The Man (Paperback)

by Irving Wallace (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The time is 1964. The place is the Cabinet Room of the Where House. An unexpected accident and the law of succession have just made Douglass Dilman the first black President of the United States.

This is the theme of what was surely one of the most provocative novels of the 1960s. It takes the reader into the storm center of the presidency, where Dilman, until now an almost unknown senator, must bear the weight of three burdens: his office, his race, and his private life.

From beginning to end, The Man is a novel of swift and tremendous drama, as President Dilman attempts to uphold his oath in the face of international crises, domestic dissension, violence, scandal, and ferocious hostility. Push comes to shove in a breathtaking climax, played out in the full glare of publicity, when the Senate of the United States meets for the first time in one hundred years to impeach the President.

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: I Books (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067103894X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671038946
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #308,443 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real thought-provoking book about a humane President, May 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man (Paperback)

When i first read Man, i had a burning desire to read it again and again. each of the characters evoke such strong feelings (both positive and negative) and yet do not seem hypothetical. i was moved by the editorial (on the occassion of the President's swearing in) wherein it cautions the citizens of usa that the new president is not under test but the nation is.

Douglas Dilman's constant anxieties about his ability to function as an effective president considering his racial background forms the central theme of the book. His impeachment trial and his subsequent vindication has all the ingredients of a thriller but still does not waver from the subtle portrayal of the different players of the game.

Dilman in his trial appearance counters a query on prejudices mentions that one can have positive prejudices like prejudice against racism. This created a paradigm shift in those of us who consider prejudice as a dirty word and would like to avoid it all costs.

an unputdownable book by any standards

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars super stuff, February 6, 2000

By A Customer

Should be edited further, but a gripping tale of power, and the paradoxical stupidity and grandness of human nature. A book that will ensure we try to judge people by the content of their character and not the colour of their skin.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking book, extremely well written., September 29, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man (Paperback)

So a book about the first black president. Well yes, but did you read Advice & Consent, a book about "the confirmation of a presidental appointment". The Man is very well written and gives us not only a story about the first black president, but an engaging look at what a "person on the outside" is like - his hopes (he is proud to be "An American"), his fears (don't shut the door if you are alone with a white woman), and how he copes (very well, but he doesn't know it). If you like "political stories", "intrigue stories", "Oh God, are there really people like this stories", or almost any other kind of story, READ IT. Of course I'm biased, I really liked it (the first six time I read it)! DeWayne White [[e-mail]] PS: The reason for the review is I finally found another copy [I'd given away all I had], and I'm reading it for the seventh time.