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Power Play
There are no real enemies, no real fear – only those of our own creation. Another brilliant political adventure from the co-host of BBC’s Newsnight
The Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’ is in deep trouble. The ambitious vice-president, Bobby Black, who wields greater influence over foreign affairs than his titular boss has fallen out with the British PM. The young British Ambassador to Washington knows he must step in. He is in a delicate position however – with the expectations of the British Government on him, as well as those of his father-in-law, the PM.
In a bid to orchastrate some good PR, Black is invited to England, accompanied by a plane load of assistants and CIA security. Guided by his aristocratic host, he goes out to the moors–and disappears. He is not seen again until humilating photographs begin to appear, and then again, silence.
The Americans are outraged that their VP has gone missing on British soil and the relationship between the two countries seem irrevocably damaged. But what can be done? Missing but not confirmed dead is a consitutional grey area, and should Black reappear, can he ever be trusted again?
The Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’ is in deep trouble. The ambitious vice-president, Bobby Black, who wields greater influence over foreign affairs than his titular boss has fallen out with the British PM. The young British Ambassador to Washington knows he must step in. He is in a delicate position however – with the expectations of the British Government on him, as well as those of his father-in-law, the PM.
In a bid to orchastrate some good PR, Black is invited to England, accompanied by a plane load of assistants and CIA security. Guided by his aristocratic host, he goes out to the moors–and disappears. He is not seen again until humilating photographs begin to appear, and then again, silence.
The Americans are outraged that their VP has gone missing on British soil and the relationship between the two countries seem irrevocably damaged. But what can be done? Missing but not confirmed dead is a consitutional grey area, and should Black reappear, can he ever be trusted again?
- GenresFiction
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
23 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Gavin Esler
14 books18 followersGavin Esler is an award winning television and radio broadcaster, novelist and journalist. He is the author of five novels and two non-fiction books, The United States of Anger, and most recently Lessons from the Top, a study of how leaders tell stories to make other people follow them. It’s based on personal encounters with a wide variety of leaders, from Bill Clinton and Angela Merkel to Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, and even cultural leaders such as Dolly Parton.
Reviewers have been full of praise for Esler’s fiction and story-telling abilities. The writer Bernard Cornwell said his novels are "made luminous with wisdom, sympathy and story telling." The Guardian commented that Esler's fiction displays "undoubted sympathy for the human condition and a burning anger, a genuine lyricism, a quick sensitivity and a real understanding of other people." The Financial Times said Esler's stories of people in power and the compromises they are forced to make, shows that he "understands the political beast better than anyone."
Gavin EslerGavin Esler was born in Glasgow, and brought up in Edinburgh and Northern Ireland. His family are descended from German Protestant refugees who fled to safety in Scotland during the religious wars of the early 17th Century. He spent the first three years of his life living with his parents, grandmother and aunts in a three-bedroom council house in Clydebank. The family moved to Edinburgh and Gavin won a scholarship to George Heriot's School. He planned to study medicine at Edinburgh University and then, to the relief of patients everywhere, made an abrupt switch to English, American and, eventually, Irish literature. After he finished his post-graduate studies he was offered a job on The Scotsman in Edinburgh but turned it down as likely to be a bit dull, preferring instead The Belfast Telegraph. He moved on to the BBC in Belfast during some of the worst of "the Troubles," and got to know leaders of the IRA and other Republican and loyalist paramilitary groups. On one occasion the leader of a loyalist organisation introduced himself to Esler with the memorable words: “I am speaking to you as someone deeply involved in violence.” It turned out to be an accurate description.
His investigative work on the wrongful convictions of Giuseppe Conlon and his son Gerry led to a campaign which eventually overturned the convictions of the so-called “Guildford Four” and “Maguire Seven” -- innocent Irishmen and women convicted of bombing offences on the basis on non-existent or unreliable “evidence.” Their stories eventually became the basis of the film, In the Name of the Father.
Esler moved on to become the BBC's Chief North America Correspondent, based in Washington and covering the Bush and Clinton White House. He visited 48 of the 50 states but somehow missed out on Wisconsin and North Dakota. His first encounter with Bill Clinton in 1991 led him to believe that the then Governor of Arkansas might indeed become President of the United States some day - a belief somewhat dented when a Democratic party official described Clinton to Esler as “Oh, you mean Governor Zipper Problem.”
He then reported from countries as diverse as China, Peru, Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Russia, Jordan, Iran, Saudia Arabia and from the Aleutian Islands, as well as all across Europe. He won a Royal Television Society award for a TV documentary about Alaska and a Sony Gold award for a BBC radio investigation into the case of Sami al Hajj, who was detained without charge in Guantanamo bay, but released shortly after the radio programme was broadcast.
Over the past two decades Gavin Esler has interviewed world leaders ranging from Mrs Thatcher, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, John Major, King Abdullah of Jordan and President Chirac to President Clinton, President Carter, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, Ed Miliband and Israel's Shimon Peres. In the arts and culture programmes he anchors for BBC World he has als
Reviewers have been full of praise for Esler’s fiction and story-telling abilities. The writer Bernard Cornwell said his novels are "made luminous with wisdom, sympathy and story telling." The Guardian commented that Esler's fiction displays "undoubted sympathy for the human condition and a burning anger, a genuine lyricism, a quick sensitivity and a real understanding of other people." The Financial Times said Esler's stories of people in power and the compromises they are forced to make, shows that he "understands the political beast better than anyone."
Gavin EslerGavin Esler was born in Glasgow, and brought up in Edinburgh and Northern Ireland. His family are descended from German Protestant refugees who fled to safety in Scotland during the religious wars of the early 17th Century. He spent the first three years of his life living with his parents, grandmother and aunts in a three-bedroom council house in Clydebank. The family moved to Edinburgh and Gavin won a scholarship to George Heriot's School. He planned to study medicine at Edinburgh University and then, to the relief of patients everywhere, made an abrupt switch to English, American and, eventually, Irish literature. After he finished his post-graduate studies he was offered a job on The Scotsman in Edinburgh but turned it down as likely to be a bit dull, preferring instead The Belfast Telegraph. He moved on to the BBC in Belfast during some of the worst of "the Troubles," and got to know leaders of the IRA and other Republican and loyalist paramilitary groups. On one occasion the leader of a loyalist organisation introduced himself to Esler with the memorable words: “I am speaking to you as someone deeply involved in violence.” It turned out to be an accurate description.
His investigative work on the wrongful convictions of Giuseppe Conlon and his son Gerry led to a campaign which eventually overturned the convictions of the so-called “Guildford Four” and “Maguire Seven” -- innocent Irishmen and women convicted of bombing offences on the basis on non-existent or unreliable “evidence.” Their stories eventually became the basis of the film, In the Name of the Father.
Esler moved on to become the BBC's Chief North America Correspondent, based in Washington and covering the Bush and Clinton White House. He visited 48 of the 50 states but somehow missed out on Wisconsin and North Dakota. His first encounter with Bill Clinton in 1991 led him to believe that the then Governor of Arkansas might indeed become President of the United States some day - a belief somewhat dented when a Democratic party official described Clinton to Esler as “Oh, you mean Governor Zipper Problem.”
He then reported from countries as diverse as China, Peru, Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Russia, Jordan, Iran, Saudia Arabia and from the Aleutian Islands, as well as all across Europe. He won a Royal Television Society award for a TV documentary about Alaska and a Sony Gold award for a BBC radio investigation into the case of Sami al Hajj, who was detained without charge in Guantanamo bay, but released shortly after the radio programme was broadcast.
Over the past two decades Gavin Esler has interviewed world leaders ranging from Mrs Thatcher, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, John Major, King Abdullah of Jordan and President Chirac to President Clinton, President Carter, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, Ed Miliband and Israel's Shimon Peres. In the arts and culture programmes he anchors for BBC World he has als
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 21, 2025
This is a smart and well-written political novel that is more an expose of power rather than a conventional thriller. And it makes me wonder if this book were is some ways predicting the startling future of politics.
One of the strengths is its narrative voice. For most of the novel the narrator operates as an outsider. He observes politicians, media figures, and power brokers from a step removed. That distance gave the story a cool and analytical feel. It allowed the reader to see how decisions are shaped in the shadows rather than through overt action.
The characters are believable and well crafted and the structure of the book is strong. Through this book, I have no doubt that the author clearly understands the machinery of politics and media. We see the impacts of quiet manipulation, influence, and narrative control more than the spectacle of politics we observe through the media cycle. Even moments that could have tipped into action territory remain restrained.
I think the book falters slightly around the three-quarters mark. The focus shifts more directly onto the narrator himself. Plausibility strains a little and the sense of threat subtly dissipates as attention moves away from characters that were strong up to that moment. The shift feels odd, and I wondered why the author plotted such a change of direction.
But the ending is powerful, with unresolved questions and doubt piled on characters up to their eyeballs. It reinforces the novel’s central theme that the most serious threats are often internal, systemic, and deliberately obscured.
One of the strengths is its narrative voice. For most of the novel the narrator operates as an outsider. He observes politicians, media figures, and power brokers from a step removed. That distance gave the story a cool and analytical feel. It allowed the reader to see how decisions are shaped in the shadows rather than through overt action.
The characters are believable and well crafted and the structure of the book is strong. Through this book, I have no doubt that the author clearly understands the machinery of politics and media. We see the impacts of quiet manipulation, influence, and narrative control more than the spectacle of politics we observe through the media cycle. Even moments that could have tipped into action territory remain restrained.
I think the book falters slightly around the three-quarters mark. The focus shifts more directly onto the narrator himself. Plausibility strains a little and the sense of threat subtly dissipates as attention moves away from characters that were strong up to that moment. The shift feels odd, and I wondered why the author plotted such a change of direction.
But the ending is powerful, with unresolved questions and doubt piled on characters up to their eyeballs. It reinforces the novel’s central theme that the most serious threats are often internal, systemic, and deliberately obscured.
April 12, 2020
A fascinating thriller with the tale being told by Alex Price the British Ambassador to America. There are lots of twists and turns in the this tale of a surprise win of an American presidential candidate and his bullish Vice President who is very anti Muslim and wishes for strong tactics to be taken against terrorists. We are supposed to trust the narrative voice as the tale keeps telling us not to trust anyone or anything as there are lies, Dan lies and politics.
July 13, 2015
Pacy thriller which kept me guessing. Clearly based on lots of inside knowledge and illustrating that the public never knows more than a tiny percentage of what goes on at the highest levels of government. Will definitely look out for more of his novels.
April 3, 2021
An involving political thriller. Some of the sex scenes seemed unnnecessarily violent though.
Good to see a range of representation in the characters portrayed, balancing out the white male complement, though these were still the main characters - I guess it would have felt strange if they weren't when the book was written in 2009 or so.
Good to see a range of representation in the characters portrayed, balancing out the white male complement, though these were still the main characters - I guess it would have felt strange if they weren't when the book was written in 2009 or so.
June 29, 2019
Interesting, quotable, sexy, clever. Except for the middle, also pretty fast paced.and rounded characters, but not the le carre depressives. Highly recommended. But what. Most liked was the prescience. 10 years before Trump, he is the main character
August 21, 2019
Fantastic book. Really fast paced and full of intrigue, and plot twists.
March 29, 2020
Really good detailed political thriller from someone who knows what they're talking about
Read
August 13, 2021Audiobook version.
Not for me, didn’t grip me.
Not for me, didn’t grip me.
January 19, 2016
I found this to be a very interesting, enjoyable, and skilfully crafted book. If you enjoyed "The West Wing", you'll love this. It has so much more to offer. The author takes you inside Downing Street as well as the West Wing (and the British Ambassador to America moves seamlessly between the two). We see the see American security forces dealing with a crisis (as well as trying to instigate and/or avoid World War III), the British security forces dealing with terrorism, we visit a grouse shoot in Scotland, and make an historical journey to the British forces in Northern Ireland.
My previous reading of Gavin Esler had alerted me to his ability to deliver sharp, witty prose, with pithy observations about political life, and this book delivered in abundance. And the political worlds that he describes in such detail provide a fascinating and authoritative backdrop to the action. I found myself laughing out loud at one point reading about the American reaction to a major event in the book, thinking it was so over-the-top to be absurd, and I had to remind myself that as a former BBC correspondent in America, the author knew precisely what he was writing about. It is this convincing detail of the political worlds involved that provided much of the pleasure for me.
Although I have criticised the author's handling of the plot in a previous novel, I didn't feel this train bumping, coming off the rails, or giving me unconvincing surprises at any point. All the different elements were successfully integrated together to make a compelling whole. We are driven through the book as we seek answers to several questions: What happened to the Vice President, and will he be found? What did the Ambassador do in Northern Ireland and will he be found out? Will the American woman walk away? Will the terrorists succeed in killing 80,000 people? By the end of the novel, the author has allowed us to discover crystal clear answers to some of the questions. Other questions are answered, but the revelations contain a degree of ambiguity.
At first, parts of the ending slightly (honestly, only everso slightly) annoyed me. I was given answers, but some of them came with more questions. I told myself I would only give the book four stars as a result because of the author having the audacity to leave me wanting more and to leave a possible opening for further development in a future book (or second TV series). However, the more I reflected on it, the more I came to appreciate the skill of what he had done. I came to see the overall unity of the book and how the ambiguous parts of the ending fitted perfectly with the overarching theme.
The novel is called "Power Play" and has been crafted to display that power play at so many levels - the US President and Vice President 'wrestling' together, the Republican President struggling against the electorate and the Democrat leader of the House, the Americans and the British trying to get the upper hand over each other, the Americans and the Iranians dancing round each other, the press trying to outwit the politicians and diplomats, the security forces (present and historical) using subterfuge to try to stop the terrorists, and finally, the power play of the Ambassador and his lover (literally embodied in the sex games of their encounters). The title provides a unifying image that determines how the author chooses to describe the many conflicts and successfully brings the many disparate elements together. When I understood this, I understood the appropriateness of the parts of the ending that are slightly unresolved. The author is teasing the reader and demonstrating his superiority in the relationship. He is demonstrating his power by allowing us to get to the end thinking that we have won, and yet at the same time he is retaining control. He has given more than enough to more than satisfy, but we know he has more, and we want it.
My previous reading of Gavin Esler had alerted me to his ability to deliver sharp, witty prose, with pithy observations about political life, and this book delivered in abundance. And the political worlds that he describes in such detail provide a fascinating and authoritative backdrop to the action. I found myself laughing out loud at one point reading about the American reaction to a major event in the book, thinking it was so over-the-top to be absurd, and I had to remind myself that as a former BBC correspondent in America, the author knew precisely what he was writing about. It is this convincing detail of the political worlds involved that provided much of the pleasure for me.
Although I have criticised the author's handling of the plot in a previous novel, I didn't feel this train bumping, coming off the rails, or giving me unconvincing surprises at any point. All the different elements were successfully integrated together to make a compelling whole. We are driven through the book as we seek answers to several questions: What happened to the Vice President, and will he be found? What did the Ambassador do in Northern Ireland and will he be found out? Will the American woman walk away? Will the terrorists succeed in killing 80,000 people? By the end of the novel, the author has allowed us to discover crystal clear answers to some of the questions. Other questions are answered, but the revelations contain a degree of ambiguity.
At first, parts of the ending slightly (honestly, only everso slightly) annoyed me. I was given answers, but some of them came with more questions. I told myself I would only give the book four stars as a result because of the author having the audacity to leave me wanting more and to leave a possible opening for further development in a future book (or second TV series). However, the more I reflected on it, the more I came to appreciate the skill of what he had done. I came to see the overall unity of the book and how the ambiguous parts of the ending fitted perfectly with the overarching theme.
The novel is called "Power Play" and has been crafted to display that power play at so many levels - the US President and Vice President 'wrestling' together, the Republican President struggling against the electorate and the Democrat leader of the House, the Americans and the British trying to get the upper hand over each other, the Americans and the Iranians dancing round each other, the press trying to outwit the politicians and diplomats, the security forces (present and historical) using subterfuge to try to stop the terrorists, and finally, the power play of the Ambassador and his lover (literally embodied in the sex games of their encounters). The title provides a unifying image that determines how the author chooses to describe the many conflicts and successfully brings the many disparate elements together. When I understood this, I understood the appropriateness of the parts of the ending that are slightly unresolved. The author is teasing the reader and demonstrating his superiority in the relationship. He is demonstrating his power by allowing us to get to the end thinking that we have won, and yet at the same time he is retaining control. He has given more than enough to more than satisfy, but we know he has more, and we want it.
November 6, 2016
Bit of a mixture, this one. It has an interesting central idea and various incidental stories that for me didn't quite gel. Rather the plot points fight each other for control of the story. It's written with more of a journalistic than literary style and, while it has promising thriller ingredients, tends to throw them away with very quick and unsatisfying resolutions. I initially gave up on it after a chapter or two but, feeling I had been too quick to dismiss, returned to finish it. The three stars recognises that, in spite of some fairly cringe-making writing, I did want to know what happened next. By about page 300, with another hundred pages or so to go, I was resigned to never really getting a proper resolution. Why did I finish? I suppose having invested so much time in it I had to see it through to the bitter end.
September 5, 2015
Well paced and intriguing throughout. A really clever plot with some original and fresh ideas, offering insight into the workings of politics, diplomacy and journalism that few other authors of fiction ever touch upon. As well as providing a thrilling story, this novel has much to say about the nature of truth and the political biases of those who are supposed to serve our countries impartially.
October 16, 2016
Really enjoyed most of the book but felt like the ending was a bit of a disappointment. Raised more questions than it answered. However, I enjoyed the political content and it was easy to read, even for someone like myself who doesn't know a lot about Anglo-American politics
July 7, 2013
it was a good story but too much bad language
November 23, 2013
Interesting read. I liked the moderate pace and suspense.
November 2, 2014
Was a good book with a clever plot. Would have liked the ending to be a bit more 'finished ' but enjoyed it .
February 11, 2019
Good read
Rare to find a journalist I like can write a good story. Was delighted to stumble across Gavin. Look forward to next novel
Rare to find a journalist I like can write a good story. Was delighted to stumble across Gavin. Look forward to next novel
April 3, 2017
Truly excellent. A 4.5 star, if Goodreads had such a rating. Intelligent, beautifully paced, excellently plotted, with great characters you could believe in. With a book like this, with a very distinctive setting, the amount of detail is also important -- this one had just the right amount of background so you know what's happening in the world you're reading about (in this case, politics at the highest level), but not so much that you feel like you're reading a textbook.
The characters were great. It's a mystery/thrilled/action genre so it's not a character-driven story as such, although the main characters are excellently drawn. Our main man, Alex Price, is a man of action but also intelligence. An ex soldier, he is now the British Ambassador to Washington and reveling in the political machinations he is on the fringes of, when he's not out of his depth. But even then, he's fun to ride along with.
The characterisation of the main female character, Dr Kristina Taft is also well crafted. She is a difficult character to write -- too nastily drawn and we wonder what man on earth would be remotely interested in her beyond a few hours in the sack (she's always stunningly gorgeous, so we know at least the physical side will appeal to some man, if not a lot of them). Too weak and unambitious and we can't imagine her capable of the nefarious deeds to which it's heavily hinted she is involved in, if not responsible outfit for. And Gavin Esler gets it right with this formidable female character.
The plot is compelling and convincing. It rocks along at an excellent pace - not too quick so your head is spinning and you're struggling to keep up, nor too slow so you wish you could get out and give it a push. There's a few sideline plotlines which add a bit of texture and spice to the main storyline, and which are neatly brought together at the end.
I love the slightly conspiracy theory nature of the resolution. It's fantastical but also quite believable (depending on what you believe governments and those in powerful positions are capable of). As satisfying as this is, the ending isn't all neatly tied up with a bow and we don't get a neat answer to a perplexing question of where our hero is going to direct his life now that he's climbed out of the enormous hole he found himself in. Perhaps there's a sequel in the works? If there was, I'd be keen to read it - this was a ripping yarn, and definitely one to recommend to those who enjoy this genre.
The characters were great. It's a mystery/thrilled/action genre so it's not a character-driven story as such, although the main characters are excellently drawn. Our main man, Alex Price, is a man of action but also intelligence. An ex soldier, he is now the British Ambassador to Washington and reveling in the political machinations he is on the fringes of, when he's not out of his depth. But even then, he's fun to ride along with.
The characterisation of the main female character, Dr Kristina Taft is also well crafted. She is a difficult character to write -- too nastily drawn and we wonder what man on earth would be remotely interested in her beyond a few hours in the sack (she's always stunningly gorgeous, so we know at least the physical side will appeal to some man, if not a lot of them). Too weak and unambitious and we can't imagine her capable of the nefarious deeds to which it's heavily hinted she is involved in, if not responsible outfit for. And Gavin Esler gets it right with this formidable female character.
The plot is compelling and convincing. It rocks along at an excellent pace - not too quick so your head is spinning and you're struggling to keep up, nor too slow so you wish you could get out and give it a push. There's a few sideline plotlines which add a bit of texture and spice to the main storyline, and which are neatly brought together at the end.
I love the slightly conspiracy theory nature of the resolution. It's fantastical but also quite believable (depending on what you believe governments and those in powerful positions are capable of). As satisfying as this is, the ending isn't all neatly tied up with a bow and we don't get a neat answer to a perplexing question of where our hero is going to direct his life now that he's climbed out of the enormous hole he found himself in. Perhaps there's a sequel in the works? If there was, I'd be keen to read it - this was a ripping yarn, and definitely one to recommend to those who enjoy this genre.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews