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Special Relations
America & Britain have always had a "special relationship" but when the President & Prime Minister were lovers at University who parted tragically can they put their personal feelings aside to deal with an international crisis?
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 20, 2026
This fiction about politics can't really be called a thriller. The antics are extremely grubby and no women of any status are shown, apart from one lady who has managed to gain the position of new PM of the UK. All other women are wives, typists or prostitutes. I could check again, but I'm pretty sure. Not even a female member of the media.
A long-past relationship at Oxford between two students becomes relevant when each gets elected to lead their countries, each single again. For no reason, the lady says she didn't know the man, and because she's a woman we see her have a fluttery heart and start crying when she thinks about him. She just had to say they were acquainted, or say no comment, but didn't, and this starts a hunt for details and leaks and setup videos, as people in her own party and various sinister advisors already want to install the next manipulable person.
Background is a dispute between Russia and what in those days was called 'the Ukraine region' which we now call Ukraine. The US, UK, and those two are involved. Not one single mention of the EU, which had that title by the time of publication in 1994. Why not? The UK was in the EU. Had nobody in the US ever heard of it? Part of the talks are held in Germany which is in the EU. But you wouldn't know it. One would think the EU would have something to say about a potential nuclear row on their doorstep.
The sheer grubbiness of Westminster, shown as internal, internecine and evil, pales in comparison with what we now know about sleaze parties for the rich in the US which exploited young women. I also found it hard to remember who was on which side of the Atlantic once they were all just called by first names. Quite often, pronouns confused who was addressing whom. Better editing was needed. Nice to see a female PM, of course, but why was she surrounded by male advisors and creeps? Why didn't she install some capable women on the first day, economics graduates perhaps? Because a man - like the author - would not think of that?
I read a paperback. This is an unbiased review.
A long-past relationship at Oxford between two students becomes relevant when each gets elected to lead their countries, each single again. For no reason, the lady says she didn't know the man, and because she's a woman we see her have a fluttery heart and start crying when she thinks about him. She just had to say they were acquainted, or say no comment, but didn't, and this starts a hunt for details and leaks and setup videos, as people in her own party and various sinister advisors already want to install the next manipulable person.
Background is a dispute between Russia and what in those days was called 'the Ukraine region' which we now call Ukraine. The US, UK, and those two are involved. Not one single mention of the EU, which had that title by the time of publication in 1994. Why not? The UK was in the EU. Had nobody in the US ever heard of it? Part of the talks are held in Germany which is in the EU. But you wouldn't know it. One would think the EU would have something to say about a potential nuclear row on their doorstep.
The sheer grubbiness of Westminster, shown as internal, internecine and evil, pales in comparison with what we now know about sleaze parties for the rich in the US which exploited young women. I also found it hard to remember who was on which side of the Atlantic once they were all just called by first names. Quite often, pronouns confused who was addressing whom. Better editing was needed. Nice to see a female PM, of course, but why was she surrounded by male advisors and creeps? Why didn't she install some capable women on the first day, economics graduates perhaps? Because a man - like the author - would not think of that?
I read a paperback. This is an unbiased review.
October 7, 2010
Good concept, and the title is a neat play on words. Slightly marred by Sebastian switching POV mid-scene. But since he's famous he can get away with it - or maybe his editors didn't notice!
January 5, 2014
This book did absolutely nothing for me. I'd previously read 'War Dance' which was alright-pretty good however I just couldn't seem to get into 'Special Relations'.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews