opera.) A good read and quite thought provoking. Definitely a rather evil woman given that this will probably be the most gracious look at her that you’ll find and she’s still fairly well merrily planning the Cultural Revolution with the full expectation that it will destabilize the nation and cause millions of deaths. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/9 "2008-11-05T02:13:35Z")
I think the greatest American political novel is All the King’s Mean by Robert Penn Warren. What a great book. I have read it quite a few times. I can’t seem to open it without being drawn in. (and the Broderick Crawford-starring movie of the book is a pretty good movie. but the book is great IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/10 "2008-11-05T02:58:10Z")
[Mentioned in another thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5237652&highlight=Jeff+Greenfield#post5237652)is Jeff Greenfield’s 1995 novel _The People’s Choice._ Not a brilliant book, but a dman fine discussion of how the Electoral College works and how easily it could fall apart. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/11 "2008-11-05T03:11:23Z")
oh my god, I can’t believe I misspelled All The King’s Men. and I missed the edit window. sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/12 "2008-11-05T03:11:52Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > I think the greatest American political novel is All the King’s Mean by Robert Penn Warren. What a great book. I have read it quite a few times. I can’t seem to open it without being drawn in. (and the Broderick Crawford-starring movie of the book is a pretty good movie. but the book is great IMHO). Haven’t read it, but _All the King’s Men_ is excellent. 🙂 However, I recommend reading a biography of the real Huey Long first. It’s a story more amazing than the fiction. And it’s hard to understand _All the King’s Men_ at this remove without understanding the political and social reality behind it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/13 "2008-11-05T03:14:03Z")
I’ve been thinking about having another look at Irving Wallace’s THE MAN, about how a black man becomes President of the US. A lot of people had to die in Wallace’s mid 1960s political landscape for that to happen. I don’t believe I’ve touched the book in forty years, but it was a pretty good read back in the day. Penn Warren’s novel is the classic of its type. I read that one in grad school, and it was the most readable novel I studied. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/14 "2008-11-05T03:19:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Former Clinton staffer Joe Klein’s Primary Colors When was Joe Klien a Clinton staffer? He’s always been a journalist and columnist as far as I know. During Clinton’s administration, he was working for _Newsweek_, CBS, and _The New Yorker_. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/15 "2008-11-05T03:22:39Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > [Mentioned in another thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5237652&highlight=Jeff+Greenfield#post5237652)is Jeff Greenfield’s 1995 novel _The People’s Choice._ Not a brilliant book, but a dman fine discussion of how the Electoral College works and how easily it could fall apart. another vote for this one (not to be confused with “that one”). not the fastest page turner on the shelf, but a really good primer on the e.c.. it answers many of the questions on the board lately. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/16 "2008-11-05T11:45:02Z")
I used to like C. P. Snow; it’s been a while since I read him. His books are very much English and may now seem a bit dated, though. You could try [The Corridors of Power](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corridors-Power-Strangers-Brothers/dp/1842324195/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225885274&sr=1-5)… ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/17 "2008-11-05T12:56:28Z")
> [@villa](#): > > If you don’t mind British politics, try the following: > > [House of Cards](http://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Cards-Michael-Dobbs/dp/0006176909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225830247&sr=1-1) > > and > > [A Very British Coup](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-British-Coup-Chris-Mullin/dp/1842751484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225830296&sr=1-1) > > Both describe the subversion of democracy from within the power establishment, but come at it from VERY different political viewpoints. Both great reads, and also both were very good TV series as well. “You may say that - I couldn’t possibly comment…” ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/18 "2008-11-05T13:00:32Z")
Have they brought out book versions of The West Wing,I totally enjoyed all of the series and would enjoy reading it also. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/19 "2008-11-05T19:23:19Z")
Thanks, everyone. Most of these names are complete blanks for me other than _Primary Colors_. I’ve watched “House of Cards” on TV. Similar to the book? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109/20 "2008-11-05T19:31:27Z")
I just reread what I posted and it comes off weird. Lemme try again. Thanks for all of these recommendations. I hadn’t heard of lots of them and am interested! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-fiction/471109.md?page=2)