Political thrillers that will keep you hooked
Politics is a part of everything that one does. It is rightly said that, “Politics is everything; everything is politics”. Any activity that we indulge in or everything that we think, is political. Actually, the stand of being ‘apolitical’ is a political one too! Some of the biggest revolutions that have happened in history or even at present, are due to political reasons. The biggest of wars, including World War I and II were fought because of political turmoil. Even if we go back to the classics written all over the world, be it ‘The Iliad’ or ‘Mahabharata’, all were a result of politics which led to tension between two parties.
Assassinations, bloodbath, wars, killings, massacres, murders, death are a few terms that are widely associated with politics. It could be inferred that all of them come with politics, and are a part and parcel of the same. They are enough to weave together an exhilarating and thrilling tale that can entice anyone. Politics and the events related to it have so much salt and pepper in it, that it makes everything fascinating. As a result, many fictional and non-fictional political books have been produced that serve to the liking of many readers all across the world.
Here are some political thrillers that will keep you hooked:
(Photo: Pixabay)
‘The Manchurian Candidate’ By Richard Condon
The novel revolves around Sergeant Raymond Shaw, who is a hero of the first order. He's an ex-prisoner of war who saved the life of his entire outfit, and a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. However, he is also the perfect assassin. He was brainwashed during his time as a Prisoner of War, because of which he is a 'sleeper', a living weapon to be triggered by a secret signal.
Pic credit: Orion
‘November Road’ by Lou Berney
The novel is centered on an important event is the history- assassination of J.F. Kennedy and involves a desperate cat and mouse chase across 1960s America. It is a poignant and evocative crime novel and a story of unexpected connections, daring possibilities, and the hope of second chances.
Pic credit: HarperCollins
‘1984’ by George Orwell
It is a dystopian novel which was published in the year 1949 and set in the year 1984. The story takes place in an imagined future in 1984, when much of the world has fallen victim to perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, historical negationism (distortion of historical records), and propaganda.
Pic credit: Amazing Reads
‘Red Sparrows’ by Jason Matthews
In the book, the author who is a former CIA operative, describes the mundane aspects of the intelligence turf and the practices it employs to carry out a mission. The story is centered on Dominika Egorova or the "Red Sparrow", a former Russian ballerina. She is forced by her uncle to undergo espionage training for the Russian government.
Pic credit: Simon & Schuster
‘The President Is Missing’ by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
The novel, which is written by former US president- Bill Clinton, revolves around themes like cyber terrorism and what ensues the hunger for power. In the book, the president goes missing and the reason behind this is much worse, beyond anyone’s imagination.
Pic credit: Century
‘Too Bad to Die’ by Francine Mathews
In this novel, the writer has very skillfully placed Ian Fleming, the master of crime thrillers as the protagonist. It features real historical figures like Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Josef Stalin and is set in an actual moment in political history- the Tehran Conference of 1943. It is during this conference, that Ian Fleming goes undercover after discovering that Hitler has sent assassins to murder the three leaders.
Pic credit: Riverhead Books
‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ by John le Carré
The novel revolves around George Smiley, a former top spy who is brought out of retirement to hunt down a traitor, who later turns out to be someone closest to him. It was this traitor who fell to a mole implanted by Moscow Centre. He infiltrated the highest ranks of the British Intelligence Service and almost destroyed it in the process.
Pic credit: Penguin Classics
‘Native Speaker’ by Chang-rae Lee
It is a detective novel set in New York featuring a Korean spy, Henry Park. However, it is also about the immigrant experience, identity, loyalty and the languages that define us. Henry Park, the protagonist is torn between his Korean lineage and his life in America. This struggle gets much more complicated when he is assigned as a spy on a Korean American politician.
Pic credit: Penguin Books