Finale: A Novel of the Reagan Years

(Paperback)

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Adding to a fiction chronicle that has already spanned American history from the Lincoln assassination to the Watergate scandal, Thomas Mallon now brings to life the tumultuous administration of the most consequential and enigmatic president in modern times. Finale captures the crusading ideologies, blunders, and glamour of the still-hotly-debated Reagan years, taking readers to the political gridiron of Washington, the wealthiest enclaves of Southern California, and the volcanic landscape of Iceland, where the president engages in two almost apocalyptic days of negotiation with Mikhail Gorbachev. Along with Soviet dissidents, illegal-arms traders, and antinuclear activists, the novel's memorable characters include Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, Pamela Harriman, John W. Hinckley, Jr. (Reagan's would-be assassin), and even Bette Davis, with whom the president had long ago appeared onscreen. Several figures-including a humbled, crafty Richard Nixon; the young, brilliantly acerbic Christopher Hitchens; and an anxious, astrology-dependent Nancy Reagan (on the verge of a terrible realization)-become the eyes through which readers see the last convulsions of the Cold War, the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, and a political revolution. At the center of it all-but forever out of reach-is Ronald Reagan himself, whose genial remoteness confounds his subordinates, his children, and the citizens who elected him. Finale is the book that Thomas Mallon's work has been building toward for years. It is the most entertaining and panoramic novel about American politics since Advise and Consent, more than a half century ago.

Reviews

Sly and penetrating. . . . Mallons most audacious and important work yet. The New York Times Book Review

[A] scintillating comic epic of politics. . . . Mallon follows his troupe across thousands of miles, capturing what happens with rapier wit. San Francisco Chronicle

A story about the limits of human ambition. . . . Wicked good, that Thomas Mallon. The Washington Post

Finale offers a certifiable slice of the recent past but teases its readers with subtle fictionalization . . . Mallon handles it with an easy mastery. The Wall Street Journal

Richly imagined. . . . Mallon offers a useful reminder that Presidential reputationsoften improve with the passage of time. The New Yorker

Masterful performances, by the author and by his subject. Dallas Morning News

Gorbachev, Thatcher, the Gipper himselfthe gangs all here and ready to party like its 1986 in this propulsive and often very funny novel that portrays political upheaval through the eyes of some of recent historys most formidable players. O, The Oprah Magazine

Full of witty, sometimes withering and often surprisingly sympathetic portraits of the characters clustered around the ever-unknowable president. Chicago Tribune

Vivid. . . . Mallon impressively blends his singular knowledge of political history with his limitless imagination to capture an era. The Philadelphia Inquirer

[Mallon] sculpts characters who embody the folly and frustration of political power. . . . Mallon has become a master of such political theater. . . . Combin[es] broad historical accuracy and fictional verisimilitude with aplomb. The Christian Science Monitor

Mr. Mallon isn't just a gifted novelist; he also has a sound working knowledge of Washington ways. . . . A splendid example of the genre at its best. Washington Times

Captur[es] the texture of the times with a dry wit and a keen eye for subtle insights. . . . His renderings of Hitchenss tartness are dead on, and many of the one-liners about other figures zing off the page. . . . He has captured the mood and feel of the late 1980s perfectly. National Review

What a pleasure it is to enter the rough-and-tumble politics of Thomas Mallons historical novels. . . . Mallon captures that uncertain tenor of the times while portraying the complex drama of high-level politics with real clarity and energy. The AV Club

One of this novels many joys is the beauty and elegance of its prose. . . . [Mallon] reminds us that history is not about facts and dates; its the greatest story ever told. The Miami Herald

Mr. Mallon can twist language like a knife. . . . [He] skillfully interweaves the personal and the political. . . . Mr. Mallons vivid take on this period in American politics rings true. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An intriguing, humorous, even catty backstage view of the Reagan presidency from an artisan of the historical novel. Kirkus Reviews(starred)

A scrupulously researched novel that gives readers a front-row seat on world-changing eventsa combination that proves irresistible. Booklist (starred review)

Author Bio

Thomas Mallon is the author of seven novels, including Henry and Clara, Dewey Defeats Truman, and Fellow Travelers. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, and The Atlantic Monthly. He lives in Washington, D. C.