As Barack Obama finally clinches the Democratic nomination for president, Labour MP Denis MacShane argues that some of the most insightful coverage of American politics can be found in fiction. According to MacShane, The Race, by thriller writer Richard North Patterson, is the best book on the US political scene since Joe Klein’s Primary Colors. Although the novel is not quite a roman à cléf, its hero, Corey Grace, owes much to John McCain—Grace fought in the first Gulf war, when he was captured and tortured, and is now a senator seeking the Republican nomination. MacShane also recommends Arthur Schlesinger’s Journals 1952-2000. Schlesinger’s closeness to key Democratic figures (and Republican ones) make the book an invaluable guide to those seeking to understand the US presidential electoral process.
Also this week, the occasion of Israel’s 60th anniversary prompts historian Avi Shlaim to examine the changes in Zionist history of the last two decades. Shlaim is one of the “new historians” responsible for reshaping the view of Israelis towards the birth of their nation and the first Arab-Israeli war. Finally, crime writer Andrew Martin scorns the huge number of prizes, literary and otherwise, that now exist in Britain—but still hopes to win one himself.
Yes, Obama is finally the candidate for tho democratic party. But unfortunatelly for him i think he can’t win the presidential election, against mc cain, because he only is able to deliver a speach more or less ok, nothing else, and i mean by this that he doesn’t even writes them. in other words he hasen’t done anything; he became senator when his opponent had to leave the rase,due to a sexual scandal. what else he had done nothing .in the other hand he was race as a moslam by his step father, America the country he pretends to gobern is mostly christian,he wont be the next president of his country, period.