One Hell of a Candidate

by William F. Gavin

Congressman T. Claude "Buzzer" LeBrand--who hails from a Southern district fallen on hard times--has barely been reelected when videotape of him frolicking with bikini-clad bimbos ends up on the evening news. Then just as all seems lost, Buzzer has a heart attack, hits his head, and falls into a coma.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312312830
• ISBN13: 9780312312831
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Great Book of Political Satire - MUST READ!

For anyone who enjoys any of Christopher Buckley's great books of satire, and/or enjoys following politics or even hates politicians and the sometimes strange things that happen.....this is the book for you! As someone who works in Washington, this book struck a chord with me, seeing some of the "carictures" in the book....then watching the real politicals so vividly displayed on the daily news doing many of the same things. I literally was laughing out loud and finished this book in less than 48 hours! I say this is a must read.

It's like Carl Hiassen and Chris Buckley collaborated...

This is the story of the election to fill the congressional seat in a fictitious district. The seat becomes available when its occupant, Buzzer LeBrand, falls into a coma. To reveal who runs would ruin some of the early surprise. Once the race is on, it is quite suspenseful. This book will please Hiassen and Buckley fans. The writing is of that caliber. My only lament is it is told from multiple points of view, none of which are particularly empathetic, and it's hard to figure out whom to route for. But if you're not a stickler for classic story structure, this will be of the moment. All in, it is good, its two chief assets being it is funny, and it provides a great fly-on-the-wall view of the election process.

One Hell of a Candidate: A Novel of Politics by Wm. Gavin

Bill Gavin has written what one reader has called "a work of comic genius and originality." Yes, "One Hell of a Candidate" is funny, often unproariously so; but it is also a shrewd depiction of the various types of characters who populate the current American political scene. Above all, Gavin's novel is a real page-turner, a fine story of a campaign for a Congressional seat. The Congressional seat in question is being decided by a special election caused by the incapacity (the Congressman goes into a coma)of the sitting Member. The seat is declared open and a diverse group of candidates and assorted campaign consultants battle to replace the comatose Congressman. The story is riveting, but the key to "One Hell of a Candidate" is Gavin's expertly drawn characters. In each case, they are "right on". As Richard Whalen, the author of "The Founding Father: The Story of Joseph P. Kennedy" put it: "Think Machiavelli meets the Marx Brothers. Don't wait for the blockbuster movie. Read it now." - George Denison

Gavin Knows What He's Writing About

This is a fast-moving page-turner for anyone intrigued with the day-to-day process of political campaigns, written with the insights of someone who's been working for political candidates and office holders since 1968 or so.