Inspired by the patriotism of his dying father, Rupert Warner uses his position to lead England out of the EC, and almost accidentally into the United States. Even more accidentally, he finds himself running for the Vice-Presidency, and who knows where that might lead.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Paul T Horgan
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
The author was editor of the UK's Guardian newspaper for two decades.
The Guardian is a left-of-centre newspaper much disposed to criticising and belittling the USA (especially Republicans) and the Tories in the UK. They also like to poke fun traditional English values in the furtherance of a politically correct agenda (it's no surprise that a good proportion of media and public sector vacancies are advertised in the Guardian). This makes it quite surprising to discover Preston writing what could be regarded a right-wing fantasy. England leaves the EU and becomes the 51st state of the USA. The PM becomes President of the USA following the demise of the incumbent.
You would expect the writing style to be better, but perhaps Preston authored this wish-fulfillment dream in this style to make it sell. It does not suffer the limited vocabulary and development of your average mass-market novel, but there is a lack of depth. This is a putdownable read and after you put it down it is easily forgettable as there is nothing too memorable apart from the premise. If you have constraints on your reading time I wouldn't pick this one up in the first place.
The Guardian is a left-of-centre newspaper much disposed to criticising and belittling the USA (especially Republicans) and the Tories in the UK. They also like to poke fun traditional English values in the furtherance of a politically correct agenda (it's no surprise that a good proportion of media and public sector vacancies are advertised in the Guardian). This makes it quite surprising to discover Preston writing what could be regarded a right-wing fantasy. England leaves the EU and becomes the 51st state of the USA. The PM becomes President of the USA following the demise of the incumbent.
You would expect the writing style to be better, but perhaps Preston authored this wish-fulfillment dream in this style to make it sell. It does not suffer the limited vocabulary and development of your average mass-market novel, but there is a lack of depth. This is a putdownable read and after you put it down it is easily forgettable as there is nothing too memorable apart from the premise. If you have constraints on your reading time I wouldn't pick this one up in the first place.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
the premise is intriguing. the story's twists and turns are great. Unfortunately, there's enough material for at least a trilogy, but Preston just churns out plot - without any writing. You want him to go a least a little into the background of his story but there's never time. I had to constantly refer to the huge character list at the front or else I'd've been lost. So near, yet so far.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
let the book absorb you and you will appreciate everything stated in the book. it is well crafted and highly enjoyable for kids and teenagers of all ages!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
London Cardinals, excellent! As an American, living in London at the time I read the 51st State, and someone who studied British and American Politics at University (College), I believe Peter Preston truly has his finger on the pulse of insight and entertainment. His examples and vision of the future are clear and modest, not convoluting the story line, but rather enhancing it. Since reading the book, I bring references to it continually in conversations with both American and British friends and colleagues. Hats off to interesting, insightful reading.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
An excellent book, well crafted, enjoyable and more than capable of keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Shame it hasn't happened in real life yet!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
If you're not a journalist or full-time politics watcher, the jargon - and full-scale slaughter of the English language - throughout this book might well annoy you as much as it did me. To save yourself this hassle, read the summary: the UK leaves the EU on a steam-powered jingo-boat, only to sink on the rocks of economic reality. So it joins NAFTA. This is exactly the sort of thing predicted by newspaper columnists such as Andrew Marr of the Observer all the time. An interesting concept, and one worth contemplating in these Euro-phobic times, but not really subject matter for a novel.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By 114rider
Format:Paperback
For all of the reasons given in the previous reviews, both negative and positive, I love this book. In a fast-moving novel format, a 'nobody' changes history three times by being there and speaking up. Peter Preston is correct to not give further background to the novel - the slight anonymity and unclear time frame makes it seem all the more plausible, even today. I continue to hope that this novel will again resurface. What fun we could have had during the election debates if the 'big three' party candidates had first read this book!
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Very poorly written as I recall - simply a (reasonable) idea for a novel padded out to fill a book - the final quarter or so seems to be no more than a draft of "further books in the series" that the author couldn't even be bothered to type out.
One of the worst books I've ever finished, and I only did to see just how bad it would get.
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