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Night of Camp David
How can one man convince the highest powers in Washington that the President of the United States is dangerously unstable--before it's too late?
Senator Jim MacVeagh is proud to serve his country--and his president, Mark Hollenbach, who has a near-spotless reputation as the vibrant, charismatic leader of MacVeagh's party and the nation. When Hollenbach begins taking MacVeagh into his confidence, the young senator knows that his star is on the rise.
But then Hollenbach starts summoning MacVeagh in the middle of the night to Camp David. There, the president sits in the dark and rants about his enemies, unfurling insane theories about all the people he says are conspiring against him. They would do anything, President Hollenbach tells the stunned senator, to stop him from setting in motion the grand, unprecedented plans he has to make America a great world power once again.
MacVeagh comes away from these meetings increasingly convinced that the man he once admired has lost his mind. But what can he do? Who can he tell?
Senator Jim MacVeagh is proud to serve his country--and his president, Mark Hollenbach, who has a near-spotless reputation as the vibrant, charismatic leader of MacVeagh's party and the nation. When Hollenbach begins taking MacVeagh into his confidence, the young senator knows that his star is on the rise.
But then Hollenbach starts summoning MacVeagh in the middle of the night to Camp David. There, the president sits in the dark and rants about his enemies, unfurling insane theories about all the people he says are conspiring against him. They would do anything, President Hollenbach tells the stunned senator, to stop him from setting in motion the grand, unprecedented plans he has to make America a great world power once again.
MacVeagh comes away from these meetings increasingly convinced that the man he once admired has lost his mind. But what can he do? Who can he tell?
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
502 people are currently reading
2087 people want to read
About the author
Fletcher Knebel
57 books27 followersFletcher Knebel was an American author of several popular works of political fiction.
He graduated from high school in Yonkers, New York, spent a year studying at the Sorbonne and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1934. Upon graduation, he received a job offer from the Coatesville Record, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He spent the next 20 years working in newspapers, eventually becoming the political columnist for Cowles Publications. From 1951 to 1964, he satirized national politics and government in a nationally published column called "Potomac Fever".
In 1960, he wrote a chapter on John F. Kennedy for the book Candidates 1960. This seemed to ignite a passion for writing books and he turned his hand to book-length works. He wrote fifteen books, most of them fiction, and all of them dealing with politics. His best-known novel is Seven Days in May (1962), (co-written with Charles W. Bailey), about an attempted military coup in the United States. The book was a huge success, staying at number one on the New York Times bestseller list for almost a year, and was made into a successful film also titled "Seven Days in May" in 1964.
Knebel was married four times from 1935 to 1985. He committed suicide after a long bout with cancer, by taking an overdose of sleeping pills in his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1993. He is the source of the quote: "Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
He graduated from high school in Yonkers, New York, spent a year studying at the Sorbonne and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1934. Upon graduation, he received a job offer from the Coatesville Record, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He spent the next 20 years working in newspapers, eventually becoming the political columnist for Cowles Publications. From 1951 to 1964, he satirized national politics and government in a nationally published column called "Potomac Fever".
In 1960, he wrote a chapter on John F. Kennedy for the book Candidates 1960. This seemed to ignite a passion for writing books and he turned his hand to book-length works. He wrote fifteen books, most of them fiction, and all of them dealing with politics. His best-known novel is Seven Days in May (1962), (co-written with Charles W. Bailey), about an attempted military coup in the United States. The book was a huge success, staying at number one on the New York Times bestseller list for almost a year, and was made into a successful film also titled "Seven Days in May" in 1964.
Knebel was married four times from 1935 to 1985. He committed suicide after a long bout with cancer, by taking an overdose of sleeping pills in his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1993. He is the source of the quote: "Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
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June 12, 2019
Congratulations, you clever people at Vintage books! You really suckered me into reading this one!
I mean, there I was, minding my own business, walking past the shelves at a middling pace, when I saw this paperback book, its white white lettering glaring against a black black background: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. WENT STARK-RAVING MAD?
Now me, being a good American concerned for the fate of my country and in the habit of paying attention to the president’s tweets, thought to myself, yes, that could happen. So I examined the book more closely, and when I found it was Night of Camp David written by Fletcher Kneble (co-author of my second-favorite political thriller movie, Seven Days in May), I decided to give it a try.
Boy, was I was wrong! I won’t say it was bad exactly, but it was frequently boring, written in that typical mid-century bestseller style (Michener, Uris, Drury, etc.), featuring imperfectly developed characters who—especially considering how undeveloped they are—take themselves way too seriously. (I mean the men. The female characters—equally undeveloped, except for breast size--aren’t allowed to take themselves seriously at all.)
There are a few good moments here, most of them from the increasingly paranoid president: his joke at the Gridiron dinner about universal wire taps, his grand scheme to form a political union with Scandinavia, his cruel, self-absorbed letters to his son (bad grades) and an Oklahoma farmer (who dares to offer a harmless suggestion about water conservation).
The ending, though, was worse than the rest. Fletcher Kneble, in the long run, lost his nerve, and, refusing to consider the implications of ending with a bang, decided instead on a whimper. Do yourself a favor, and if you want to read a political thriller from the ‘60’s, choose Richard Condon’s Manchurian Candidate instead (which is my first favorite political thriller movie!).
Oh, a final word to the good folks at Vintage Books. I didn’t purchase that copy of Night at Camp David. I checked it out of the library instead. Ha! Ha! Got the last laugh on you!
January 8, 2019
What would happen if the President of the United States (POTUS) showed signs of mental instability? Such is the question in Fletcher Knebel’s 1965 political novel that reverberates in current literature. When James MacVeagh is summoned to meet with President Mark Hollenbach at Camp David, he is unsure what to expect, especially this late at night. The junior senator from Iowa agrees, hoping that he will be privy to some interesting information. Their meeting is quite odd, one in which Hollenbach expounds on how his beleaguered VP is likely to be replaced ahead of the Democratic National Convention later that year. POTUS also vents that there is a conspiracy building against him, leading him to want to enact all-encompassing phone tapping measures to keep the country safe. As MacVeagh leaves the meeting, he cannot help but wonder what he’s just witnessed, but remains tight-lipped for the time being. When, during a second late meeting with Hollenbach at Camp David, MacVeagh is told that he will be chosen for the VP position, he listens to a long-winded discussion of a new ‘super-state’ to rival the USSR and Red China. Convinced that there is something truly amiss, MacVeagh begins asking around about what others might have heard. While few have anything concrete to offer, some who hold MacVeagh’s confidence begin to wonder if the junior senator might be feeling the stress of the job. Meanwhile, a few Americans receive personalised letters from their Commander-in-Chief, missives that seem completely out of sorts for their curt and conspiratorial nature. As MacVeagh begins to approach congressional leaders, he realises that he has to act quickly, as there is only a loosely formal means of removing POTUS. When MacVeagh tries to act, those around him begin to wonder if he has his own political ambitions and must be stopped before he brings down a popular president. The race is on to find substantial answers before the country is in real danger. The question remains, who poses the greatest threat, Hollenbach or MacVeagh? A brilliant piece whose themes echo in today’s political climate, Knebel has penned a winner that many of those with a love of political thrillers should not pass up.
It was only by fluke that I stumbled upon this piece, written over half a century ago. It would seem, however, that a publisher has sought to shed some light on it, as it was recently re-released for the general public to appreciate again. Knebel was known for his political thrillers in the 1960s and 70s, which appear to pass the test of time. The reader will find much interest in both the MacVeagh and Hollenbach characters, both of whom are believable and relatable to current politicians. As MacVeagh has only recently found himself in federal politics, he is by no means out of touch with the American voter. Hollenbach, on the other hand, is well-versed in politics and the game being played. Both dance around the central issue of mental instability as it relates to POTUS, dodging and diving at just the right moment. The handful of other actors involved play key and interesting roles that both advance the narrative and keep the reader guessing. The story is strong and, as I mentioned before, can be read today with few bumps. Surely, there will be geographic and technological differences, but the story flows so well that the attentive reader can supplant talk of the USSR with Russia and albums with other forms of music devices. Of greatest interest to the fan of the political thriller will be that there is much discussion of the role of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution before it was enacted. While Congress passed the amendment—which deals with presidential incapacity—in the summer of 1965, it was not formally enacted until 1967. I am not entirely sure when in ‘65 Knebel released this book but he has a great deal of insight and, for the purposes of the book, relies on a presidential agreement with his vice-president about succession. One can only imagine what a modern novel might include by tackling the plot of this novel. I can only surmise that it might be explosive and well-worth my reading.
Kudos, Mr. Knebel, for a sensational story that has remained poignant all these years later. I will definitely be exploring some of your other work to see if they are just as exciting.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
It was only by fluke that I stumbled upon this piece, written over half a century ago. It would seem, however, that a publisher has sought to shed some light on it, as it was recently re-released for the general public to appreciate again. Knebel was known for his political thrillers in the 1960s and 70s, which appear to pass the test of time. The reader will find much interest in both the MacVeagh and Hollenbach characters, both of whom are believable and relatable to current politicians. As MacVeagh has only recently found himself in federal politics, he is by no means out of touch with the American voter. Hollenbach, on the other hand, is well-versed in politics and the game being played. Both dance around the central issue of mental instability as it relates to POTUS, dodging and diving at just the right moment. The handful of other actors involved play key and interesting roles that both advance the narrative and keep the reader guessing. The story is strong and, as I mentioned before, can be read today with few bumps. Surely, there will be geographic and technological differences, but the story flows so well that the attentive reader can supplant talk of the USSR with Russia and albums with other forms of music devices. Of greatest interest to the fan of the political thriller will be that there is much discussion of the role of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution before it was enacted. While Congress passed the amendment—which deals with presidential incapacity—in the summer of 1965, it was not formally enacted until 1967. I am not entirely sure when in ‘65 Knebel released this book but he has a great deal of insight and, for the purposes of the book, relies on a presidential agreement with his vice-president about succession. One can only imagine what a modern novel might include by tackling the plot of this novel. I can only surmise that it might be explosive and well-worth my reading.
Kudos, Mr. Knebel, for a sensational story that has remained poignant all these years later. I will definitely be exploring some of your other work to see if they are just as exciting.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Want to read
February 2, 2019If POTUS went raving mad,
Would it be really, really bad?
Knebel, when he wrote this book
Had no idea where to look:
Had to rely on his imagination
To describe what would happen to the nation.
Well, now we are better informed,
With bitter experience we are armed;
A mad POTUS, all angry and bitter
Will spend most of his time ranting on Twitter,
Will talk incessantly of building a wall
While the country does a "Decline and Fall";
Will deny science and forgo good sense
And incur to the world, damage immense.
The only hope for a beleaguered nation
Would be the positive outcome of a certain investigation...
Would it be really, really bad?
Knebel, when he wrote this book
Had no idea where to look:
Had to rely on his imagination
To describe what would happen to the nation.
Well, now we are better informed,
With bitter experience we are armed;
A mad POTUS, all angry and bitter
Will spend most of his time ranting on Twitter,
Will talk incessantly of building a wall
While the country does a "Decline and Fall";
Will deny science and forgo good sense
And incur to the world, damage immense.
The only hope for a beleaguered nation
Would be the positive outcome of a certain investigation...
October 10, 2020
REREAD.
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.
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.
November 28, 2018
Two important facts:
1. The unofficial subtitle of this work of fiction is: What would happen if the president of the USA went stark-raving mad?
2. It was published in 1965.
This novel by Fletcher Knebel was just reissued by Random House, presumably because the premise is so close to what many people in this country now think of our current president. The similarities end there. The book's fictional president, Mark Hollenbach, is very (very) different from Donald Trump and not just because Hollenbach is a Democrat. One thing that this book is NOT is a loosely-veiled roman à clef about the current administration. (See point No. 2 above.)
The plot is actually fairly simple: After three years in office, the president's personality seems to have drastically changed--oddball behavior, a stormy temper and eccentric ideas that could threaten national security. He believes some of his closest advisers, including his vice president, are conspiring against him. Is the president paranoid with delusions of grandeur?
Perhaps it is the time we now live in, but the book seems very much dated and not only because of the superficialities of language: Negro, girl, newspapermen. Much of what is perceived as potential insanity wouldn't even make the 3 a.m. news today, much less cause senators, congressmen, Supreme Court justices and the Secret Service to get all worked up over it as they do in this book. Even excusing that, the text is lumbering and slow-moving. Worst of all, the ending is quite disappointing.
Still, the basic premise of the book—what if the president DID go stark-raving mad?—is chilling. Too bad it didn't even begin to answer that question.
1. The unofficial subtitle of this work of fiction is: What would happen if the president of the USA went stark-raving mad?
2. It was published in 1965.
This novel by Fletcher Knebel was just reissued by Random House, presumably because the premise is so close to what many people in this country now think of our current president. The similarities end there. The book's fictional president, Mark Hollenbach, is very (very) different from Donald Trump and not just because Hollenbach is a Democrat. One thing that this book is NOT is a loosely-veiled roman à clef about the current administration. (See point No. 2 above.)
The plot is actually fairly simple: After three years in office, the president's personality seems to have drastically changed--oddball behavior, a stormy temper and eccentric ideas that could threaten national security. He believes some of his closest advisers, including his vice president, are conspiring against him. Is the president paranoid with delusions of grandeur?
Perhaps it is the time we now live in, but the book seems very much dated and not only because of the superficialities of language: Negro, girl, newspapermen. Much of what is perceived as potential insanity wouldn't even make the 3 a.m. news today, much less cause senators, congressmen, Supreme Court justices and the Secret Service to get all worked up over it as they do in this book. Even excusing that, the text is lumbering and slow-moving. Worst of all, the ending is quite disappointing.
Still, the basic premise of the book—what if the president DID go stark-raving mad?—is chilling. Too bad it didn't even begin to answer that question.
January 2, 2019
Read on and off through the night. A prescient book which I read back in the early 70s as I developed a taste for political thrillers. I was reminded of it while watching a segment of The Rachel Maddow show where she talked about a president suffering from mental incapacity, she was reminded of this book by political historian Michael Beschloss. I went to look for it, but it was out-of-print and wildly expensive. Lo and behold, however, the “buzz” created by their discussion caused a reissue, and so my first book of 2019 is about how to remove an unfit president from office. It holds up pretty well, especially as male attitudes in much of Washington seem to have not evolved as much as they have outside the Beltway (i.e. much of the rest of the country, especially the blue bits) during #MeToo #TimesUp era. Notably the only woman who was involved in the action was a mistress, all the other women were wives, receptionists, and secretaries. It felt like the Republican side of the Kavanaugh hearings. Highly recommended for its political resonance in our politically fraught times.
November 27, 2018
Come for the story of a paranoid, mentally incompetent president, stay for the yuck-yuck racism and unapologetic sexism?
People may come to this novel looking for some suggestions for dealing with our current crisis or simply as an old-fashioned political thriller, but I don't think it satisfies on either front. Of course I totally get why this book has been republished in our current times as we struggle with questions about the mental state and fitness for office of our the current White House resident. But this is ultimately an unsatisfying read in modern times.
It's not going to point us in any helpful directions. This is a story of a competent president who is experiencing a decline but ultimately cares about what is best for the country. That is not the case with our current president. In this novel, out of control wire tapping and FBI abuse of power is a scandal. Again, not the case with our country today.
If you read it simply as a political thriller, even if you can get over the 99.9% white boys' club depicted here (not saying it's not accurate for the times but it's still jarring), the thrills are pretty tame. Chekhov mentioned a gun but I think if you introduce missing mental health medical records in the first act, you should use them by the third.
Finally, there is "the way things were." There are literally no women in power in this novel and while that is accurate enough for the '60s, the women who figure into the story are too much for me to bear. I could have happily lived the rest of my life without reading Martha apologize to her husband for driving him into the arms of another woman with all of the committee work that kept her from home! Interestingly, Knebel seems to want to semi-acknowledge racism, but the late-breaking introduction of "the negro senator" from Chicago, engaging in friendly banter with the segregationist from Louisiana, didn't do much for me.
All that being said, given our current political reality, I don't think anything could have kept me from picking this up. It's a quick read, but ultimately an unsatisfying one.
People may come to this novel looking for some suggestions for dealing with our current crisis or simply as an old-fashioned political thriller, but I don't think it satisfies on either front. Of course I totally get why this book has been republished in our current times as we struggle with questions about the mental state and fitness for office of our the current White House resident. But this is ultimately an unsatisfying read in modern times.
It's not going to point us in any helpful directions. This is a story of a competent president who is experiencing a decline but ultimately cares about what is best for the country. That is not the case with our current president. In this novel, out of control wire tapping and FBI abuse of power is a scandal. Again, not the case with our country today.
If you read it simply as a political thriller, even if you can get over the 99.9% white boys' club depicted here (not saying it's not accurate for the times but it's still jarring), the thrills are pretty tame. Chekhov mentioned a gun but I think if you introduce missing mental health medical records in the first act, you should use them by the third.
Finally, there is "the way things were." There are literally no women in power in this novel and while that is accurate enough for the '60s, the women who figure into the story are too much for me to bear. I could have happily lived the rest of my life without reading Martha apologize to her husband for driving him into the arms of another woman with all of the committee work that kept her from home! Interestingly, Knebel seems to want to semi-acknowledge racism, but the late-breaking introduction of "the negro senator" from Chicago, engaging in friendly banter with the segregationist from Louisiana, didn't do much for me.
All that being said, given our current political reality, I don't think anything could have kept me from picking this up. It's a quick read, but ultimately an unsatisfying one.
May 31, 2016
Fletcher Knebel 's first book written without Charles W. Bailey II, this is a worthy follow up to "Seven Days in May". This time, a junior senator from Iowa is asked to meet with the President at Camp David; the result of the meeting is that the senator begins to believe that the President is becoming clinically paranoid and is descending into madness.
Writing in 1965, Knebel tries, and for the most part succeeds, to keep the tone matter of fact and eschews melodramatic flourishes in favor of documentary detachment and realism. While some readers today find this approach dull, others, including myself, feel that it enhances the tension and the unease. The most disturbing thing about the book is that the behaviors that in 1965 would make you think the president is insane now would get him elected.
Writing in 1965, Knebel tries, and for the most part succeeds, to keep the tone matter of fact and eschews melodramatic flourishes in favor of documentary detachment and realism. While some readers today find this approach dull, others, including myself, feel that it enhances the tension and the unease. The most disturbing thing about the book is that the behaviors that in 1965 would make you think the president is insane now would get him elected.
December 1, 2018
Almost adorable in its naivete considering our current situation, but this was written in 1965. The president in this book is more of a Mike Pence character in his weird Puritanical attitude towards women (which is seen as a warning sign when the Senator who is up for the VP job starts to investigate the president's background), though the president is a nice contrast to the hero of the book, a sleazy first-time Senator from Iowa, who grows alarmed of the president's mental state after the roasting at the Press Correspondent's dinner and subsequent break with reality at Camp David.
You can see why this book is being talked about again (especially with the first chapter of the Press Correspondent's dinner) since it deals with a mentally unstable president and the "Deep State" group of politicians (including the Supreme Court Justice in this book, who is of course named Cavanaugh) who try to save the country (and the world) from him. Like most thrillers of the 60s and 70s there is of course a mistress subplot, since the hero of this book (and his often mentioned cleft chin) is just too handsome and manly to settle for one woman (his doting wife and teen-aged daughter unfortunately named "Chinky") and strays with a secretary (whose life and career he selfishly fucks over).
Parts of the book are funny because of the anachronisms or just how much we now know--the paragraphs on how great the FBI was and how any info was safe with J. Edgar Hoover because he would never stoop to "blackmail"--and the party distinctions mean a bit less, since the president & hero of the book are both Democrats (Republicans barely seen in this at all), but since this was written right at the time of the Civil Rights act and South switching allegiance from Democratic party to Republican, party distinctions don't really apply. Instead it's seen as a civic duty to stop a madman from having control of nuclear weapons.
Besides the humor of eerie parallels, it's also kind of sad. There is lots of casual misogyny but it's also seen as a stumbling block to power (the hero can put aside of ever hoping to run for president or vice president in the future because of the affair). Graft and pocketing money from positions of power is also seen as a reason for resignation, when now not the case. The book wrapped up a lot sooner than I thought it would because it is also seen as anathema to not put the country before party or personal consideration. The cliche of "Truth is stranger than fiction" still applies--but this was a quick and pretty fun read.
You can see why this book is being talked about again (especially with the first chapter of the Press Correspondent's dinner) since it deals with a mentally unstable president and the "Deep State" group of politicians (including the Supreme Court Justice in this book, who is of course named Cavanaugh) who try to save the country (and the world) from him. Like most thrillers of the 60s and 70s there is of course a mistress subplot, since the hero of this book (and his often mentioned cleft chin) is just too handsome and manly to settle for one woman (his doting wife and teen-aged daughter unfortunately named "Chinky") and strays with a secretary (whose life and career he selfishly fucks over).
Parts of the book are funny because of the anachronisms or just how much we now know--the paragraphs on how great the FBI was and how any info was safe with J. Edgar Hoover because he would never stoop to "blackmail"--and the party distinctions mean a bit less, since the president & hero of the book are both Democrats (Republicans barely seen in this at all), but since this was written right at the time of the Civil Rights act and South switching allegiance from Democratic party to Republican, party distinctions don't really apply. Instead it's seen as a civic duty to stop a madman from having control of nuclear weapons.
Besides the humor of eerie parallels, it's also kind of sad. There is lots of casual misogyny but it's also seen as a stumbling block to power (the hero can put aside of ever hoping to run for president or vice president in the future because of the affair). Graft and pocketing money from positions of power is also seen as a reason for resignation, when now not the case. The book wrapped up a lot sooner than I thought it would because it is also seen as anathema to not put the country before party or personal consideration. The cliche of "Truth is stranger than fiction" still applies--but this was a quick and pretty fun read.
December 28, 2012
What does a lawmaker do when he's convinced the president of the United States is insane? Here's a plausible scenario. Older book, but still relevant and thrilling.
November 3, 2016
What the hell, Grandma.
July 21, 2020
Fast-moving and thought-provoking. I'm so glad it's not relevant to anything going on in the world today.
June 25, 2019
This was an almost-thrill for me. The writing was competent and sometimes insightful; the author had a way with imagery that rarely felt stale and often surprised. And the premise is a whopper: what do you do if you think the president of the United States is insane?
This is the dilemma faced by a junior senator from Iowa, Jim MacVeagh. The year is somewhere in the 1960s (the book was published in 1965); the administration is Democratic but not Lyndon Johnson's. The president has summoned the senator to Camp David to shoot the breeze and to dangle the idea that he might choose MacVeagh to replace the current vice-president when he runs for reelection. But the conversation goes askew and MacVeagh leaves distinctly uneasy.
Subsequent events do not make him feel any better, and before he knows it he's plunged into a terrible dilemma--one that brings down upon him the scrutiny of both the FBI and the Secret Service. In trying to do the right thing he finds himself getting into deeper and deeper trouble, till his own career is threatened, not to mention his family and his comfortable life.
If this sounds like a thriller, it's not quite, more of a political procedural. I found the details of Washington absorbing and only occasionally dated, and the implications of the dilemma fascinating. For just one instance, if three people in the government are responsible for deciding, together, to launch a nuclear weapon and one of those people is insane, how do you insulate the decision-making process from that person? Especially if that person is the ultimate decider, the president? Enough to make your hair stand on end.
All that said, I was disappointed by the ending. Things could have gone much worse than they did, and as a reader I wanted them to. (Of course, if this had been an account of real events, I would have been grateful!) It all rather petered out. But the first three-quarters of the book really held me.
This is the dilemma faced by a junior senator from Iowa, Jim MacVeagh. The year is somewhere in the 1960s (the book was published in 1965); the administration is Democratic but not Lyndon Johnson's. The president has summoned the senator to Camp David to shoot the breeze and to dangle the idea that he might choose MacVeagh to replace the current vice-president when he runs for reelection. But the conversation goes askew and MacVeagh leaves distinctly uneasy.
Subsequent events do not make him feel any better, and before he knows it he's plunged into a terrible dilemma--one that brings down upon him the scrutiny of both the FBI and the Secret Service. In trying to do the right thing he finds himself getting into deeper and deeper trouble, till his own career is threatened, not to mention his family and his comfortable life.
If this sounds like a thriller, it's not quite, more of a political procedural. I found the details of Washington absorbing and only occasionally dated, and the implications of the dilemma fascinating. For just one instance, if three people in the government are responsible for deciding, together, to launch a nuclear weapon and one of those people is insane, how do you insulate the decision-making process from that person? Especially if that person is the ultimate decider, the president? Enough to make your hair stand on end.
All that said, I was disappointed by the ending. Things could have gone much worse than they did, and as a reader I wanted them to. (Of course, if this had been an account of real events, I would have been grateful!) It all rather petered out. But the first three-quarters of the book really held me.
November 28, 2018
The book is very dated. It's chief interest is as a reminder of what sexual mores were like in the mid-60's. Even though I lived through the era, it is hard to remember how, for want of a better term, patriarchal it was. As for the political message: The story probably was powerful in its day - do we have the wherewithal to deal with a mad president? However, it is hard to treat the fictional President Hollenbach as mad -- on one of his good days, Trump makes Hollenbach seem the picture of sanity. What I take as the message now, is not that the book is prophetic, but that it shows how low we've fallen. In the fiction, members of his own party band together out of concern for the nation to take a mentally incapacitated president down. Now, it is members of his own party who prop up an arguably unqualified and possibly mentally incapacitated president as long as he advances their agenda and has the support of their party's base.
January 5, 2019
"I just could not face my children or yours if I didn’t do everything in my power to get Mark Hollenbach away from the go-code. It is sheer folly to have that man anywhere near the command and control machinery. It might lead to wholesale murder.”
So speaks the Secretary of Defense in Night of Camp David.
Throughout this entire novel I couldn't help thinking about Donald Trump. At least in the novel, the president's mental disorder was something hidden away, for the most part. In Trump's case, it's paraded around on television and Twitter like a daily drama. Or comedy. Or horror story. Take your pick.
So speaks the Secretary of Defense in Night of Camp David.
Throughout this entire novel I couldn't help thinking about Donald Trump. At least in the novel, the president's mental disorder was something hidden away, for the most part. In Trump's case, it's paraded around on television and Twitter like a daily drama. Or comedy. Or horror story. Take your pick.
November 8, 2016
This is a political thriller written in 1965 about a young senator who begins to suspect that the President of the United States has gone insane. The first clue? The president wants to enact a federal wiretapping law that would let him listen in on and store the phone conversations of US citizens. Crazy, right?
July 13, 2025
This book, published in 1965, has been reissued because it involves a President who goes nuts. So, the re-release is a political statement. The story isn't bad. The writing is very 65'ish.
did-not-finish
December 25, 2018I yield at 38% after a tremendous amount of skimming to get there. Nothing happened. Nothing.
November 27, 2018
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.
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.
October 12, 2014
It was a good read altogether. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough sympathy for Jim Mcveigh's character. His affair and quick & easy make up with the wife was more of a man's fantasy than reality. The president and his crazy ideas were portrayed well. Too, the inner workings of Washington and secret meetings within the Democratic party leaders were well done.The ending was anti-climatic for me. I think the author could have gone somewhere exciting threat-wise, the president's finger on the button wise. Could have written a fictional Cuban Missile Crisis type thing where only a few are aware of the danger. Well written, easy to read.
August 8, 2019
This 1965 novel was recently reissued, apparently in an bid to capitalize on the current fears (by some, at least) of damage to the country over having an unstable person in the White House. It’s an ok read. It ably lays out some constitutional issues (although contemporary readers are likely to find the exposition too long and detailed) but ultimately the ending falls flat, and the book is less than satisfying. I’m glad I borrowed it from the library and didn’t reward the publisher’s opportunism.
January 13, 2019
The tagline of this book is "What would happen if the President of the U.S.A. went stark-raving mad?"
Talk about ripped from the headlines! The author obviously saw what is going on in this country and churned out a timely novel to address the issue and—what? What's that you say?
This book was first published in 1965? Get out!
It's true. Fletcher Knebel is the same guy who wrote "Seven Days In May." I'm not sure why the publishers decided now was a good time to reissue this book. [eye roll]
The junior Senator from Iowa, James MacVeagh, becomes concerned by his interactions with the President (a member of his own political party) and begins to do a little digging. He tries to convince a few other key players (one is a Supreme Court justice named Cavanaugh...I'm not kidding) but his alarm convinces them only of the Senator's own precarious state of mind. As one character muses, who is going to tell the President that he is sick?
Because it's a mid-century novel, there is the usual nonsense about women. I found it interesting that none of the major players in this book are female. All the women are either devoted political wives or a mistress, and one of the wives takes the blame for her husband having an affair. Maddening! It made me curious about the makeup of the House and Senate in 1965: 2.3% and 2% women, respectively. We've come a long way, baby! If this book were written in this time period, you can bet it would have a very different tone.
I recommend this, but it will give you an eerie feeling, one almost of dread. As the book's Justice Cavanaugh says, "With all these nukes, push buttons and go-codes, we just can't afford any presidential 'hiatus from normality,' if I can phrase it that way."
I'm with you, fictional Justice Cavanaugh.
Talk about ripped from the headlines! The author obviously saw what is going on in this country and churned out a timely novel to address the issue and—what? What's that you say?
This book was first published in 1965? Get out!
It's true. Fletcher Knebel is the same guy who wrote "Seven Days In May." I'm not sure why the publishers decided now was a good time to reissue this book. [eye roll]
The junior Senator from Iowa, James MacVeagh, becomes concerned by his interactions with the President (a member of his own political party) and begins to do a little digging. He tries to convince a few other key players (one is a Supreme Court justice named Cavanaugh...I'm not kidding) but his alarm convinces them only of the Senator's own precarious state of mind. As one character muses, who is going to tell the President that he is sick?
Because it's a mid-century novel, there is the usual nonsense about women. I found it interesting that none of the major players in this book are female. All the women are either devoted political wives or a mistress, and one of the wives takes the blame for her husband having an affair. Maddening! It made me curious about the makeup of the House and Senate in 1965: 2.3% and 2% women, respectively. We've come a long way, baby! If this book were written in this time period, you can bet it would have a very different tone.
I recommend this, but it will give you an eerie feeling, one almost of dread. As the book's Justice Cavanaugh says, "With all these nukes, push buttons and go-codes, we just can't afford any presidential 'hiatus from normality,' if I can phrase it that way."
I'm with you, fictional Justice Cavanaugh.
December 2, 2017
An ambitious young Senator realizes that the President of the United States has gone insane, and frantically tries to convince his colleagues before he acts on his strange impulses. Poor thriller by the author of Seven Days in May starts with an interesting premise, then bogs down in an overcomplicated plot; who cares about the protagonist's philandering or the President's choice of running mate when the fate of the Republic hangs in the balance? Not to mention the actual cause of his suspicions (namely, the President's paranoia towards his Vice President and proposing an economic union with Sweden) seems positively underwhelming (especially in 2017, when our current President does far more alarming things with every breath). It has a few interesting twists, then culminates in a damp squib of an ending that resolves everything without tension, conflict or catharsis. Strictly for the chuck-out shelf.
July 25, 2018
This is a thought-provoking novel, the ideas still current 50 years later. A junior senator is tapped as the president's running mate for his second term after the current VP is embroiled in a corruption scandal. When the senator, Jim MacVeigh, has a late-night meeting with the president at Camp David, he's disturbed by the president's plans to institute wire-tapping of all phone calls and to forge a super-union with Canada and Scandinavia. He also talks about the VP and others plotting against him. Is the president crazy? Is MacVeigh overreacting? The plot seesaws between these two ideas, making the reader (and MacVeigh) occasionally doubt MacVeigh's sanity.
July 19, 2012
Well...it was a rather interesting read, actually. But, the ending was such an utter disappointment. As if the author just got tired of reading and so ended it.
December 17, 2018
Its title is Night of Camp David, but Amazon covered it up online with a teaser page to emphasize the novel's relevance to the madness in Washington today. "What would happen if the President of the U.S.A. went stark-raving mad?" the teaser reads. The implication is that this novel anticipated Donald Trump.
In fact, this political thriller published more than 50 years ago is difficult to relate to today's circumstances. Only in the most general sense can it be said that the novel anticipated Donald Trump. The psychotic behavior of Fletcher Knebel's President Mark Hollenbeck bears little resemblance to that of the man in the Oval Office today. More to the point, the responses of the people surrounding Hollenbeck and Trump's sycophants in the White House and Congress are dramatically different. Apparently, the superficial similarities sell books. Well, why not? Maybe this book will cause at least a few readers to realize for the first time just how crazy things are in Washington, DC today.
A novel that reflected the political concerns of the day
The author's novels typically were grounded in the political circumstances of the time. Night of Camp David is a prime example.
Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Congress proposed what soon became the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution. As no doubt you know, that amendment provides for the procedures to deal with a vacancy or disability in the presidency or vice-presidency. The text was sent to the states for ratification on July 6, 1965 and formally adopted by Congress on February 10, 1967. Night of Camp David was first published January 1, 1965 and spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list that year. Pundits generally assumed that the states would ratify the amendment, but the popularity of the novel couldn't have hurt.
A political thriller set in the Johnson years
In 1965, the American people placed a great deal of trust in their government. The disillusionment that so many today identify with the 1960s didn't gather steam until tens of thousands of American soldiers had died in the war in Vietnam and the duplicity of President Johnson had become clear. The release of the Pentagon Papers in March 1971 and the surreal events of the Watergate scandal (1972-74) drove the final nails into the coffin of the public's confidence in the federal government. In Knebel's novel, set before all those events, most of the men surrounding President Hollenbeck as he goes off the rails simply refuse to believe what they're observing. And that's no surprise given the temper of the times.
A novel that anticipated Donald Trump, five decades ago?
In Night of Camp David, President Mark Hollenbeck displays classic symptoms of paranoia on numerous occasions. It's obvious from this vantage point that he would be judged, as Amazon's teaser would have it, "stark raving mad."
Clearly, President Donald Trump frequently comes across as nuts as well. And more than 60,000 mental health professionals signed a petition in 2017 that begins, “We, the undersigned mental health professionals, believe in our professional judgment that Donald Trump manifests a serious mental illness that renders him psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States."
Other psychiatrists and psychologists have objected that no mental health professional can pass judgment on anyone without directly interacting with them in a clinical setting. Passing judgement requires a thorough interview that may take hours. And the petition was brushed off by Trump's supporters as a political gambit. Professional opinion aside, the President's behavior is obviously erratic, narcissistic, legally questionable, and sometimes dangerous to US interests—but those symptoms bear little resemblance to Hollenbeck's classic paranoia. And, unlike Trump, Hollenbeck was surrounded for the most part by men of obvious integrity and measured judgment.
Ultimately, it seems to me, what matters is not whether Donald Trump is clinically insane (or whatever the current term of art is in the mental health field). Far more important are the grim consequences of his actions. And those consequences, I hope, will prove to be his undoing.
About the author
Fletcher Knebel co-authored the runaway bestseller of 1962, Seven Days in May. The book portrays an attempted military coup in Washington. John F. Kennedy was in the White House at the time, and his relations with the Pentagon and the CIA were so badly damaged that many readers found the story entirely credible. The book spent most of 1962 on the New York Times bestseller list. Knebel (1911-1993) was a prominent political columnist. He wrote twelve novels. Is it reasonable to think that Knebel would believe that his novel would anticipate Donald Trump? I'm not so sure.
In fact, this political thriller published more than 50 years ago is difficult to relate to today's circumstances. Only in the most general sense can it be said that the novel anticipated Donald Trump. The psychotic behavior of Fletcher Knebel's President Mark Hollenbeck bears little resemblance to that of the man in the Oval Office today. More to the point, the responses of the people surrounding Hollenbeck and Trump's sycophants in the White House and Congress are dramatically different. Apparently, the superficial similarities sell books. Well, why not? Maybe this book will cause at least a few readers to realize for the first time just how crazy things are in Washington, DC today.
A novel that reflected the political concerns of the day
The author's novels typically were grounded in the political circumstances of the time. Night of Camp David is a prime example.
Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Congress proposed what soon became the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution. As no doubt you know, that amendment provides for the procedures to deal with a vacancy or disability in the presidency or vice-presidency. The text was sent to the states for ratification on July 6, 1965 and formally adopted by Congress on February 10, 1967. Night of Camp David was first published January 1, 1965 and spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list that year. Pundits generally assumed that the states would ratify the amendment, but the popularity of the novel couldn't have hurt.
A political thriller set in the Johnson years
In 1965, the American people placed a great deal of trust in their government. The disillusionment that so many today identify with the 1960s didn't gather steam until tens of thousands of American soldiers had died in the war in Vietnam and the duplicity of President Johnson had become clear. The release of the Pentagon Papers in March 1971 and the surreal events of the Watergate scandal (1972-74) drove the final nails into the coffin of the public's confidence in the federal government. In Knebel's novel, set before all those events, most of the men surrounding President Hollenbeck as he goes off the rails simply refuse to believe what they're observing. And that's no surprise given the temper of the times.
A novel that anticipated Donald Trump, five decades ago?
In Night of Camp David, President Mark Hollenbeck displays classic symptoms of paranoia on numerous occasions. It's obvious from this vantage point that he would be judged, as Amazon's teaser would have it, "stark raving mad."
Clearly, President Donald Trump frequently comes across as nuts as well. And more than 60,000 mental health professionals signed a petition in 2017 that begins, “We, the undersigned mental health professionals, believe in our professional judgment that Donald Trump manifests a serious mental illness that renders him psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States."
Other psychiatrists and psychologists have objected that no mental health professional can pass judgment on anyone without directly interacting with them in a clinical setting. Passing judgement requires a thorough interview that may take hours. And the petition was brushed off by Trump's supporters as a political gambit. Professional opinion aside, the President's behavior is obviously erratic, narcissistic, legally questionable, and sometimes dangerous to US interests—but those symptoms bear little resemblance to Hollenbeck's classic paranoia. And, unlike Trump, Hollenbeck was surrounded for the most part by men of obvious integrity and measured judgment.
Ultimately, it seems to me, what matters is not whether Donald Trump is clinically insane (or whatever the current term of art is in the mental health field). Far more important are the grim consequences of his actions. And those consequences, I hope, will prove to be his undoing.
About the author
Fletcher Knebel co-authored the runaway bestseller of 1962, Seven Days in May. The book portrays an attempted military coup in Washington. John F. Kennedy was in the White House at the time, and his relations with the Pentagon and the CIA were so badly damaged that many readers found the story entirely credible. The book spent most of 1962 on the New York Times bestseller list. Knebel (1911-1993) was a prominent political columnist. He wrote twelve novels. Is it reasonable to think that Knebel would believe that his novel would anticipate Donald Trump? I'm not so sure.
December 30, 2018
This was written in 1965 and re-issued, I suspect, to take advantage of today's Presidential politics. It really has nothing to do with today as Trump is not insane. Even the President in the book is only mildly mentally ill although it does present an intriguing scenario. How do you convince a group of seasoned politicians of the same party that their wildly popular leader is having mental problems that could place the country at danger when you yourself are only a first time Senator? Senator Jim MacVeigh is a likable ist termer but that doesn't help him convince anyone that what he has seen in the President's behavior is anything to worry about. In fact, at one time he actually finds himself in a mental institute as his behavior begins to worry everyone else!
Written, I believe, before the 25th Amendment and certainly before it was ratified, Night of Camp David presents this problem of mental instability clearly and certainly makes you think how you would go about it. In fact, even if it arose today, it would obviously be difficult to convince a mentally ill President that he was, in fact, mentally incapable of governing. A definite dilemma.
Written, I believe, before the 25th Amendment and certainly before it was ratified, Night of Camp David presents this problem of mental instability clearly and certainly makes you think how you would go about it. In fact, even if it arose today, it would obviously be difficult to convince a mentally ill President that he was, in fact, mentally incapable of governing. A definite dilemma.
October 29, 2018
On a par with "Seven Days in May" I think; thanks to Rachel Maddow for bringing this title to our attention. A very plausible scenario regarding the possibility of mental illness affecting a man who resides at the center of power. How does the American political system deal with such a situation? Knebel is on his game with this one, keeping the reader on the edge throughout the narrative. Quite well written, with many well-drawn characters - the cheating senator's wife comes off as too accommodating to be believed - but overall, this is a very entertaining and provocative story.
March 13, 2019
I have to say the excellent marketing of this story is what made me pick it up in the bookstore. "What would happen if the President of the United States went stark-raving mad?" the front cover asks. Well, how timely. Upon closer inspection I saw that this novel had been published in 1965, but I was already intrigued and took it home with me that day.
Knebel's idea of stark-raving mad is quite different (perhaps innocent, even) to what we in the US are witnessing in the White House today. However, it was an interesting political thriller following a junior senator in Washington, D. C. as he discovers the leader of the nation, despite his composed and persuasive public persona, might not be mentally competent to serve. It's a tricky situation for him to navigate, as he was just hand-picked as a viable candidate for Vice President in the next election by the President himself.
I'm giving this one 3 stars because of the ending. I was really hoping for something different, sinister even. Something that might reflect the climate of today. But perhaps that is an unfair comparison to be making in light of the obvious marketing ploy. I greatly enjoyed Fletcher Knebel's writing and felt transported in time. Linguistically, this was a fun read -- you just don't hear people talk this way anymore, so the lingo was a learning experience for me. I also got a glimpse into the workings of our government by reading this, and it was a great character study. There are no real heroes, which I find quite realistic these days. I'm glad I picked this one up!
Knebel's idea of stark-raving mad is quite different (perhaps innocent, even) to what we in the US are witnessing in the White House today. However, it was an interesting political thriller following a junior senator in Washington, D. C. as he discovers the leader of the nation, despite his composed and persuasive public persona, might not be mentally competent to serve. It's a tricky situation for him to navigate, as he was just hand-picked as a viable candidate for Vice President in the next election by the President himself.
I'm giving this one 3 stars because of the ending. I was really hoping for something different, sinister even. Something that might reflect the climate of today. But perhaps that is an unfair comparison to be making in light of the obvious marketing ploy. I greatly enjoyed Fletcher Knebel's writing and felt transported in time. Linguistically, this was a fun read -- you just don't hear people talk this way anymore, so the lingo was a learning experience for me. I also got a glimpse into the workings of our government by reading this, and it was a great character study. There are no real heroes, which I find quite realistic these days. I'm glad I picked this one up!
July 8, 2019
Real-life is crazier than fiction.
This book was revived to market it as "What if the President Went Stark Raving Mad?" The frightening thing about this book is the evidence of against the President in the novel is very thin, and Trump in the first ten minutes of a Fox News interview or a brief tweet is much more insane than what happens in this book.
As an artifact of the 1960s, it can be quite enjoyable. The main character is a Senator who doesn't seem to have a whole lot of work to do. The women are portrayed from a sixties point of view, which means in rather dismissive and sexist terms. I think if I were the author's wife and I was reading how complacent and forgiving the wife character in this book is about a mistress, I might start doing a little detective work on my husband. The Senator does have an adorable teen daughter nicknamed "Chinky"(worst name ever) who regularly uses the endearment, "Pops." To top it off, the President doesn't seem all that insane.
If I had edited it, I would have sent the author back to work on the plot and suspense level because this could use a little juice.
This book was revived to market it as "What if the President Went Stark Raving Mad?" The frightening thing about this book is the evidence of against the President in the novel is very thin, and Trump in the first ten minutes of a Fox News interview or a brief tweet is much more insane than what happens in this book.
As an artifact of the 1960s, it can be quite enjoyable. The main character is a Senator who doesn't seem to have a whole lot of work to do. The women are portrayed from a sixties point of view, which means in rather dismissive and sexist terms. I think if I were the author's wife and I was reading how complacent and forgiving the wife character in this book is about a mistress, I might start doing a little detective work on my husband. The Senator does have an adorable teen daughter nicknamed "Chinky"(worst name ever) who regularly uses the endearment, "Pops." To top it off, the President doesn't seem all that insane.
If I had edited it, I would have sent the author back to work on the plot and suspense level because this could use a little juice.
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