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Presidential Spirits
A Political Field of Dreams
A moderate president struggling to lead amidst the country’s dysfunctional polarization suddenly stumbles upon a mystical, vintage, centuries-old saloon where he can drink at a nightly party with every former president,
living or dead. He relishes this escape and the camaraderie with his new drinking buddies who understand his problems and sympathize with him. When he realizes that they all want only the best for both him and the country, unlike what he experiences in Washington each day, he starts to wonder if somehow this saloon can have greater value. Can he tap into the collective wisdom of Washington, Jefferson, the Roosevelts, Kennedy, Reagan and all the others to craft a solution to fix the country’s broken and divisive political dynamic?
A moderate president struggling to lead amidst the country’s dysfunctional polarization suddenly stumbles upon a mystical, vintage, centuries-old saloon where he can drink at a nightly party with every former president,
living or dead. He relishes this escape and the camaraderie with his new drinking buddies who understand his problems and sympathize with him. When he realizes that they all want only the best for both him and the country, unlike what he experiences in Washington each day, he starts to wonder if somehow this saloon can have greater value. Can he tap into the collective wisdom of Washington, Jefferson, the Roosevelts, Kennedy, Reagan and all the others to craft a solution to fix the country’s broken and divisive political dynamic?
364 pages, Paperback
Published July 15, 2020
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Dan Coonan
2 books9 followers“Write the novels you would most want to read.” That’s the best single piece of writing advice I ever received. So that’s what I did.
My novels are like a political Field of Dreams or Midnight in Paris – a US President struggling to lead amidst our polarization who finds he can access a centuries-old saloon at night and drink with every one of his predecessors, living or dead. I loved the idea so much and thoroughly enjoyed writing two novels about it.
They also say “Write what you know,” and I’ve been in a few saloons in my life too . . . 😊
Most of the words of the presidents comes from their letters, memoirs, interviews or speeches – all notated by chapter in the sources at the end. They are fun novels, but pack a powerful message about our political polarization and what it’s doing to us, with some hope about how we can move beyond it all.
I love history, baseball, politics, parties and family – not necessarily in that order – and you’ll find plenty of each in these novels.
We are better than this!
Cheers
My novels are like a political Field of Dreams or Midnight in Paris – a US President struggling to lead amidst our polarization who finds he can access a centuries-old saloon at night and drink with every one of his predecessors, living or dead. I loved the idea so much and thoroughly enjoyed writing two novels about it.
They also say “Write what you know,” and I’ve been in a few saloons in my life too . . . 😊
Most of the words of the presidents comes from their letters, memoirs, interviews or speeches – all notated by chapter in the sources at the end. They are fun novels, but pack a powerful message about our political polarization and what it’s doing to us, with some hope about how we can move beyond it all.
I love history, baseball, politics, parties and family – not necessarily in that order – and you’ll find plenty of each in these novels.
We are better than this!
Cheers
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 12, 2020
Right from the beginning you're drawn into Danny McFadden and the potential for an honest, compassionate President. Once he gets to the White House the fun really starts. The idea of being able to access all the former Presidents in an attempt to find the best solutions for our current state of affairs is an interesting ride. The history lessons I received along with an enjoyable read made it all that much better. Dan Coonan's writing is easy, never forced, and believable even in the unbelievable world he created. History buffs will certainly love Presidential Spirits, but I'd recommend it to anyone who simply wants a page turner.
April 27, 2022
I finished this a few days ago and found it to be one of the best and most enjoyable books I have read in a long time.
In this novel, fictional candidate Danny McFadden defeats Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to win the 2016 election and become President. During his first night in the White House, McFadden discovers that he has access to a secret area called the Saloon where he can drink and interact with every one of his predecessors, and he makes frequent visits throughout the novel to gain insight and advice about various political issues. Every former President is named at some point in the book; however, some are only mentioned a time or two in passing, others only have a few lines of dialogue, and a few others have substantial dialogue. Most of this dialogue is drawn from actual speeches, letters, or other communication that the Presidents delivered at some point, and Coonan provides sources in the chapter notes (which I found interesting as well).
I know it's not possible to cover everything in a single book, but here are a few things that would have made for interesting conversation among the denizens of the Saloon:
Taft and the bathtub incident;
Carter and his UFO sighting, managing the temperature in the White House, the failed hostage rescue, and the 1980 Olympic boycott;
Ford and his pardon of Nixon;
Nixon and the Watergate affair and the missing 18 minutes of tape;
Reagan and G.H.W. Bush on the Iran-Contra affair;
W.H. Harrison and his long inauguration speech;
Cleveland and his illegitimate child and nonconsecutive terms;
Buchanan and his alleged homosexuality;
JFK and the authorship of his book and the moon landing commitment; and
JFK, LBJ, FDR, Harding, and Clinton and their sexual escapades in the White House.
It's a quick read and I highly recommend it.
In this novel, fictional candidate Danny McFadden defeats Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to win the 2016 election and become President. During his first night in the White House, McFadden discovers that he has access to a secret area called the Saloon where he can drink and interact with every one of his predecessors, and he makes frequent visits throughout the novel to gain insight and advice about various political issues. Every former President is named at some point in the book; however, some are only mentioned a time or two in passing, others only have a few lines of dialogue, and a few others have substantial dialogue. Most of this dialogue is drawn from actual speeches, letters, or other communication that the Presidents delivered at some point, and Coonan provides sources in the chapter notes (which I found interesting as well).
I know it's not possible to cover everything in a single book, but here are a few things that would have made for interesting conversation among the denizens of the Saloon:
Taft and the bathtub incident;
Carter and his UFO sighting, managing the temperature in the White House, the failed hostage rescue, and the 1980 Olympic boycott;
Ford and his pardon of Nixon;
Nixon and the Watergate affair and the missing 18 minutes of tape;
Reagan and G.H.W. Bush on the Iran-Contra affair;
W.H. Harrison and his long inauguration speech;
Cleveland and his illegitimate child and nonconsecutive terms;
Buchanan and his alleged homosexuality;
JFK and the authorship of his book and the moon landing commitment; and
JFK, LBJ, FDR, Harding, and Clinton and their sexual escapades in the White House.
It's a quick read and I highly recommend it.
August 9, 2020
I loved this book. A fun, educational book and definitely timely book. The characters are authentic and the past presidents come to life in a meaningful way. We need a Danny McFadden to lead and bring our country together. I highly recommend it. Looking for way to the sequel.
September 10, 2020
Dan Coonan has written a light-hearted and whimsical account of a fictitional character(Danny McFadden) drafted by both major political parties to run for the 2016 presidency. Once in office, President McFadden finds that, on certain occasions, he is invited to the third floor "saloon" of the White House where all the former U.S. presidents congregate. His frequent visits lead to insights from various presidents as they describe difficult situations during their time in office, giving McFadden advice and support as he struggles with a gridlocked Congress.
In his frequent visits to the saloons, McFadden becomes familiar with the personalities and quirks of the former presidents, even becoming acquainted with their numerous dogs.....as described in a rollicking episode.
In a surprising conclusion, McFadden spells out his answer to the polarization of our current political system, which is well worth considering.
Author Coonan, a lawyer and accomplished businessman, displays his love of Americana and the presidents in this, his first novel. An enjoyable read for lovers of Amerian history.
In his frequent visits to the saloons, McFadden becomes familiar with the personalities and quirks of the former presidents, even becoming acquainted with their numerous dogs.....as described in a rollicking episode.
In a surprising conclusion, McFadden spells out his answer to the polarization of our current political system, which is well worth considering.
Author Coonan, a lawyer and accomplished businessman, displays his love of Americana and the presidents in this, his first novel. An enjoyable read for lovers of Amerian history.
July 11, 2023
Dan Coonan delivers a spectacular historical fiction tale that follows the account of a US president and the discovery of a secret, magical, White House saloon. We are introduced to imaginative and inventive friendships between McFadden and the "spirits" of former US presidents -- their minds and ideologies guide McFadden on his quest to repair the nation's ever-present issues. A celebration of patriotism and community - this novel will appeal to history buffs, political enthusiasts, and those seeking to create an emotional connection to the nation's past. Dan Coonan's meticulous research and flair for nostaglia made this novel a winner. Looking forward to diving into the sequel "Another Round of Presidential Spirits".
September 12, 2020
The book was a real page turner; it kept my interest form the beginning to the end. I appreciate the tremendous amount of research and resources the author undertook to write the book. The concept of utilizing the Saloon to draw on the wisdom of past presidents and applying their past experiences to solve current issues was ingenious. The spirit of cooperation among the past presidents needs to be emulated by the current office holders . The timing of the book was perfect in view of the ever growing polarization of today's political environment.
June 2, 2021
The story was great and relevant for our political times, but the writing was only OK. It needed better editing. But overall it was a creative, enlightening story.
January 8, 2021
Really creative read and timely conversation. I’m not well versed in politics but this has me intrigued and wanting to make a difference! The author’s personality, historical research and voice comes out through his characters—loved it!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews