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Landfall: A Novel
Set during the tumultuous middle of the George W. Bush years—amid the twin catastrophes of the Iraq insurgency and Hurricane Katrina— Landfall brings Thomas Mallon's cavalcade of contemporary American politics, which began with Watergate and continue with Finale, to a vivid and emotional climax.
The president at the novel's center possesses a personality whose high-speed alternations between charm and petulance, resoluteness and self-pity, continually energize and mystify the panoply of characters around him. They include his acerbic, crafty mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush; his desperately correct and eager-to-please secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice; the gnomic and manipulative Donald Rumsfeld; foreign leaders from Tony Blair to Vladimir Putin; and the caustic one-woman chorus of Ann Richards, Bush's predecessor as governor of Texas. A gallery of political and media figures, from the widowed Nancy Reagan to the philandering John Edwards to the brilliantly contrarian Christopher Hitchens, bring the novel and the era to life.
The story is deepened and driven by a love affair between two West Texans, Ross Weatherall and Allison O'Connor, whose destinies have been affixed to Bush's since they were teenagers in the 1970s. The true believer and the skeptic who end up exchanging ideological places in a romantic and political drama that unfolds in locations from New Orleans to Baghdad and during the parties, press conferences, and state funerals of Washington, D.C.
The president at the novel's center possesses a personality whose high-speed alternations between charm and petulance, resoluteness and self-pity, continually energize and mystify the panoply of characters around him. They include his acerbic, crafty mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush; his desperately correct and eager-to-please secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice; the gnomic and manipulative Donald Rumsfeld; foreign leaders from Tony Blair to Vladimir Putin; and the caustic one-woman chorus of Ann Richards, Bush's predecessor as governor of Texas. A gallery of political and media figures, from the widowed Nancy Reagan to the philandering John Edwards to the brilliantly contrarian Christopher Hitchens, bring the novel and the era to life.
The story is deepened and driven by a love affair between two West Texans, Ross Weatherall and Allison O'Connor, whose destinies have been affixed to Bush's since they were teenagers in the 1970s. The true believer and the skeptic who end up exchanging ideological places in a romantic and political drama that unfolds in locations from New Orleans to Baghdad and during the parties, press conferences, and state funerals of Washington, D.C.
496 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2020
99 people are currently reading
1434 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Mallon
40 books286 followersThomas Mallon is an American novelist, essayist, and critic. His novels are renowned for their attention to historical detail and context and for the author's crisp wit and interest in the "bystanders" to larger historical events. He is the author of ten books of fiction, including Henry and Clara, Two Moons, Dewey Defeats Truman, Aurora 7, Bandbox, Fellow Travelers (recently adapted into a miniseries by the same name), Watergate, Finale, Landfall, and most recently Up With the Sun. He has also published nonfiction on plagiarism (Stolen Words), diaries (A Book of One's Own), letters (Yours Ever) and the John F. Kennedy assassination (Mrs. Paine's Garage), as well as two volumes of essays (Rockets and Rodeos and In Fact).
He is a former literary editor of Gentleman's Quarterly, where he wrote the "Doubting Thomas" column in the 1990s, and has contributed frequently to The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Atlantic Monthly, The American Scholar, and other periodicals. He was appointed a member of the National Council on the Humanities in 2002 and served as Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2005 to 2006.
His honors include Guggenheim and Rockefeller fellowships, the National Book Critics Circle citation for reviewing, and the Vursell prize of the American Academy of Arts and Letters for distinguished prose style. He was elected as a new member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012.
He is a former literary editor of Gentleman's Quarterly, where he wrote the "Doubting Thomas" column in the 1990s, and has contributed frequently to The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Atlantic Monthly, The American Scholar, and other periodicals. He was appointed a member of the National Council on the Humanities in 2002 and served as Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2005 to 2006.
His honors include Guggenheim and Rockefeller fellowships, the National Book Critics Circle citation for reviewing, and the Vursell prize of the American Academy of Arts and Letters for distinguished prose style. He was elected as a new member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 10, 2019
I’d go so far as to offer 4.5 stars!
The subject matter of Thomas Mallon’s most recent novel is both captivating and poignant, much like the others I have read over the years. Using a political era as a backdrop, Mallon injects his own fictional story to pull the entire time period together. During the 1978 congressional campaign of a young George Bush, teenagers Allison O’Connor and Ross Weatherall meet at the candidate’s “Bush Bash”, which ends up as an indelible mark on the family and helps to sink the young man’s campaign. Fast-forward to January 2005, it is now President Bush, who is about to deliver his second inaugural address. Full of hope for a newly democratized Iraq, Bush delivers a speech that he hopes will bring the country together and show that America remains a leader in democratic development. Bush’s coterie of senior officials include a Defence Secretary—Rumsfeld—who floods the air with memos and his twist on events. and a newly shuffled Secretary of State—Rice— with innovative ideas to ensure Iraq and much of the rest of America’s interests are not drowned out by protestors. Though, nothing can top the apathetic vice-president—Cheney—who seems to be there, but not. The Bush Administration is working on all they can, spinning and shaping how America and the world will judge them in the years to come. Allison O’Connor returns to the narrative with a place within the National Security Agency (NSA) on Rumsfeld’s recommendation and uses her military background to help shape the future of a democratic Iraq that is months away from a referendum on its new constitution and eventual parliamentary elections. Ross Weatherall reappears after being appointed to sit on the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, which has him quite busy, both in Washington and down in Louisiana. During a chance encounter, O’Connor and Weatherall remember that time they spent together and forge a new connection. During a trip to New Orleans, both come to terms with their relationship as weather off the coast is bringing Hurricane Katrina towards land. Separated and panicking, both O’Connor and Weatherall do all they can to survive, knowing that their roles in the Bush Administration will change drastically, as will the connection they share. With reaction to Katrina slower than might have been hoped, Bush and his closest advisors seek to distract with news about Iraq and how they can spread democracy around the world. Full of narratives that give the reader the feeling of actual events, Mallon paints an interesting picture of situations during this compacted time using a number of highly recognisable figures. Recommended to those who love recent historical fiction, as well as the reader who likes politics in all its machinations.
I have enjoyed a few novels by Thomas Mallon, all of which bring the story to life and resurrect some interesting historical happenings. He is able to breathe life into events like no other, offering a smooth connection with events and the fictional narrative he wishes to add. While Allison O’Connor and Ross Weatherall remain the recurring protagonists on the fictional side of the coin, there are many who play a central role throughout this piece, too many to list here. Mallon develops all his characters together effectively and tells stories not only with their words, but the actions and interactions they have with one another. In a story whose title led me to believe this would be about the Bush Administration foibles in New Orleans, the story is more about the democratic containment of Iraq and how America made landfall in this newly ‘released’ country and how setting about morals and political systems were seen by some as political liberation and others as neo-colonialism. Mallon does a brilliant job of blurring fact and fiction, taking liberties throughout by using characters and situations that suit his needs. The narrative flows so smoothly and the vignettes are wonderfully chosen to prove a larger point, while not entirely vilifying anyone. The underlying plot involving O’Connor and Weatherall is not lost on the reader, though it is a thread that is intertwined with so many others that it does not stick out. With a mix of chapter lengths, the reader will surely lose themselves and want to devour the book, even if they know the gist of the historical pathways being explored.
Kudos, Mr. Mallon, for another brilliant piece. I cannot wait to read more of your work, which always keeps me on the edge of my seat.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
The subject matter of Thomas Mallon’s most recent novel is both captivating and poignant, much like the others I have read over the years. Using a political era as a backdrop, Mallon injects his own fictional story to pull the entire time period together. During the 1978 congressional campaign of a young George Bush, teenagers Allison O’Connor and Ross Weatherall meet at the candidate’s “Bush Bash”, which ends up as an indelible mark on the family and helps to sink the young man’s campaign. Fast-forward to January 2005, it is now President Bush, who is about to deliver his second inaugural address. Full of hope for a newly democratized Iraq, Bush delivers a speech that he hopes will bring the country together and show that America remains a leader in democratic development. Bush’s coterie of senior officials include a Defence Secretary—Rumsfeld—who floods the air with memos and his twist on events. and a newly shuffled Secretary of State—Rice— with innovative ideas to ensure Iraq and much of the rest of America’s interests are not drowned out by protestors. Though, nothing can top the apathetic vice-president—Cheney—who seems to be there, but not. The Bush Administration is working on all they can, spinning and shaping how America and the world will judge them in the years to come. Allison O’Connor returns to the narrative with a place within the National Security Agency (NSA) on Rumsfeld’s recommendation and uses her military background to help shape the future of a democratic Iraq that is months away from a referendum on its new constitution and eventual parliamentary elections. Ross Weatherall reappears after being appointed to sit on the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, which has him quite busy, both in Washington and down in Louisiana. During a chance encounter, O’Connor and Weatherall remember that time they spent together and forge a new connection. During a trip to New Orleans, both come to terms with their relationship as weather off the coast is bringing Hurricane Katrina towards land. Separated and panicking, both O’Connor and Weatherall do all they can to survive, knowing that their roles in the Bush Administration will change drastically, as will the connection they share. With reaction to Katrina slower than might have been hoped, Bush and his closest advisors seek to distract with news about Iraq and how they can spread democracy around the world. Full of narratives that give the reader the feeling of actual events, Mallon paints an interesting picture of situations during this compacted time using a number of highly recognisable figures. Recommended to those who love recent historical fiction, as well as the reader who likes politics in all its machinations.
I have enjoyed a few novels by Thomas Mallon, all of which bring the story to life and resurrect some interesting historical happenings. He is able to breathe life into events like no other, offering a smooth connection with events and the fictional narrative he wishes to add. While Allison O’Connor and Ross Weatherall remain the recurring protagonists on the fictional side of the coin, there are many who play a central role throughout this piece, too many to list here. Mallon develops all his characters together effectively and tells stories not only with their words, but the actions and interactions they have with one another. In a story whose title led me to believe this would be about the Bush Administration foibles in New Orleans, the story is more about the democratic containment of Iraq and how America made landfall in this newly ‘released’ country and how setting about morals and political systems were seen by some as political liberation and others as neo-colonialism. Mallon does a brilliant job of blurring fact and fiction, taking liberties throughout by using characters and situations that suit his needs. The narrative flows so smoothly and the vignettes are wonderfully chosen to prove a larger point, while not entirely vilifying anyone. The underlying plot involving O’Connor and Weatherall is not lost on the reader, though it is a thread that is intertwined with so many others that it does not stick out. With a mix of chapter lengths, the reader will surely lose themselves and want to devour the book, even if they know the gist of the historical pathways being explored.
Kudos, Mr. Mallon, for another brilliant piece. I cannot wait to read more of your work, which always keeps me on the edge of my seat.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
March 31, 2019
The New York Times Book Review, in a front page review, thought this send up of the Bush presidency, with the complete cast (Cheney, Condi, Rummy, Laura, Barbara etc.) was a modern political classic. I found it to be a goofy, not especially imaginative fictional take on a well worn story with well worn characters. The author's insights did not strike me as especially insider stuff, and he has kind of a flat style. I guess I might have liked it more if he had written it 10 years ago. Or maybe, I still hate these people so much that I just didn't think this book could be funny.
May 23, 2019
An excellent read but perhaps not quite at the same level as the preceding books "Watergate" and "Finale". I do enjoy the combination of historical characters and fictional dialogue. In a similar way to Curtis Sittenfeld's "American Wife", one ends in feeling more sympathy for George W. Bush as he is portrayed in a more complex manner than the caricatures of the time.
April 16, 2020
George W. Bush served in the Oval Office from 2001 to 2009. His two terms in office encompassed 9/11, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the global financial collapse that set off the Great Recession—surely, the most consequential sequence of events in any eight years in all of American history to that point. And Bush himself emerged from the experience relegated to the bottom rungs of history’s ranking of the first forty-three American Presidents. So, you might wonder, what could a Republican novelist inclined to sympathy make of this story? And you’ll find the answer in Thomas Mallon’s intoxicating new book, Landfall, the third in his trilogy of tales about Bush and the two Republican Presidents who preceded him. Mallon has written a sympathetic portrait of George W. Bush the man, but his assessment of the man’s Administration is scathing.
A plethora of boldfaced names mix with two fictional protagonists
As in his earlier works about Richard Nixon (Watergate) and Ronald Reagan (Finale), Mallon inserts a handful of fictional characters in the historical setting, and they carry the story forward. Boldfaced names predominate; many become featured characters as well. In Landfall, the fictional Allison O’Connor and Ross Weatherall take center stage. But they share the spotlight with George W. Bush and members of his family (Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, and George H. W. Bush); Donald Rumsfeld; Condoleezza Rice; former Texas Governor Ann Richards; Nancy Reagan; former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole; and journalist Christopher Hitchens. And Vice President Dick Cheney hovers in the background, a glowering presence. Even Henry Kissinger, Prince Charles, and Stephen Colbert wander onto the scene.
A critical but sympathetic portrait of George W. Bush
Mallon’s treatment of George W. Bush is critical but sympathetic. Bush comes across as far better educated and more intelligent than he was portrayed in the press. He is shown to be a caring person, frequently moved to tears by the suffering of wounded troops or the victims of Katrina. And even his mother looks on him as weak. “All of this should have fallen to Jeb,” Mrs. Bush believes, “the son she admired more and loved less.” And he is repeatedly forced into corners by Rumsfeld and Cheney, both far more aggressive than he. In Mallon’s telling, Bush leaves office believing that his legacy will always be seen as having started a war he couldn’t win. Which, in the end, seems about right.
Two mid-level staffers illustrate the shifting sands of federal policy
In the course of the story, the two protagonists (Allison and Ross) shift positions from supporting the Administration to opposing it, or the reverse, in response to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina. In the Prologue, the two meet—and kiss—as sixteen-year-olds at a fundraising party in Lubbock, Texas, for George W. Bush’s campaign for Congress in 1978. Then the scene jumps a quarter-century later to Washington, DC in 2005 and follows Bush, his family, and his team for the next two years.
A sentimental Bush plays matchmaker
During this same period, Allison and Ross make their ways separately into mid-level positions in the Bush Administration. Allison, a long-time Army lawyer, gains a spot on the staff of the National Security Council under Donald Rumsfeld’s patronage. Ross, an academic historian, finds himself in a key position at the fictional National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. (He “had spent a long time and a lot of effort arriving at the second outermost ring of the Bush administration. . . He might be on the Pluto-like periphery . . . but he was part of it.”) Both eventually come into the President’s orbit, she as a contrarian adviser on the war in Iraq and he as a critical presence in New Orleans during and after Katrina. And in the end the sentimental man in the Oval Office plays matchmaker.
“Factionalized derangement” and venom from perfectly rendered characters
Mallon accurately portrays the muddled policy of the Bush Administration—Allison views it as “factionalized derangement”—and the often bitter Cabinet-level clashes, primarily between Rumsfeld and Cheney, on one side, and Rice on the other. Mallon writes of “those alternating spits of venom from Dick to Condi to Don.” In his telling, both Rumsfeld and Cheney routinely speak of Richard Nixon as “the boss,” harkening back to their early years in public service. But his skill as a mimic is even more remarkable. Each of the public figures speaks as they spoke at the time. They all come across as perfectly rendered personalities, if media accounts during the time can be believed. But, remarkably enough, Mallon’s acknowledgments don’t hint at even the most cursory personal contact between him and any of them, much less interviews that might have allowed him to absorb the cadence of their speech in private. Still, he seems to have gotten things right. In the final analysis, this sympathetic portrait of George W. Bush depicts a failed administration, a conclusion most Republicans today would seem to concede.
About the author
Thomas Mallon has written ten novels, seven works of nonfiction, and a slew of shorter pieces. Most of his work is categorized as historical fiction. He is Republican and openly gay. Perhaps in years to come Mallon will produce a fourth volume about the present occupant of the White House—assuming that any writer of fiction could possibly outdo the President himself in making stuff up.
A plethora of boldfaced names mix with two fictional protagonists
As in his earlier works about Richard Nixon (Watergate) and Ronald Reagan (Finale), Mallon inserts a handful of fictional characters in the historical setting, and they carry the story forward. Boldfaced names predominate; many become featured characters as well. In Landfall, the fictional Allison O’Connor and Ross Weatherall take center stage. But they share the spotlight with George W. Bush and members of his family (Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, and George H. W. Bush); Donald Rumsfeld; Condoleezza Rice; former Texas Governor Ann Richards; Nancy Reagan; former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole; and journalist Christopher Hitchens. And Vice President Dick Cheney hovers in the background, a glowering presence. Even Henry Kissinger, Prince Charles, and Stephen Colbert wander onto the scene.
A critical but sympathetic portrait of George W. Bush
Mallon’s treatment of George W. Bush is critical but sympathetic. Bush comes across as far better educated and more intelligent than he was portrayed in the press. He is shown to be a caring person, frequently moved to tears by the suffering of wounded troops or the victims of Katrina. And even his mother looks on him as weak. “All of this should have fallen to Jeb,” Mrs. Bush believes, “the son she admired more and loved less.” And he is repeatedly forced into corners by Rumsfeld and Cheney, both far more aggressive than he. In Mallon’s telling, Bush leaves office believing that his legacy will always be seen as having started a war he couldn’t win. Which, in the end, seems about right.
Two mid-level staffers illustrate the shifting sands of federal policy
In the course of the story, the two protagonists (Allison and Ross) shift positions from supporting the Administration to opposing it, or the reverse, in response to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina. In the Prologue, the two meet—and kiss—as sixteen-year-olds at a fundraising party in Lubbock, Texas, for George W. Bush’s campaign for Congress in 1978. Then the scene jumps a quarter-century later to Washington, DC in 2005 and follows Bush, his family, and his team for the next two years.
A sentimental Bush plays matchmaker
During this same period, Allison and Ross make their ways separately into mid-level positions in the Bush Administration. Allison, a long-time Army lawyer, gains a spot on the staff of the National Security Council under Donald Rumsfeld’s patronage. Ross, an academic historian, finds himself in a key position at the fictional National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. (He “had spent a long time and a lot of effort arriving at the second outermost ring of the Bush administration. . . He might be on the Pluto-like periphery . . . but he was part of it.”) Both eventually come into the President’s orbit, she as a contrarian adviser on the war in Iraq and he as a critical presence in New Orleans during and after Katrina. And in the end the sentimental man in the Oval Office plays matchmaker.
“Factionalized derangement” and venom from perfectly rendered characters
Mallon accurately portrays the muddled policy of the Bush Administration—Allison views it as “factionalized derangement”—and the often bitter Cabinet-level clashes, primarily between Rumsfeld and Cheney, on one side, and Rice on the other. Mallon writes of “those alternating spits of venom from Dick to Condi to Don.” In his telling, both Rumsfeld and Cheney routinely speak of Richard Nixon as “the boss,” harkening back to their early years in public service. But his skill as a mimic is even more remarkable. Each of the public figures speaks as they spoke at the time. They all come across as perfectly rendered personalities, if media accounts during the time can be believed. But, remarkably enough, Mallon’s acknowledgments don’t hint at even the most cursory personal contact between him and any of them, much less interviews that might have allowed him to absorb the cadence of their speech in private. Still, he seems to have gotten things right. In the final analysis, this sympathetic portrait of George W. Bush depicts a failed administration, a conclusion most Republicans today would seem to concede.
About the author
Thomas Mallon has written ten novels, seven works of nonfiction, and a slew of shorter pieces. Most of his work is categorized as historical fiction. He is Republican and openly gay. Perhaps in years to come Mallon will produce a fourth volume about the present occupant of the White House—assuming that any writer of fiction could possibly outdo the President himself in making stuff up.
April 5, 2019
Really only 2.5 stars. After getting about halfway, it just wasn't drawing me in. The Bush family was well done and interesting, but the 2 main fictional characters were either dull, unlikeable, and sometimes both. Nowhere near as good as the Reagan and Nixon books.
June 2, 2022
A historical fiction look at GW Bush's second term, this felt unneeded for many reasons. The author, a republican, seems to grasp the sheer magnitude of incompetence, greed, and malice that characterized these years but still attempts to make a cutesy-look at this period of American history. The action is propelled by two fictional characters, a historian and a army lawyer who just keep crossing paths with GW Bush. Read good historical fiction, folks. Do not read this.
September 24, 2021
Smart and thoroughly engaging novel about the George W. Bush presidency. As part of my attempt to better understand post-9/11 America, this was a great place to start and get introduced to major and minor characters in W's administration (Karen Hughes, Brett Kavanaugh, Condi, Rumsfeld, Laura Bush etc).
W is self-aware, self-deprecating and conscious of how his staffers set him up for failure or success. A staffer reckons that "Half the time he was without self-confidence; the other half he spilled an excess of it.." Laura, on the other hand, worries about "how long it would be before the quick, constant movements between overindulgence and athletic self-punishment broke the spring of her husband’s metronome."
Cannot wait to read the two other Mallon books about Reagan and Nixon.
W is self-aware, self-deprecating and conscious of how his staffers set him up for failure or success. A staffer reckons that "Half the time he was without self-confidence; the other half he spilled an excess of it.." Laura, on the other hand, worries about "how long it would be before the quick, constant movements between overindulgence and athletic self-punishment broke the spring of her husband’s metronome."
Cannot wait to read the two other Mallon books about Reagan and Nixon.
August 24, 2019
I’m really appreciating the way these Mallon books ask me to examine some of my cliches about politics and political figures. Not the best way to learn about history, but a great way to gain some sympathy.
October 26, 2019
Review copy received from Texas Book Festival in advance of my leading a panel at the 2019 Festival, featuring Courtney Maum and Thomas Mallon, who both wrote a novel based on a famous person-- Courtney's book based on Peggy Guggenheim and Thomas' on George W. Bush.
Landfall has a sharp and snarky humor to it, along with what you can tell is a firm grasp of contemporary political history. You don't have to know the Bush reign perfectly to appreciate the story. For me, the plot gets even more intriguing when Mallon veers away from real life.
Make sure you finish the novel, because the last chapter and the epilogue tie the whole thing up with a knot (not a bow).
Mallon is a prolific author and journalist. His backlist looks as good as his front list.
Landfall has a sharp and snarky humor to it, along with what you can tell is a firm grasp of contemporary political history. You don't have to know the Bush reign perfectly to appreciate the story. For me, the plot gets even more intriguing when Mallon veers away from real life.
Make sure you finish the novel, because the last chapter and the epilogue tie the whole thing up with a knot (not a bow).
Mallon is a prolific author and journalist. His backlist looks as good as his front list.
January 3, 2019
Definitely different. Different from what I have been reading lately. I enjoyed it for what it was. Interesting and a good pace. Political...Historical. Written in fiction...we get a version...a view...of what was going on during George W. Bush during the middle of his Presidential career. We are talking...twin towers catastrophe and devastation...the destruction of Hurricane Katrina...the Iraq war and military push. That's a lot of story...might as well fictionalize a huge tale around it all. Most characters are real life people...and some characters completely made up (I think). What with all that real life stuff dramatized into a fictionalized story....there is also a love affair...that weaves around and between all these events...an important one to the entire book.
Did it work for me? It surely was an interesting read. I will be back with a more detailed review once I process it all in my head.
Thanks to goodreads and author Thomas Mallon for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily did.
Did it work for me? It surely was an interesting read. I will be back with a more detailed review once I process it all in my head.
Thanks to goodreads and author Thomas Mallon for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily did.
April 4, 2019
Landfall covers the second term of George W. Bush from the perspective of actual and fictional characters, weaving historical events with fictional scenes. Like his two previous novels covering the second terms of Republican presidents ( Watergate/Nixon and Finale/Reagan), Mallon draws upon extensive research to provide fairly engaging fictional scenes that mix the profound with the petty, the "inside baseball" with juicy gossip. Some have criticized Landfall for its fairly sympathetic portrayal of Bush. For me, Landfall falls well short of Watergate and Finale because the fictional characters of Ross Weatherall and Allison O'Connor are plot contrivances rather than plausible individuals. Mallon would have us believe that President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condi Rice considered O'Connor (a mid-level bureaucrat) as some sort of oracle about what should be done in Iraq. Weatherall is a vehicle to explore New Orleans pre- and post-Katrina. Mallon has President Bush intervening multiple times in the relationship between Weatherall and O'Connor, which veers almost into fan fiction level nonsense. From this Houstonian's perspective, though, Mallon did get it right in his portrayal of Barbara Bush, Ann Richards, and Molly Ivins, as well as the references to M.D. Anderson Hospital as "Anderson".
If you have not read anything by Mallon, I recommend that you start with Watergate. If you like Watergate, then read Finale. Skip Landfall altogether and pick up "The Gay Place" by Billy Lee Brammer instead.
If you have not read anything by Mallon, I recommend that you start with Watergate. If you like Watergate, then read Finale. Skip Landfall altogether and pick up "The Gay Place" by Billy Lee Brammer instead.
March 30, 2020
I did not find the story as interesting as I expected it to be.There were two different stories taking place. First, was how the Bush-Cheney administration dealt with the war in Iraq during the second term. You get to read about all the infighting among Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Condi Rice. Second, there is a love/hate relationship between two young lovers who met at a GW Bush beer bash when he ran for Congress and lost. I thought that took away from the book though both Allison and Ross had great influence with GW. GW spends a lot of time trying to broker their relationship.
GW Bush and his wife Laura come off looking very good in this story. GW is decisive, empathetic and has to deal with a Vice President and Defense Secretary who he feels are undercutting his authority. Condi Rice comes off well and is characterized as a bit of a sex kitten. Their is a focus on what she wears and her relationships.
John Edwards does not come off well. Rielle is following him around and it appears that he struggling with his wife Elizabeth. Some nasty things said about Elizabeth. Ann Richards comes off well on the Democratic side. She shares a secret with Ross about the beer bash that gets reolved in the end of the book.
The gossip, catfighting and political infighting described in the book were somewhat entertaining but I found myself skimming through the pages to focus on the main story not the doomed Ross/Allison relationship.
GW Bush and his wife Laura come off looking very good in this story. GW is decisive, empathetic and has to deal with a Vice President and Defense Secretary who he feels are undercutting his authority. Condi Rice comes off well and is characterized as a bit of a sex kitten. Their is a focus on what she wears and her relationships.
John Edwards does not come off well. Rielle is following him around and it appears that he struggling with his wife Elizabeth. Some nasty things said about Elizabeth. Ann Richards comes off well on the Democratic side. She shares a secret with Ross about the beer bash that gets reolved in the end of the book.
The gossip, catfighting and political infighting described in the book were somewhat entertaining but I found myself skimming through the pages to focus on the main story not the doomed Ross/Allison relationship.
July 22, 2019
Mr. Mallon has distinguished himself with his specialty of novels based on the lives of past Republican presidents--first Nixon and second, Reagan. Landfall a novel of the second Bush's second administration completes the trilogy. Mr. Mallon covers a lot ground in his work of fiction--George W; the vestiges of the Iraq war, the love affair of a minor administration official and a government lawyer, through whose eyes major chunks of the story are observed, etc. Conde Rice, Cheney, Rumsfeld, hurricane Katrina also are prominent n this book. Much of the work revolves around issues of character (Bushes's) and relationships (the bureaucrat and the lawyer). All right so far. What I found worrisome was M.r Mallon's infusion of the politics of the Iraq war into the story. Through the character of Allison O'Connor, Mr. Mallon seeks to justify U.S. initiation of the conflict on the grounds that Saddam was a wicked and evil man, even if he was not a real threat koto the U.S., thereby justifying its efforts in invading Iraq and bringing down Hussain and his ruling Ba'thist party. I found Mr.Mallon's presentation of the argument forced and unconvincing, but then I opposed the war from the beginning.
January 26, 2023
A big disappointment following the masterful Finale, but maybe post-2000 is to blame. The characters are uninteresting. If Bush Jr. isn't aww-shucksing the fictional protagonists, Rumsfield twinkles his eyes every chapter while Condoleeza Rice twitches but does get a sex scene. Nancy Reagan, my favorite character from Finale, only gets a cameo. Even Hurricane Katrina isn't depicted with the drama it deserves, with the horrific city Dome treated like an offscreen character. Unfortunately, the tough female lead is unlikeable and comes equipped with one of those groan-inducing pregnancy subplots. The book's years carry little character, but who remembers 2000--2006 anyway? Still, unlike Mallon's other historical fiction, this one carries very little cultural color, and that's what he does best. Plus, great characters.
June 8, 2019
This historical novel is a fantastic chronicle of the George W. Bush administration's second term. I've read many Mallon novels and he has such great story telling ability. He takes the actual events of those years and then reimagines how they played out by creating conversations among all the players, some of which are hysterical, especially those between Rumsfeld and Rice. I particularly liked the story line of two fictional characters, Ross Weatherall and Allison O'Connor. They meet as kids in Texas, lose touch and find each other again when both are working for the White House. The full force of Hurricane Katrina is memorably rendered through their relationship. This is a great fit for fans of both political and historical novels.
April 28, 2020
I read, and enjoyed, "Finale" a couple years ago, so I took a chance on "Landfall."
I might even like this one better than "Finale."
This book dug up stuff about the "aughts" that I had forgotten, such as John Edwards or the hunting trip when Cheney shot a guy by accident.
What impressed me about the book was Mallon's generosity. He gives most of the characters their due, gives them a chance to "speak," and lets the reader make up his mind and then make up his mind again by the end of the book.
At the center is George W. Bush, who is far more than the stick figure we were presented with for years. Mallon takes Bush seriously and sympathetically, never once losing track of the cost of the man's decisions.
Strongly recommended.
I might even like this one better than "Finale."
This book dug up stuff about the "aughts" that I had forgotten, such as John Edwards or the hunting trip when Cheney shot a guy by accident.
What impressed me about the book was Mallon's generosity. He gives most of the characters their due, gives them a chance to "speak," and lets the reader make up his mind and then make up his mind again by the end of the book.
At the center is George W. Bush, who is far more than the stick figure we were presented with for years. Mallon takes Bush seriously and sympathetically, never once losing track of the cost of the man's decisions.
Strongly recommended.
March 6, 2019
"Maybe I overdid the red", says Nancy Reagan. "I wish Rumsfield, Cheney, and Condi would quit squabbling" says George Bush. The quotes above are two of the reasons I loved this book. As a lifelong Democrat I couldn't believe I was reading this, but it's terrific. Mallon's novel is about W's second term, and although there's some very snide remarks made about my guys the book is mainly about politicians and power plays. It almost feels voyeuristic. It's amusing. It's sad.
I listened on Audio and the reader does a remarkable job with accents from the Bush soft Texas twang to Christopher Hitchens English posh.
I highly recommend it.
I listened on Audio and the reader does a remarkable job with accents from the Bush soft Texas twang to Christopher Hitchens English posh.
I highly recommend it.
March 7, 2019
Fascinating in parts...and not so much in other parts. As a political "novel" with nonfiction characters (George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, and many others) but fictionalized conversation--and, in some cases, fictioanlized meetings and events--it would have been helpful if the author had included an extensive description of how he constructed the novel, how he honored the historical record and the real-life personalities of his characters--and how he didn't. Such a description would provide readers with an appropriate lens for reading the book and help them in drawing reasonably sound insights and conclusions from the book.
January 13, 2022
What a wonderful book. The author has such sympathy and empathy for all the people he writes about. And he is so good in representing the thinking of the people he writes about. I know the author states that he didn't try to do research on what people actually said but he certainly has done so much research to understand what motivated people and why they behaved the way they did. His portrait of the second Bush is extraordinarily well done and his portrayal of John Edwards as full of himself and willing to do anything to become President is worth the price of the book.
I am looking forward to reading his other two books.
I am looking forward to reading his other two books.
May 3, 2019
Some of the book is wonderfully delicious to read. Having lived through the 2nd George W. Bush term and followed the news of religiously, I chuckled at many of the references made in the book.
I felt like I didn't need to be repeatedly hit on the head with some of the descriptions: Henry Kissinger always mentioning "the Old Man," (Nixon), Bob Dole constantly harumphing, Cheney's side slit smile.
Some people really get bashed bad, but not W. He comes out looking good (!).
The fictional characters, Allie and Ross, and their storyline, were the least appealing part of the book.
I felt like I didn't need to be repeatedly hit on the head with some of the descriptions: Henry Kissinger always mentioning "the Old Man," (Nixon), Bob Dole constantly harumphing, Cheney's side slit smile.
Some people really get bashed bad, but not W. He comes out looking good (!).
The fictional characters, Allie and Ross, and their storyline, were the least appealing part of the book.
December 27, 2022
Didn’t really enjoy this that much. It had none of the alchemical dreaminess of Dewey Defeats Truman, although I well realize the books were set in vastly different eras. A problem with this one was the preponderance of policy discussions. Not very interesting. Moreover, too many historical figures
made contrived cameo appearances for no other reason than to give them a scene or two in the story. (See: Kissinger, Henry; Reagan, Nancy) and I did not buy the plot involving the two fictional characters created as foils to George W. Bush. Disappointing.
made contrived cameo appearances for no other reason than to give them a scene or two in the story. (See: Kissinger, Henry; Reagan, Nancy) and I did not buy the plot involving the two fictional characters created as foils to George W. Bush. Disappointing.
Read
March 1, 2020"She looked at Bush and seemed for a moment to understand herself through him. Half the time he was without self-confidence; the other half he spilled an excess of it. He was worn out from working the double mental shift, just as she'd been worn out by the gradual realization the she'd never truly had any belief in herself. The impulsivity, the flaunted skepticism, had been a membrane stretched thin over a black pond of self-doubt, a pool into which she'd never let herself look."
May 8, 2020
It took me forever to read this novel. I wanted to finish it, but I didn't enjoy it. The Republicans have provided us with so many defective administrations that it is hard to read about one less destructive that the current one and still find it illustrative or educational. I'm not sure how Mallon could write about this idiocy--even fictionalized--and keep his sanity. Done. Over. Forgetting I ever read it as quickly as I can.
January 15, 2019
Thank you for the opportunity of receiving the advanced copy of Landfall. Thomas Mallon really put a lot of time and research into his book. He brought back a lot of memories. Some good, some not so good. This was not an easy read for me. I found it too long and sometimes boring in parts. I am going to pass this along to someone who I think will really enjoy the book very much.
June 6, 2019
It makes the characters a little campy- we get it, Bush is mercurial. I’m not sure it had to be driven home in every single inner monologue. But it’s a decent historical fiction and a chance to imagine a version of the thoughts and motivations of the top world leaders during the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina.
June 24, 2019
This is a useful book to read in the Trump age. It's historical fiction but the conversations are very believable and offer insight into the Bush presidency and his cabinet. For while Bush was flawed and was architect of some of the mess that the middle east is now in, he was better informed, sympathetic and diplomatic than Trump will ever be.
February 26, 2019
Fictional characters interact with real ones in George W Bush's second term. Katrina, Iraq...everything about this era you wanted to forget is vividly imagined. A masterful writing job, but (for me, anyway) a very ponderous read.
March 2, 2019
Interesting read...made me more empathetic for George and Laura; more challenging of the Barbara legacy and a wee bit in disbelief about Condi, but at the same time not surprised. I will go back and read the first 2 books in this trilogy.
November 12, 2019
The narrative is pretty fast paced but still keeps your attention. The main story arc seemed a little forced though I enjoyed the imagined behind the castle walls perspectives of many of the historical figures. I'm not overwhelmed but I'm hooked on Mallon now.
January 27, 2021
An oddly charming political novel that seems to have unusual insight into George W. Bush’s psyche and somehow managed to make me feel weirdly nostalgic for that era of American politics, even though at the time I viewed almost everyone involved as a monster.
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