It seems that our world in immersing deeper and deeper into the mire of political and armed conflicts. Every day we hear about a new humanitarian or economic crisis that is tackled by the politicians. They make sounding promises which are mostly left unfulfilled and drowned in the turmoil. We see only the facade of the political world but the books, which we have chosen this week for you, will help you to gain the insight of what is going on behind the closed doors.
The House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
Perhaps you have heard about the immensely popular TV series of the same name, starring Kevin Spacey, which is already in its fifth season. The plot of these series is built around the cunning deeds of a vindictive politician Frank Underwood. However, not all of you know that this phenomenal show is based on a book written by Michael Dobbs, a British conservative politician and a best-selling author. The name of the main protagonist of this novel is Frank Urquhart. He is a whip of the ruling Conservative Party, which has the colloquial name of Tories, and a true veteran of parliament games. Although Francis is a successful and influential politician, he is not completely satisfied with the current state of affairs, and his ambitions go way beyond a job of a mere whip where he has no real power and authority. Francis is eager to deal with really important matters and to find the way into a close circle of decision-makers who really rule the country and determine the fate of the rest of the world. He has exerted every effort so that the prime minister could keep his job during the scheduled election. Having achieved that, Francis presented the plan of reshuffling of the positions in the Cabinet of Ministers to the Prime Minister, implying that he should be requited for his services. However, the Prime Minister had already adopted the plan of further actions, and it did not include Francis Urquhart. This decision left Francis in utter shock, so he took on a path of vengeance. He is going to fight tooth and nail to reach new heights in the stardom of British politics. Francis nourished an idea to destroy the Prime Minister and to take his seat. It would be a truly dire revenge.
American Hero by Larry Beinhart
This novel by Larry Beinhart was published more than ten years ago and immediately earned the reputation of an ultimate masterpiece of a stinging political satire. American Hero was written in the years when George H. W. Bush was holding the main office at the White House. It reveals the hidden strings that get pulled during every election campaign, all secret tricks in the playbook of every ambitious politician. Lee Atwater, the leading character of this novel, is a real political personality who was placed in the fictional circumstances by the author. In 1988, a short time before the start of the presidential race, he elaborates a successful campaign that helps George Bush win the election. But soon Atwater would regret that he took part in this game of politics. Turns out that president Bush is obsessed with the idea of getting in the confrontation with Iran. To make the matters worse, he is unable to put two words together in any formal speech, and he is in deep debt. In other words, George Bush is not even close to being the role model for the nation. Beinhart managed to bleed the realities of Bush administration with an amusing fiction, thus creating a political satire with elements of thriller and intelligent comedy. In 1997, Barry Levinson shot a hilarious black comedy called Wag the Dog, which is an adaptation of this political novel.
All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
The book by the renowned American novelist, poet, and literary critic depicts an evil, sharp-witted, and a sarcastic picture of the “political kitchen” of the election campaign in a godforsaken Southern state. This literary work achieved such a great public acknowledgment that Robert Penn Warren was awarded the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel. Even now, after almost six decades, this novel so relevant, as if it was written yesterday. The book depicts every tricks and details of the political game that we are witnessing every day: smear campaigns, bribery, blackmailing, and the use of compromising materials to gain a political edge over opponents.
“Politics is a matter of choices, and a man doesn't set up the choices himself. And there is always a price to make a choice. You know that. You've made a choice, and you know how much it cost you. There is always a price.”
However, it is much more than just a political writing, it a quite a philosophical side.
“And what we students of history always learn is that the human being is a very complicated contraption and that they are not good or bad but are good and bad and the good comes out of the bad and the bad out of the good, and the devil takes the hindmost.”
All of the King's Men portrays not only human vices in all of their aspects, it shows the real life, without embellishing things.
“How life is strange and changeful, and the crystal is in the steel at the point of fracture, and the toad bears a jewel in its forehead, and the meaning of moments passes like the breeze that scarcely ruffles the leaf of the willow.”
All of the King's Men is one of the best readings of all time, and we strongly recommend you to find a place for it in your home library.
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