Night of Camp David

Night of Camp David

Author	Fletcher Knebel
Language	English
Publisher	Harper & Row
Publication date	1965
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	336 pp.

Night of Camp David is a 1965 novel by Fletcher Knebel, co-author of Seven Days in May. It spent 18 weeks on the bestseller list in 1965.[1][2]

In November, 2018, Vintage Books announced that it was re-releasing the book.[3][1]

Plot

Iowa Senator Jim MacVeagh is summoned to Camp David by US President Mark Hollenbach. MacVeagh, who is expected to become Hollenbach's next Vice President, becomes concerned because Hollenbach shows signs of intense paranoia. He erratically expresses his desire to develop a closer relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, and attempts to cut ties with US allies in Europe. Hollenbach believes the US news media are conspiring against him. MacVeagh is the only person who notices that Hollenbach's mind is crumbling, as the presidential advisors and politicians he attempts to warn ignore him. The sole person in possession of evidence of Hollenbach's mental decline is his mistress, Rita. Hollenbach puts both MacVeagh and Rita under an FBI investigation.[1]

Reception

In 1965, in a book review in The New York Times, novelist David Dempsey described Night of Camp David as “too plausible for comfort.”[4][3]

Film adaptation

On April 15, 2021, Paul Greengrass was set to direct and produce the film adaptation for Universal Pictures.[5]

References

1. Wilson, Kristian (9 November 2018). "'Night of Camp David,' A 1965 Novel About A Dangerously Unstable President, Is Being Rereleased". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
2. McCarthy, Tom (30 November 2018). "Night of Camp David: the return of a 1965 book about an insane president". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
3. Alter, Alexandra (8 November 2018). "A 1965 Novel About an Unhinged President Is Being Rereleased". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
4. Dempsey, David (23 May 1965). "Was the President Off His Rocker?". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
5. D'Alessandro, Anthony (15 April 2021). "Paul Greengrass Reteams With Universal For 'Night Of Camp David'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 15, 2021.