Page 6 6 Page

Robert Cromie is book editor of the the of editor book is Cromie Robert

was "someone" with a gun; and that two members of of members two that and gun; a with "someone" was

coming throng killed by the wreckage of Air Force One One Force Air of wreckage the by killed throng coming

operation with headquarters in Annapolis," and that that and Annapolis," in headquarters with operation

the ground crew "were in some sort of Communist Communist of sort some in "were crew ground the

Goldwater. Goldwater.

the first few pages of the story after Air Force One One Force Air after story the of pages few first the crashes and kills President Harley Hudson, who has just just has who Hudson, Harley President kills and crashes

been renominated after a convention so stormy and ugly ugly and stormy so convention a after renominated been

that it recalls the Republican convention that named named that convention Republican the recalls it that

Abbott, Speaker of the House, who becomes President in in President becomes who House, the of Speaker Abbott,

notable exceptions such as the highly appealing William William appealing highly the as such exceptions notable

storyteller he was in in was he storyteller

mension and taken on a cutout appearance, with a few few a with appearance, cutout a on taken and mension

of whom have inhabited all four books, have lost di- lost have books, four all inhabited have whom of

Di

what the fuss was all about. about. all was fuss the what

hop on his fast ball. He simply isn't the workman and and workman the isn't simply He ball. fast his on hop

to read read to

report that for this novel, at least, Drury has lost the the lost has Drury least, at novel, this for that report

the book was too long to run uncut and impossible to cut. cut. to impossible and uncut run to long too was book the window must have created a tremendous audience eager eager audience tremendous a created have must window to let his story be heard, but failed to explain why they they why explain to failed but heard, be story his let to

not buying it. He also seemingly failed to realize that that realize to failed seemingly also He it. buying not stand it), the buyer's explanation explanation buyer's the it), stand

circumstances had made the story implausible and (b) (b) and implausible story the made had circumstances

couldn't have accomplished the same thing by simply simply by thing same the accomplished have couldn't

the publicity attendant upon tossing $50,000 out the the out $50,000 tossing upon attendant publicity the

Drury's new novel, sight unseen, then refused to use it it use to refused then unseen, sight novel, new Drury's

394 pp. $6.95. $6.95. pp. 394

PRESERVE AND PROTECT. By Allen Drury. Doubleday. Doubleday. Drury. Allen By PROTECT. AND PRESERVE

By Robert Cromie Cromie Robert By

Pasting up political cutouts cutouts political up Pasting

(permitting the author to retain the loot, as I under. under. I as loot, the retain to author the (permitting

It is quickly learned that among those in the wel- the in those among that learned quickly is It

As one of that audience it is a disappointment to to disappointment a is it audience that of one As

Drury promptly charged that that charged promptly Drury

ference fference

When When

Preserve and Protect Protect and Preserve

McCall's McCall's

or or

Capable of Honor. Honor. of Capable

magazine paid $50,000 for Allen Allen for $50,000 paid magazine

Advise and Consent Consent and Advise

and decide for themselves themselves for decide and

McCall's McCall's

The characters, many many characters, The

was was

Chicago Tribune. Tribune. Chicago

that (a) actual actual (a) that

or or

was refusing refusing was

A Shade of of Shade A

of its citizens are involved directly and others unwitting- others and directly involved are citizens its of

ly; and that time grows short. short. grows time that and ly;

conviction that there is an international plot to over- to plot international an is there that conviction throw the United States, a plot in which he feels many many feels he which in plot a States, United the throw the Pope, whom he describes as as describes he whom Pope, the

second non-fiction work, or a long essay, warning of his his of warning essay, long a or work, non-fiction second

story. From the viewpoint of this reader, at least, they they least, at reader, this of viewpoint the From story.

sincere beliefs. But the message would have come across across come have would message the But beliefs. sincere

were so labored and intrusive that they did little more more little did they that intrusive and labored so were

more clearly and forcefully if he had understated it in in it understated had he if forcefully and clearly more

than slow down the action. action. the down slow than

"liberal" press and "liberal" columnists, belong in the the in belong columnists, "liberal" and press "liberal"

Preserve and Protect Protect and Preserve

of violence in the country protests which surely are are surely which protests country the in violence of

an engrossing novel. From his viewpoint, I'm sure, the the sure, I'm viewpoint, his From novel. engrossing an

frequent interpolation of protests against the rising tide tide rising the against protests of interpolation frequent

psychotic United States senator. One, to the far right, right, far the to One, senator. States United psychotic

action unbelievable. One, to the far left, is headed by a a by headed is left, far the to One, unbelievable. action

directed by by directed the answer to everything. everything. to answer the

supporters of Orrin Knox, the Vice-Presidential nom- Vice-Presidential the Knox, Orrin of supporters guided liberal millionaire, for the vacated Presidential Presidential vacated the for millionaire, liberal guided is the instrument of an obvious fascist. The other is " " is other The fascist. obvious an of instrument the is

justifiable and should be made — and attacks on the the on attacks and — made be should and justifiable spot. Jason, it should be added, has accepted the support support the accepted has added, be should it Jason, spot.

of three organizations so disparate disparate so organizations three of

a a

inee, and Governor Ted Jason of California, a mis- a California, of Jason Ted Governor and inee,

among crew members aboard was an Army mess boy boy mess Army an was aboard members crew among

who had "a blank-faced little wife he married in Al- in married he wife little blank-faced "a had who bania." bania."

ander Borgia ever did, had been first crack out of of out crack first been had did, ever Borgia ander

the box on the day after Harley's funeral with a a with funeral Harley's after day the on box the

ble in everything under the sun as busily as Alex- as busily as sun the under everything in ble

a slick old politician who had recently oozed into into oozed recently had who politician old slick a

Peter's throne and had immediately begun to dab- to begun immediately had and throne Peter's

Drury is angry with a variety of persons, including including persons, of variety a with angry is Drury

Certainly Drury is entitled to express his obviously obviously his express to entitled is Drury Certainly

double aim: to describe the renewed fight between between fight renewed the describe to aim: double

It is only fair to say that Drury had the materials for for materials the had Drury that say to fair only is It

The remainder of the novel, following the crash, has has crash, the following novel, the of remainder The

a a

racist racist

black leader to whom violence is is violence whom to leader black

and then gone on to write a a write to on gone then and

as as

to make his his make to

and Protect Protect and

greater degree. But if a smooth-running story may be be may story smooth-running a if But degree. greater

compared to a smooth-running motor, then then motor, smooth-running a to compared

ment which the earlier Drury novels offered to a far far a to offered novels Drury earlier the which ment

and well, and occasionally there is some of the excite. excite. the of some is there occasionally and well, and

attend a luncheon less than ten days after the tragedy. tragedy. the after days ten than less luncheon a attend

mentator named Frankly Unctuous. Unctuous. Frankly named mentator

difficult to believe that the President's widow would would widow President's the that believe to difficult

It is even more difficult to imagine imagine to difficult more even is It

musings. musings.

State: State:

Leffingwell, who would like to become Secretary of of Secretary become to like would who Leffingwell,

agricultural attache in Washington has a hand, Drury Drury hand, a has Washington in attache agricultural

adds: adds:

Portions of the book, it must be said, move quickly quickly move said, be must it book, the of Portions

That's a small excerpt from a page or so of his similar similar his of so or page a from excerpt small a That's There are minor irritations, too. For instance, it is is it instance, For too. irritations, minor are There

in the hands of those for whom idealism has been been has idealism whom for those of hands the in

and most oppressive of them all. all. them of oppressive most and

only a tool with which to manipulate the naive for for naive the manipulate to which with tool a only

the purposes of Communist imperialism, harshest harshest imperialism, Communist of purposes the

has intolerant idealism taken mankind: especially especially mankind: taken idealism intolerant has

. . . How horribly far down the road to destruction destruction to road the down far horribly How . . .

And a final example, supposedly the thoughts of Bob Bob of thoughts the supposedly example, final a And

ently. It simplified matters greatly ...... greatly matters simplified It ently.

spiracy: their education, their press, their churches churches their press, their education, their spiracy:

at it, and they did. It did not occur to them to to them to occur not did It did. they and it, at

most Americans about that sort of deep, dark con- dark deep, of sort that about Americans most

and their literature had conditioned them to laugh laugh to them conditioned had literature their and There was always something faintly laughable to to laughable faintly something always was There

reason why they had been conditioned to laugh: laugh: to conditioned been had they why reason

thing. thing. they just did, automatically, spontaneously, obedi- spontaneously, automatically, did, just they

been addressed to the United States, apparently the the apparently States, United the to addressed been speech to a mammoth peace demonstration in St. St. in demonstration peace mammoth a to speech Again, speaking of a conspiracy in which the Russian Russian the which in conspiracy a of speaking Again,

Peter's Square . . . his exhortations, of course, had had course, of exhortations, his . . . Square Peter's

only power on earth that was ever guilty of any- of guilty ever was that earth on power only

needs its points adjusted. adjusted. points its needs

BOOK WORLD WORLD BOOK

a a

television corn- television

September 15.1969 15.1969 September Preserve Preserve