Cover Image: Night of Camp David

Night of Camp David

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First published in 1965; published by Vintage on November 20, 2018

Night of Camp David is a prescient novel; its foreshadowing of today’s political landscape is eerie. It is easy to understand why Vintage decided last year that it was time to rerelease this 1965 book to a new audience. Its author, Fletcher Knebel, was a journalist turned novelist who is best known for the political thriller Seven Days in May.

President Mark Hollenbach invites Senator Jim MacVeagh to Camp David in the middle of the night. The president wants to discuss his plan to wiretap every phone in the nation. Now this is 1965, back when the notion that the government would invade our privacy and use computers to store millions of telephone calls was still shocking. The novel also imagines that people are shocked to learn that the vice president steered a construction contract to his friends. What would the public in 1965 have thought about a president who profits when foreign officials book rooms in his hotels? Nothing shocks any more.

At any rate, Hollenbach sees his vice president as an enemy (the mild corruption scandal in any event means the veep has to go) and is considering MacVeagh as his candidate for vice president in his second term. Hollenbach doesn’t know that MacVeigh is having an affair with a woman named Rita. MacVeagh knows he should break it off (again, the novel was written in an era when having an affair might have been a liability for a politician) while Rita knows that MacVeagh is a lovable, good-natured, lazy bum who has no business being VP.

The novel recalls a simpler time when affairs by politicians were not often publicized because voters would have held them against the candidate. Today a president can brag about grabbing women by the pussy and be accused of multiple sexual assaults without losing the loyalty of his base. The times they have a-changed.

Hollenbach turns out to be creepily authoritarian. He wants to cut off White House access to a journalist who portrays him in an unfavorable light. Why does that sound familiar? He views himself as the victim of vast conspiracies, complaining of “an obvious conspiracy afoot to sully and demean me, even to destroy me.” He doesn’t use the phrase “witch hunt,” but the president’s paranoia is otherwise familiar to current consumers of the news. The Secretary of Defense, justly worried about the man who has his finger on the button, notes that Hollenbach “thinks he’s the victim of conspiracies who are plotting to destroy him, and he has obvious delusions of grandeur.” Yet Hollenbach is, for the most part, a competent president, unlike the “very stable genius” who currently occupies the office.

Hollenbach wants the United States to add Canada and the Scandinavian countries to its territory (presumably adding to the nation’s whiteness). He doesn’t mention buying Greenland, but again the similarity between fiction and fact is uncanny.

Relatively early in the novel, MacVeagh begins to fear that the president is insane. The president’s supporters, on the other hand, make it seem that MacVeagh is the crazy one. Perhaps they have alternative facts at hand. In any event, treating bearers of unwelcome news as the enemy is another way in which the novel foreshadows the current political landscape.

Leaders of the president’s party (he happens to be a Democrat) are reluctant to interfere with the presidency, but to their credit, they eventually realize that something needs to be done. Knebel probably would never have imagined a political party acting as a cheerleader for a corrupt, morally bankrupt president who suffers from paranoia and delusions of grandeur. He did, however, understand that “millions of ordinary people like to imagine there’s a conspiracy behind everything.” That problem, exacerbated by the ability of conspiracy theories to go viral on the internet, has only grown worse.

Hollenbach at least is capable of recognizing when he goes over the top and apologizing for his paranoid attacks on loyal citizens. He apparently hasn’t learned that never admitting error and doubling down on obnoxious behavior is the best way to excite a bloodthirsty base.

If not for its remarkable parallel of a president who came to power more than 50 years after the novel was published, Night of Camp David would be too dated to recommend. Women are treated as silly creatures whose job is to serve men. As a political thriller, the novel is tame by modern standards. The crisis resolves too easily and the resolution isn’t particularly believable. But given Knebel’s ability to imagine a future that has come to pass, the novel is of more than historical interest.

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What would you do if you thought the POTUS was mentally unstable?

Hard to believe this was written so long ago, as it’s certainly relevant today. Of course this one ends well.

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"Night of Camp David" eBook was published in 2018 (the original paper edition was published in 1965) and was written by Fletcher Knebel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Knebel). Mr. Knebel published a dozen novels. 

I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is set in Washington D.C. during the 60s. The primary character is the Junior Senator from Iowa, Jim MacVeagh. 

MacVeagh is unexpectedly invited to Camp David one evening by the President. As the President begins talking with MacVeagh, the Senator begins to have misgivings about the sanity of the President. The Senator starts to investigate to prove to himself that the President is at risk. 

Soon MacVeagh finds himself being scrutinized for mental problems. With a summit with the Russians looming ahead, MacVeagh and a few others he has allied with must find a way to keep the President from meeting with the Russians. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 352-page thriller. While this novel was written nearly 55 years ago, it still reads well. There are some references to pay phones and other things from the 60s, but the story holds together well. I read many of Knebel's novels back in the 60s and enjoyed them. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel was originally published in 1965. Some of the words were outdated but the story itself stood the test of time.

In Night of Camp David a junior senator, James F. MacVeigh, had a private meeting with President Mark Hollenbach at Camp David. Hollenbach begins to bring MacVeigh into his confidence. At first, MacVeigh is honored but he notices odd behavior of the president and wonders if Hollenbach is unstable.

I have never done this but I am going to copy Howard's Goodreads review which he posted 3/15/15. He wrote "I didn't write a review of this book, because in this instance the publisher's blurb is a perfect review that does not spoil the plot. That is rare." https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1228015367

Because of the current political climate I do not discuss politics. That being said, this is intriguing story and am glad I read it. Just remember it was published in 1965 so some of the attitudes toward women will annoy some people.

I added Fletcher Knebel's 1962 novel, "Seven Days In May" and the corresponding movie starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas to my want to read/see lists.

Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/27/19.

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Fletcher Knebel’s bestselling book, Night of Camp David, was written in 1965. Although it is somewhat dated, the theme is as frightening now as it was forty years ago. And, when I read the book when it was first published, the idea of a president losing a grip on reality seemed almost impossible. In today’s political climate that threat seems not only possible but frighteningly real. As the New York Times says: “A little too plausible for comfort”.

At first glance, the story line concerning the senator’s affair seems unnecessary. But, it does point out how personal lives can and do intersect the political arena. Jim MacVeagh is a junior senator from Iowa. He appears to be a up and comer in Washington, but he is also considered by many as a politician who is somewhat laissez faire about his job and could never be called a hard worker. Regardless, he is tapped by the president as the vice-presidential nominee for the up-coming election. Although he is elated to be picked, MacVeagh also begins to have misgivings about the stability of the president. What follows is a roller coaster of events, as McVeagh attempts to confirm his suspicions and decide who he can trust with the information he has.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political intrigue. It’s interesting to see how the question of a president’s competence was handled by author fifty years ago. And, how the same questions still exist today.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

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All I can say about this book is, if the author were alive today and could see the way the current president acts, he would probably be alarmed. I've been tainted because the actions of President Mark Hollenbach are more tame than every day of this Trump presidency. That said, I enjoyed this book, even though it's basically non-fiction now.

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I've read (as we all have) many books speculating about the president of the US in all kinds of situations...in the movies and in paperback thrillers. I did not find this as convincing or smart as i have other material = partially it has the feel of another era of fiction. We are supposed to find Jim's having a mistress sort of off-base, when it's a more equal playing field between men and women for example these many years later. I am afraid I found it all a it dull - perhaps the reality of what we hear is going on in the present-day White House outshines it all. Frankly I could not finish the book ... while recognising that the writer is adept, and can write real characters.

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Night of Camp David is a disappointing read. When originally published it may have brought some interest with a "behind the scenes" look at Washington D.C., the society politics, the affairs, the behind the scenes dealing are all elements that were not so available to the public as they are now. Additionally the book poses the question "what to do if a President goes crazy while in office?

The real reason this novel is being re-released is because people want to pretend or actually fear this is the state of the current Commander in Chief (as I write this in late 2018). Ironically, I heard that the book came from a discussion that occurred when President Carter acted odd one night shortly after his swearing in. Still the question is a good one, but the conclusion/answer is not satisfying and a lot of plodding is accomplished by the reader who can make it to the conclusion of this work.

Again, I am sure that in its day it was satisfying, as to today, it is a museum piece and one not worth, in this reviewer's opinion, spending too much time on.

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For some reason I still remember a tattered paperback of Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel in my huge collection of books only for the tagline "What if the President of the USA went stark-raving mad?" Never read it. Probably donated it to a charity like Friends of the Library. At the time, going by the back cover. I thought it was a thinly veiled allusion to Richard Nixon. I did not know at the time the book originally came out in 1965.

Fast forward to 2018, where we currently have a president that some have described as unhinged or incompetent. Let's be clear, Night of Camp David is not some Nostradamus like prediction of the Trump presidency any more than I thought it was a reference to the Nixon presidency. Long out of print, interest had recently brought the book back into publication. I even received a NetGalley copy even though I had pre-ordered a paperback already.

The book itself is fairly simplistic, maybe even a little longer than it needs to be. A young junior senator from Iowa gets called to Camp David one night at the behest of the President. While there, in a darkened office the President rails about the Vice President whose own scandal the President takes as a personal attack against him. He want's the young senator, Jim McVeigh to be his new running mate for re-election instead of the current VP. He them goes on to promote the idea of nationwide wiretaps of citizens. Bells start going off in McVeigh's head. But the offer of a vice presidency silences those bells.

But another encounter with the President as well as accounts from other people who have talked to him raises alarming red flags to him where he is convinced the President nuts.

What happens over the next few hundred pages is a lot of hemming and hawing between McVeagh's own doubts and trying to keep things secret until he is absolutely sure. Even the few people he confides in aren't convinced. In fact, they think he is the one that is losing his mind.

As far as political thrillers, this is definitely political, but barely has any thrills. Senator Jim MacVeagh is not the brightest bulb in the bunch and he is definitely morally flawed with his extramarital affair. At times the dialog is very dated and sometimes sound like an episode of Mad Men.

The situations themselves does come across as very plausible in how other political figures would react and initially refuse to believe that the president has become an unhinged paranoid with delusions of grandeur. The book was published in 1965, and the 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967. But Fletcher Knebel was also a political newspaper columnist so we can assume he drew on his background for the material. And at time it reads almost like a satire. Perhaps it is and we were never told.

The novel comes to a tidy end. Perhaps it comes at that end a little too conveniently. Nevertheless it is a short read worth taking with you on a plane or to the beach.

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Very timely comeback for this novel, originally published in 1965. The US president sporatically displays erratic, paranoid, and delusional behaviors. A young senator, who witnessed the behavior on multiple occasions, tries to discreetly sound the alarm, only to be thwarted by those who should be protecting the country rather than a president who is buckling under the weight of mental illness. Excellent commentary on the lengths people go to preserve the status quo at all costs.

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The thought of a president who has gone mad and what to do about it. How do you convenience those in power that the president cannot be left in charge? Junior Senator Jim MacVeagh from Iowa has been called to Camp David by the president to talk about the future of the country and maybe he would join the president as vice-president in his second term. Jim comes away from the meeting scared of what happened and what to do about it. This story is about how Jim has to decide who he can talk to and what he can say about what happened with the president.

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I recommend it as a great historical read about what would happen if the president went mad before the media talked about it. The president is portrayed in a sympathetic manner

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Senator Jim McVeagh is approached by President Mark Hollenbach at a journalists’ dinner and invited to Camp David the same evening. While there, the President states that using wiretaps on every phone in America is a good way to prevent crime. He then goes on a paranoid rant against his own Vice President, OMalley. He asks Jim what he thinks of various alternatives he is considering as running mates for his reelection campaign. One of the alternatives is Jim himself.

After returning home, Jim learns that others are concerned about the President’s paranoia too. When the President offers Jim the vice presidency, he accepts but doesn’t mention his long-time mistress, Rita. Soon afterwards, Jim breaks it off with Rita.

As the President gets increasingly paranoid, he floats many plans to remove rights from the American people beginning with freedom of the press. He also sleeps less and less while becoming moody. When he talks of merging with Canada and Scandinavia, Jim believes he speaking about conquering those countries. It is then that Jim concluded the President is insane.

Night of Camp David seems like it was written for our current political climate of a President who also appears to have “delusions of persecution and perhaps grandeur as well.” However, it was originally published in 1965 well before the Trump and Nixon presidencies it most resembles. It is still a topical book even if it is written in a slower pace than current thrillers. It’s worth a read for political junkies. 3 stars.

Thanks to Vintage Anchor Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A reissue of a book a book so timely it seems drawn from today’s headlines.What happens if a President is mentally unstable.Could not put it down highly recommend. #netgalley #knopfdoubleday,

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No doubt this book has been reissued because it has some relevance to our current political situation (and it was recently mentioned on Rachel Maddow's show). The issues raised (what do you do if the president is mentally incapacitated? Who should judge his/her mental state?) are intriguing. However, the writing is terribly dated by the outdated characterizations of female and minority characters and by an ending that is rather unbelievable. (No one can come to the right decision, but it's okay because this president does the right thing in the end.) The main character, a first-term senator, is very wooden and, frankly, the subplot concerning his private life was boring.

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Amazing story... to close to real life in 2018! I picked up this book based on a recommendation from Rachel Maddow from MSNBC. It is being reprinted at this time because of the demand for copies of it after it went out of print. This book is a classic. The circumstances are so close to our reality today, it gave me goosebumps.

When reading this political thriller, remember this book was written in *** 1965 *** people. It is almost like life does imitate fiction in a scary way. Recommended to any reader who enjoys a magnificent thrilling political story.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy with me.

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I didn’t read this older book word for word, but you will see it’s relevance in today’s politics. I ca understand why it is making a comeback.

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One of my all-time favorites, it’s great to see this book available again, and it is so timeless. What happens when the president is mentally unable to lead the government? The rules are in place, but can/will they be enforced?

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Who would have guessed that my favorite novel of 2018 would turn out to be a book first published in 1965 and brought back into print because it is somehow all too relevant again? This book is an all-too-believable account of what were to happen if the President of the United States was mentally unfit for the job but only a few people were stuck with the burden of knowing what was going on. I found this book to be well-written and a page-turner to the very end.

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