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The Twentieth Day of January
What happens when the enemy manipulates the words of the United States Constitution to his own advantage? Could the Soviet Union really get their own man elected President?
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 1980
50 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
About the author
Ted Allbeury
167 books43 followers1917 - 2005. Also wrote under the pseudonyms Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly.
Ted Allbeury was a lieutenant-colonel in the Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later a successful executive in the fields of marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one highly-praised general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died on 4th December 2005.
See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/j...
and
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/t...
Ted Allbeury was a lieutenant-colonel in the Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later a successful executive in the fields of marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one highly-praised general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died on 4th December 2005.
See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/j...
and
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/t...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 30, 2017
This book was recently discussed on BBC Radio 4 so I bought it straight away. Well, I couldn’t put it down. Given that it was written a long time ago, the parallels with America’s Presidential election skullduggery by those at home and internationally mirrors some recent news.
The author (sadly deceased) draws one in immediately and kept me rapt until the very end. His experience in the world of espionage enhances the story and his subtle use of the English language is a treat to read. I look forward to reading his other books.
The author (sadly deceased) draws one in immediately and kept me rapt until the very end. His experience in the world of espionage enhances the story and his subtle use of the English language is a treat to read. I look forward to reading his other books.
February 7, 2017
This gets 4 stars because it is so uncanny. The story could be present day thats is the Thrump presidency. The writing and plot are a bit obvious but worth a read for the story. I don't want to say more its a short book and a page turner
July 2, 2017
Eighties spy thriller with a premise that eerily mirrors the rise of Donald Trump to the presidency. It's about two spies, one British and one American, investigating whether the president-elect is a Russian agent. The president-elect is a vain and superficial businessman named Logan Powell. Like Donald Trump, he has very little interest in government policy, and his wife refuses to move to Washington. The two spies race to unmask Powell before Inauguration Day, January 20.
It's a short, fast-paced book, one you can finish in a single evening. Allbeury, a former spy, was adept at scenes involving spycraft, surveillance, and interrogation. There's just enough sex and violence to break things up. The plot is fairly straightforward, with very few twists and turns.
As for style, the book is dry and humorless. I would have preferred more satiric wit, perhaps due to my fondness for the works of Ross Thomas and Richard Condon. Although Allbeury was a popular spy novelist, he was a workmanlike, deadpan writer.
The story spans 54 days, starting on November 1 and ending on December 24, 1980. Seems a bit rushed. In contrast, Donald Trump and his associates have been under federal investigation for almost a year, with no end in sight. It's the only thing that Allbeury got wrong. Everything else is uncannily prescient.
Russian diplomat Vitaly Churkin reportedly gave Donald Trump a copy of the book in 1986, and Trump later told people it was his favorite spy novel. If that's true, Trump couldn't have read the ending.
It's a short, fast-paced book, one you can finish in a single evening. Allbeury, a former spy, was adept at scenes involving spycraft, surveillance, and interrogation. There's just enough sex and violence to break things up. The plot is fairly straightforward, with very few twists and turns.
As for style, the book is dry and humorless. I would have preferred more satiric wit, perhaps due to my fondness for the works of Ross Thomas and Richard Condon. Although Allbeury was a popular spy novelist, he was a workmanlike, deadpan writer.
The story spans 54 days, starting on November 1 and ending on December 24, 1980. Seems a bit rushed. In contrast, Donald Trump and his associates have been under federal investigation for almost a year, with no end in sight. It's the only thing that Allbeury got wrong. Everything else is uncannily prescient.
Russian diplomat Vitaly Churkin reportedly gave Donald Trump a copy of the book in 1986, and Trump later told people it was his favorite spy novel. If that's true, Trump couldn't have read the ending.
February 16, 2017
The Twentieth Day in January was written in the 1980 and the author is deceased, but the similarities are remarkable to recent events occurring in the Trump administration. In the book, a British MI6 agent named James MacKay discovers evidence that the recently elected President of the United States might be a virtual puppet of the Soviet Union, controlled by the KGB through one of his aides. He works with the CIA to prove his theory.
The book is a great spy thriller read and I really enjoyed it. The plot moves along swiftly and the characters are very interesting. I recommend reading The Twentieth Day of January.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
The book is a great spy thriller read and I really enjoyed it. The plot moves along swiftly and the characters are very interesting. I recommend reading The Twentieth Day of January.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
December 31, 2017
When a CIA operative learns the newly elected President is a puppet for the Russians, he must do everything in his power to prevent him from taking office.
This Fleming-like spy thriller, published in 1986, is a quick and gritty page-turner but, in a similar way to The Plot Against America, Nineteen-Eighty-Four, and It Can’t Happen Here, it is even more compelling due to its eerie similarities to recent events.
The perfect book to close out 2017. 🇺🇸
This Fleming-like spy thriller, published in 1986, is a quick and gritty page-turner but, in a similar way to The Plot Against America, Nineteen-Eighty-Four, and It Can’t Happen Here, it is even more compelling due to its eerie similarities to recent events.
The perfect book to close out 2017. 🇺🇸
March 14, 2017
The perfect spy novel! Simply loved it! For once I didn't get lost following all the different characters and the fact that it could only be too real nowadays helped diving into it all the easier.
enjoy the plunge!
enjoy the plunge!
March 1, 2017
OK. Particularly good reading just before Trump's inauguration.
April 26, 2017
published in 1980; businessman elected to be president; Russian influence; wife refuses to come to Washington
March 23, 2017
Very exciting.
February 27, 2017
I read this book only because of the supposed parallels between its plot and Trump's rise to power, aided by the Russians. It's a somewhat entertaining spy novel.
February 8, 2017
Very topical at the moment and a good read.
June 28, 2025
This is creepily uncanny! Written long before D. Trump was ever thought of as a political figure. Great story, compelling and easy to read.
September 25, 2017
A businessman turned politician wins the Republican nomination for President of the United States. He defeats his Democratic challenger and looks set to go into the White House, preaching policies favorable to Russia. Yet a British intelligence operative uncovers proof linking the campaign to the Russians, forcing an investigation that eventually leads not just to major campaign officials but to the President-Elect himself.
One might be forgiven for thinking about the 2016 election and the ongoing investigation that it's spawned. Yet it's equally applicable to a novel written and published more than thirty-five years before the most contentious Presidential election in recent American history. Written by the late best-selling author Ted Allbeury, The Twentieth Day Of January is an intriguing blast from the past from the Cold War era.
It's worth remembering that the novel was first published in 1980, firmly putting it into the Cold War era when the Watergate scandal that toppled the presidency of Richard Nixon was still fresh in readers minds. The novel follows two spies, the British agent John MacKay and CIA agent Peter Nolan, on a journey that starts not long after the election of John Logan, an unlikely Presidential candidate. It is MacKay who sets the ball rolling and from there the novel never really sets down as the pair work their way through the history of Logan's brief political career, his chief of staff, and a trail that leads across the United States and back to Europe.
There isn't much in terms of shoot 'em up action in the novel. Instead, Allbeury relies upon a formula similar to that John le Carré used in his masterpiece Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Nolan and MacKay work their way through people and evidence from the past and present, uncovering individuals who hold pieces of the puzzle. What Allbeury does differently here is that he also shows us parts of the Russian side of the equation as well, showing some of their efforts to thwart the CIA's investigation.
Allbeury isn't le Carré it must be said. though that isn't necessarily a bad thing either. The novel lacks the more cerebral edge of le Carré or indeed some of the moral ambiguities to the world of intelligence work. There's a more streamlined style to his prose, often relying heavily on dialogue to move the plot along which can lead to what feels like pages at a time of nothing but short sentences. There's also a slightly more stable image to his spooks with Nolan having both what seems to be a steady home life while also being the sort of man that multiple women in the novel all but throw themselves at. The latter is something which helps to date the novel but all things considered, The Twentieth Day Of January holds up better than many works of its age.
Indeed, the reason it has gone back into print is due to its plot. Allbeury lays out a convincing set of events that would allow Logan to fall under Soviet sway thanks to his campaign team and the dealings of one member in particular. It's hard not to find pre-echoes of events well into the future after the Cold War ended, even down to a new First Family not living together. The novel also looks at the potential fallout from such a revelation to the public, its effect not just on the American public but the very psyche of the country and the democratic West in general. One might wonder what Allbeury makes of recent events but that would be impossible to know since he passed away in 2005 but it's hard to believe he saw so much of what might happen so clearly.
For those who are fans of the spy genre and political thrillers, The Twentieth Day Of January makes for interesting reading. Even though it's a Cold War thriller rather than something "ripped from the headlines", the novel is an interesting and quick read though not a classic of its genre. Perhaps more than anything else, with more than three decades of hindsight behind it, it's a cautionary tale that has perhaps caught up with us.
One might be forgiven for thinking about the 2016 election and the ongoing investigation that it's spawned. Yet it's equally applicable to a novel written and published more than thirty-five years before the most contentious Presidential election in recent American history. Written by the late best-selling author Ted Allbeury, The Twentieth Day Of January is an intriguing blast from the past from the Cold War era.
It's worth remembering that the novel was first published in 1980, firmly putting it into the Cold War era when the Watergate scandal that toppled the presidency of Richard Nixon was still fresh in readers minds. The novel follows two spies, the British agent John MacKay and CIA agent Peter Nolan, on a journey that starts not long after the election of John Logan, an unlikely Presidential candidate. It is MacKay who sets the ball rolling and from there the novel never really sets down as the pair work their way through the history of Logan's brief political career, his chief of staff, and a trail that leads across the United States and back to Europe.
There isn't much in terms of shoot 'em up action in the novel. Instead, Allbeury relies upon a formula similar to that John le Carré used in his masterpiece Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Nolan and MacKay work their way through people and evidence from the past and present, uncovering individuals who hold pieces of the puzzle. What Allbeury does differently here is that he also shows us parts of the Russian side of the equation as well, showing some of their efforts to thwart the CIA's investigation.
Allbeury isn't le Carré it must be said. though that isn't necessarily a bad thing either. The novel lacks the more cerebral edge of le Carré or indeed some of the moral ambiguities to the world of intelligence work. There's a more streamlined style to his prose, often relying heavily on dialogue to move the plot along which can lead to what feels like pages at a time of nothing but short sentences. There's also a slightly more stable image to his spooks with Nolan having both what seems to be a steady home life while also being the sort of man that multiple women in the novel all but throw themselves at. The latter is something which helps to date the novel but all things considered, The Twentieth Day Of January holds up better than many works of its age.
Indeed, the reason it has gone back into print is due to its plot. Allbeury lays out a convincing set of events that would allow Logan to fall under Soviet sway thanks to his campaign team and the dealings of one member in particular. It's hard not to find pre-echoes of events well into the future after the Cold War ended, even down to a new First Family not living together. The novel also looks at the potential fallout from such a revelation to the public, its effect not just on the American public but the very psyche of the country and the democratic West in general. One might wonder what Allbeury makes of recent events but that would be impossible to know since he passed away in 2005 but it's hard to believe he saw so much of what might happen so clearly.
For those who are fans of the spy genre and political thrillers, The Twentieth Day Of January makes for interesting reading. Even though it's a Cold War thriller rather than something "ripped from the headlines", the novel is an interesting and quick read though not a classic of its genre. Perhaps more than anything else, with more than three decades of hindsight behind it, it's a cautionary tale that has perhaps caught up with us.
March 31, 2025
Is it life imitating art? 4 years of Trump's first presidency, his election facilitated by Russian involvement and interference, followed by his re-election and subsequent threats to end Ukraine support and possibly leave NATO, would tend to make one believe that Ted Allbeury had some serious Nostradamus-like powers. "The Twentieth Day of January" is about as prescient as a book written over 45 years ago can get.
This novel was initially published in 1980 in the post-Watergate, Cold War era. The story, in a nutshell: a non-politician, Logan Powell, comes out of nowhere to get elected governor of Connecticut, followed by a rapid ascension to Republican nominee for president and subsequent election. A Brit spy recognizes a man from his past, Andrew Dempsey, on a photo of the recently elected president's team and becomes concerned enough about the guy's previous dalliance with Communism to bring it to the CIA's attention. That kicks off an investigation that soon unravels the connections of Dempsey to the Soviet KGB and all of the tactics used to push Powell's career ahead. As the British agent and CIA move closer to discovering the true scope of the elected POTUS's treachery, witnesses and truth-tellers who had provided information to them are murdered. The conclusion was satisfying, in a way, and one can only wish that life could imitate art yet again.
Excellent writing, a top-notch story full of intrigue, great spycraft.... and a plot that hits way too close to home makes this an excellent read for anyone interested in a 'period piece' that could be ripped from today's headlines. Loved it!
This novel was initially published in 1980 in the post-Watergate, Cold War era. The story, in a nutshell: a non-politician, Logan Powell, comes out of nowhere to get elected governor of Connecticut, followed by a rapid ascension to Republican nominee for president and subsequent election. A Brit spy recognizes a man from his past, Andrew Dempsey, on a photo of the recently elected president's team and becomes concerned enough about the guy's previous dalliance with Communism to bring it to the CIA's attention. That kicks off an investigation that soon unravels the connections of Dempsey to the Soviet KGB and all of the tactics used to push Powell's career ahead. As the British agent and CIA move closer to discovering the true scope of the elected POTUS's treachery, witnesses and truth-tellers who had provided information to them are murdered. The conclusion was satisfying, in a way, and one can only wish that life could imitate art yet again.
Excellent writing, a top-notch story full of intrigue, great spycraft.... and a plot that hits way too close to home makes this an excellent read for anyone interested in a 'period piece' that could be ripped from today's headlines. Loved it!
March 20, 2018
This was the first novel I read by Tom Allbeury; as a big fan of espionage stories and political thrillers, I thought this would be a sweet spot for me as it is a mix of the two genres. In the end, I though it was an OK read though not at the level of the top notch spy books
Life as depicted in the book is rather simple and linear: for one, the good guys are just pure 100% good, and the bad guys are only evil; the time of complex heroes mixing lights and shades, good and bad, are still to come.
For two: tradecraft seems to be a pretty straightforward game and you know without the shade of a doubt who’s a friend and who’s an enemy. Relationships are linear and mono-dimensional. For instance, you breath a lot of goodwill also in other areas, like the relationships between CIA and SIS, working hand in hand like sisters
The way with the author, through the eyes of his main character, looks at the US is clearly idealised. Nowadays, almost 50 years later, and especially after the various Iraq war, Guantanamo, Bush jr-Cheney-Rumsfeld, Wikileaks, Snowden (speaking of Fourth Amendment...), Russia-gate, very few would speak of the US and A in the same way.
On the other hand, it is also true that, had I read this book before 2017 (ie before mr Trump was elected president of the US and A), I would have classified most of the story as a big stretch. The miracle Trump and his administration have made is that they have made stories like this very creadible.
Life as depicted in the book is rather simple and linear: for one, the good guys are just pure 100% good, and the bad guys are only evil; the time of complex heroes mixing lights and shades, good and bad, are still to come.
For two: tradecraft seems to be a pretty straightforward game and you know without the shade of a doubt who’s a friend and who’s an enemy. Relationships are linear and mono-dimensional. For instance, you breath a lot of goodwill also in other areas, like the relationships between CIA and SIS, working hand in hand like sisters
The way with the author, through the eyes of his main character, looks at the US is clearly idealised. Nowadays, almost 50 years later, and especially after the various Iraq war, Guantanamo, Bush jr-Cheney-Rumsfeld, Wikileaks, Snowden (speaking of Fourth Amendment...), Russia-gate, very few would speak of the US and A in the same way.
On the other hand, it is also true that, had I read this book before 2017 (ie before mr Trump was elected president of the US and A), I would have classified most of the story as a big stretch. The miracle Trump and his administration have made is that they have made stories like this very creadible.
June 14, 2020
A story that has attracted recent attention for some reason : a Republican outsider, not a career politician, wins the Presidential election thanks to the KGB. There's the usual authentic espionage tradecraft plus political wrangling. Not much action but the scarily plausible plot speeds along.
I love Cold War thrillers but find Ted Allbeury a bit dry. The characters service the plot but don't have much depth. There's a good feel for the threat posed by the USSR yet no illusions as to the American political scene. The ending is satisfactory but resolved a bit too easily (difficult to go further without getting into spoiler territory). Weren't the KGB due to hit the safe house?
While the prose is mostly just efficient, there's the odd jem along the way. Early on, the collapse of our hero MacKay's marriage is deftly described and ends thus: "Maybe time doesn't heal all wounds, but it brings the perspective of a longer lens and puts healthier tissue where the wounds have been." These touches are few and far between but show this author could match his more illustrious colleagues (Le Carre, Deighton etc). An 'airport thriller' maybe, but still quality.
I love Cold War thrillers but find Ted Allbeury a bit dry. The characters service the plot but don't have much depth. There's a good feel for the threat posed by the USSR yet no illusions as to the American political scene. The ending is satisfactory but resolved a bit too easily (difficult to go further without getting into spoiler territory). Weren't the KGB due to hit the safe house?
While the prose is mostly just efficient, there's the odd jem along the way. Early on, the collapse of our hero MacKay's marriage is deftly described and ends thus: "Maybe time doesn't heal all wounds, but it brings the perspective of a longer lens and puts healthier tissue where the wounds have been." These touches are few and far between but show this author could match his more illustrious colleagues (Le Carre, Deighton etc). An 'airport thriller' maybe, but still quality.
July 5, 2018
A workmanlike thriller, first published in 1980, whose premise is that the Russians have influenced the political rise of an otherwise insignificant businessman to the White House using his campaign manager as the control. It’s not bad but is both too straightforward (it needs a few more plot twists and double crosses) and melodramatic. The campaign manager turns out to be acting out of love and mere shame - remember that? - is enough to derail the president elect once he’s confronted with the evidence. Part of the evidence is his relationship with a high class call girl. Guess that wouldn’t work any more either.
And again, it needs to be said that it would be better for bad guys everywhere if they didn’t start killing people as soon as they realize someone is after them; it just makes it easier. Two anomalies (well, aside from the big one that the CIA is not supposed to operate domestically): Browning does not make a .45 and after jet flight transatlantic planes from Britain did not refuel in Newfoundland.
And again, it needs to be said that it would be better for bad guys everywhere if they didn’t start killing people as soon as they realize someone is after them; it just makes it easier. Two anomalies (well, aside from the big one that the CIA is not supposed to operate domestically): Browning does not make a .45 and after jet flight transatlantic planes from Britain did not refuel in Newfoundland.
January 15, 2021
Entertaining, but not without issues
Firstly, it's a great story and it's almost scary that this could have been the situation for real 20 years after it was written. The set up in the book is really good and the story is really engaging. However, the actual writing is flawed with little character development and dialogue that doesn't ring true. The biggest issue is Allbeury's use of women characters. Their only descriptions involve breasts, descriptions of skimpy underwear and bush (I kid you not) and even in 1980 when this was written I doubt this would have been seen as high art. Still, overt sexism aside, this is a good straightforward airport type political/spy thriller that I found a quick, easy and enjoyable read.
Firstly, it's a great story and it's almost scary that this could have been the situation for real 20 years after it was written. The set up in the book is really good and the story is really engaging. However, the actual writing is flawed with little character development and dialogue that doesn't ring true. The biggest issue is Allbeury's use of women characters. Their only descriptions involve breasts, descriptions of skimpy underwear and bush (I kid you not) and even in 1980 when this was written I doubt this would have been seen as high art. Still, overt sexism aside, this is a good straightforward airport type political/spy thriller that I found a quick, easy and enjoyable read.
June 19, 2017
This book was written in 1980, but the storyline could have been taken from yesterday's newspaper. A wealthy businessman, Logan Powell, has just been elected president against all odds. A British intelligence agent notices that Powell's chief-of-staff elect, Andy Dempsey was involved with the Soviets back in 1968. After a little investigating, he believes that the U.S. election might have been manipulated by the Soviets through the Dempsey. Now it is a race to uncover the truth before Logan is inaugurated on January 20th.
Sound familiar? I don't think that this book is particularly thrilling, but plot was very believable and sort of scary!
Sound familiar? I don't think that this book is particularly thrilling, but plot was very believable and sort of scary!
May 4, 2018
If I had picked up this book in 1981 when it was published, I probably wouldn’t have bothered with it, not being that interested in American politics and especially not in its seamier side. But with the inescapable media attention on the Trump campaign, I was intrigued by the quote on the cover which begins “Could the Soviet Union get their own man elected President of the United States?” You would think the author was prescient! I’m sure that if the book had been published this year, everybody would be reading it and trying to match the characters with real members of Trump’s entourage. That said, I found it a quick read, but not exceptionally riveting.
July 12, 2017
This intrigued me as it was described as having parallels to what is presently happening in the United States with Trump, although it was written back in 1980. The pace was good and the storey moved along nicely. It got a bit confusing at times with all the characters but it got clearer as the story progressed. The scary part is that the premise of the story is possible and could be happening right now.
December 17, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book concerning the outlandish notion that the Russians would successfully get a friendly stooge to become president of the USA.
Apart from the uncannily accurate foresight which this 45 year old novel shows I was really impressed with the fairly unsensational plot which moves along swiftly but plausibly.
I am just rediscovering Allbeury after having read some of his books in the 80s and was pleasantly surprised at the quality and brevity of the writing.
Apart from the uncannily accurate foresight which this 45 year old novel shows I was really impressed with the fairly unsensational plot which moves along swiftly but plausibly.
I am just rediscovering Allbeury after having read some of his books in the 80s and was pleasantly surprised at the quality and brevity of the writing.
October 10, 2017
This is a good spy novel that takes place in 1980 at the time a new president is going to be inaugurated on the 20th of January. CIA agent Jim McKay has discovered some nefarious news about president elect Logan Powell which leads to the Soviet Union. The election seems dirty and Logan might be in the Soviet sphere. What to do?
April 22, 2018
Interesting enough read but fairly implausible (apart from the Russian collusion part which is the central premise of the book). It hasn't dated at all well, but full marks to the author : the idea that Russia would interfere with a US presidential election probably sounded even more far fetched when he wrote the book ... 38 years ago!
July 20, 2018
This is a dead eerie, rather frightening read. Written nearly 40 years ago, this fast paced and excellent spy thriller revolves around the scenario of the Russians (Then the USSR) getting involved in US elections so as to get a man under their control to become US President, and nearly pulling it off. Hmmm, does this sound familiar?
February 17, 2019
A new President of the United States is elected... & there seems to be evidence that he is actually controlled by Russia... Yes, but this political thriller was written in 1980, when "Russia" meant "USSR," not "Putin." Anyway, well-written & intelligently plotted (tho' plot is the main point of the novel, no particular character development).
February 18, 2020
Real life is more litigiously tortuous people are no longer so focused on the national rather than the personal good, so I say this was too neat somehow, but, one would wish for neat right now; we are currently confined inside this story, wishing for some order and simplicity, some sanity some escape.
July 14, 2017
Not a very well written book but woofty when it comes to modern US/Russia Trump collusion. Almost like the author went to the future, saw what happened, then went back and wrote a novel as a warning.
January 13, 2019
Incredible that this was written in 1980 since it reads straight out if 2016. The parallels you the most recent election are eery and the story parallels the plausible. Great pace, great rhythm. Recommended read.
February 4, 2019
Interesting premise. Too bad every female character was either "younger and prettier than" a male character expected or a "middle-aged secretary". Probably the worst book I'have ever read all the way through. Also too bad that the author didn't live to see his plot come true in the 2016 election.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews