The Man.

STONE, Irving [Colin Powell].

$1,500.00

Item Number: 140441

London: Cassell & Co, 1966.

First British edition, early printing of this novel which deals with America’s first elected black president faces enormous pressures, including impeachment proceedings, soon after he takes his place in the oval office. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For General Colin Powell- with respect and admiration- always Irving Wallace April 23, 1989.” The recipient, Colin Powell was a politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American Secretary of State. He served as the 15th United States National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989 and as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993. Near fine in a good dust jacket.

The Man was written before the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It depicts a political situation in which the office of Vice Presidency is vacant due to the incumbent's death. While overseas in Germany, the President and the Speaker of the House are in a freak accident; the President is killed, the Speaker of the House later dies in surgery. The Presidency then devolves onto Douglass Dilman, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, a black man earlier elected to that office in deference to his race. Dilman's presidency is challenged by white racists, black political activists, and an attempted assassination. Later, he is impeached on false charges for firing the United States Secretary of State. One of his children, who is "passing" for white, is targeted and harassed. At the end of the book, the protagonist—though having credibly dealt with considerable problems during his presidency and gained some popularity—does not consider running for re-election. It was a major commercial success: it spent 38 weeks on the New York Times best seller list. It was basis for the 1972 film, with the screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by Joseph Sargent and featuring James Earl Jones as President Douglass Dilman.