Don't Mess with Travis: A Novel

by Bob Smiley

A cowboy governor finds himself the accidental leader of Texas's right-wing revolution in this irreverent, entertaining debut novel.

Written with the comedic mastery of Christopher Buckley, Don't Mess with Travis tells the story of Ben Travis, a no-name Texas senator who becomes governor after a late-night accident takes the lives of the men ahead of him in the chain of command.

Before the paint has even dried on his parking spot, the recently divorced Travis uncovers the latest Washington power grab and decides there's only one  secession. The stunt pits Travis (and Texas) against the president, a golf-obsessed, progressive egomaniac with spotty leadership skills. The liberal elites are behind the president, and they will try every dirty trick to derail the new governor and hold on to the most prosperous state in the Union. Despite the doomsday threats from D.C., Travis forges ahead in a thrilling and hysterical quest to fight big-government tyranny and restore sanity to the nation.

Can Travis avoid a second Civil War without bending his knee to Washington? Will his own daughter and ex-wife come to his aid or sell him out? Most important, can they get all this settled before the beginning of high school football season?

In the tradition of Advise and Consent and Primary Colors , Don't Mess with Travis brilliantly lampoons all that's wrong with present-day politics while waving the flag behind everything that's right.

Genres: Humor, Politics

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Bob Smiley began his writing career as a research assistant to the late, great William F. Buckley, Jr. In 2008, he wrote the sports memoir Follow the Roar, chronicling his journey around the globe as he followed Tiger Woods for every hole of an entire season.

His latest project is the satiric novel Don't Mess with Travis, now out from Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press.

Don't Mess with Travis has been heralded by Kirkus, Booklist, The Dallas Morning News, Steve Forbes and Breitbart.com, who called it "one of the year's best and arguably the most stinging work of political satire since Christopher Buckley's Boomsday."

Smiley continues to write for television and film, having written for network sitcoms as well as for Fox News Channel’s Half Hour News Hour.

He is currently writing a pilot for Disney XD and developing a half-hour comedy for AMC, along with having a movie deep in development with producer/director McG.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked the book up for 50 cents at a used book sale. I got more than halfway through and had to ditch it because the writing and attempt at political satire was so heavy-handed. I learned some interesting facts about Texas, it's independence and founding, but the plot wasn't strong enough to pull me through the diatribes about liberals, leftists, big government, etc.

[Cami Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was wild. Not my normal genre whatsoever, but a great read. Super quick wit with some really in depth research and history. Leans more on the conservative side, but has an interesting balance of opinions, and sheds light into how politics can really work. Third person.

[Viccy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas politics is not for the faint of heart. Bob Travis becomes Governor of Texas when the current Governor and Lt. Governor are killed in a car crash; he is the President of the Senate and much more interested in running his oil company and ranch. He is also an emotional wreck, having just been divorced from a woman, now married to one of his chief rivals in the Texas Legislature. One night, right after being sworn in, Travis receives a mysterious telephone call from Walt Thompson (a Rush Limbaugh-type) who tells him to check out what is happening under the federal interstate highways across Texas. What Travis discovers sets the stage for the secession of Texas from the Union and pits Travis against President Michael Leary and his Washington cohorts. What follows is a tour-de-force of intrique and hilarity as the reader tries to figure out who are the bad guys and who are the good guys.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I'll make it clear that I'm not a native Texan. However, after spending some time there, I grew quite fond of the place and people, which is why I read this book. And it didn't disappoint. Despite the hilariously accurate political satire, this books reads almost like a political thriller at times, albeit with a large dose of humor. You will be unable to resist cheering on Governor Ben Travis and his three loyal advisers/partners in crime(a black, conservative, shoe-obsessed professor of constitutional law, a teenage computer hacker, and a Hawaiian bodyguard) as they engage in a variety of daring acts, including breaking into the Department of Justice and landing a plane on the National Mall. Oh, and passing that secession proposal, of course!

In summary, a book that provides both food for thought and plenty of laughs.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, this book isn't very good. I mean, it's really really really bad. It's supposed to be satirical in part, but much of the satire is heavy-handed and unlike the best of that genre, really really petty. As bad as it is, it was still a fun read. I also got the feeling that the author knew how bad it was and wrote rolling his eyes the entire time. He also has quite a sharp eye for creating some interesting characters. (Even if those characters have to be fleshed out in some pretty bad writing. I can't stress that enough) I also have to give him huge amounts of credit for avoiding vulgarity and explicit sex scenes in a bid to attract readers and make the book more attractive. That's honorable and earned him another star....

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! It has been a spell since I have grabbed a novel that hooked me in so well that I just could not put it down until I was finished. A must read for everyone especially with the political and economic season that we are in. I would like to give this a Sixth Star hands down. I will be keeping an eye open for Bob Smiley's future works as they are sure to delight and intrigue as well.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library because of the title. My hubby is named Travis and I thought it would be interesting.

I like some political satire, but definitely not this one. I thought it was really bad. Perhaps the only person I would recommend this to was a really conservative native Texan and only if I hated the person.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a hoot! Those of a conservative bent will laugh their **s off. The rare liberal with a sense of humor will surely get a chuckle or two. Its always fun when pin of humor pops the left's balloon.

[Benjamin Spurlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Smiley serves up a bit of political satire that avoids the bitter bite of modern politics by making his characters so surprisingly likeable. Let it be known- Ben Travis most definitely earned my vote.

[Jim Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I am a sucker for political novels I found this i9nteresting. Wish the author would have carried it out to its logical conclusion. Does get a little preachy from a conservative point of view as part of the exposition. Fun stuff.

[Ellen]

High Junks
Suspense
Cloak and dagger
Eccentricities
Adventure
Deceit
Betrayal
Treason
Loyalty

Although published in 2012 there are parts that sound like they were pulled from this year's 2016 political campaigns

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun book, particularly for people who love Texas. Fortunately, I happen to be one of those people.

[Jason Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a guilty pleasure. This is by no means a great work of literature, but it is a ripping yarn.

[Michelle]

The cover drew me in. The story sounded good, but it just had too much political jargon for me to stomach.

[Bonnie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the funniest book I've read in a decade. Smiley has a great talent for crafting highly improbably situations with just enough truth behind them to make them hilariously relatable.

[Nelea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Thoroughly engaging and plenty of laugh out loud moments.