“Q” Clearance A NOVEL
Peter Benchley
1986 Random House
“On your knees, America!”
Not the way you expect a novel that is billed as a comic masterpiece of modern misunderstanding to start out.
Benchley (author of Jaws and The Deep and former speech writer for Lyndon Johnson) writes what could have been a story from his own life. Tim Burnham is one of the President’s writers who receives his Q clearance (along with a GS step 9 raise to $59,800) while living in a rented house with an ungrateful family. His thrust into the inner circle of the President leads to his future entanglement as a leaker of information through a relationship with the daughter of a Russian spy. Lots of quaint 80’s references ($5 cab rides, paper shredders, re-used cassette tapes) and was a good read for anyone who wants a new perspective.
The underlying theme of the novel is that Tim becomes the trusted voice and ally of the President and a conduit for getting the truth to the American people. Sound familiar to anyone here?
I would suggest that POTUS or others on Team Q have at least read the book at sometime in their lives and maybe used it as a motivation for their current operation.
Promised a book review when I posted the cover picture. Be happy to answer any questions people have about it.