A Thing of State

A Thing of State is Allen Drury's 1995 political novel that centers on a crisis in the Middle East and the U.S. State Department's response. Set in 1999, the standalone work exists in a separate timeline from Drury's Pulitzer Prize-winning Advise and Consent series. The plot focuses on a conflict between two fictional Middle Eastern kingdoms, Greater and Lesser Lolome, who are engaged in warfare over oil resources. When Greater Lolome's nuclear-armed ruler makes aggressive demands, the United States government must determine how to respond while navigating complex domestic and international pressures. The narrative examines the inner workings of the State Department, the role of the United Nations, and the challenges of American foreign policy in the nuclear age. Multiple perspectives are presented through key figures including the President, Secretary of State, and various diplomatic officials. The novel considers fundamental questions about democracy, foreign intervention, and the balance between public opinion and national security interests in American diplomacy. Through its fictional crisis, it explores the real-world tensions between idealism and pragmatism in international relations.

There seems to be limited online reader discussion and reviews available for A Thing of State by Allen Drury. The book has minimal presence on review sites, with only 6 ratings on Goodreads giving it an average of 3.67/5 stars. Readers who reviewed it noted the book provides insight into diplomatic relations and State Department operations, with one reader calling it "a detailed look at how the diplomatic corps actually functions." Several praised Drury's knowledge of government procedures. Critical reviews focused on the slow pacing and dense political details. One Goodreads reviewer said "the diplomatic minutiae bogs down the story." Another noted it "lacks the narrative drive of Advise and Consent." Goodreads: 3.67/5 (6 ratings) No reviews currently available on Amazon No professional critic reviews found The book appears to have a small readership compared to Drury's other political novels.

Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel The plot tracks a military conspiracy against the U.S. President during nuclear treaty negotiations, providing similar insights into Cold War era political tensions and constitutional crisis.

The War of Powers by Robert E. Vardeman, Victor Milan The narrative examines diplomatic relations between rival kingdoms fighting over resources, mirroring the conflict structure of Greater and Lesser Lolome.

The Last Ship by William Brinkley A global nuclear crisis forces naval officers to make decisions affecting international relations, echoing the high-stakes diplomatic challenges in Drury's work.

Command and Control by Eric Schlosser The book details real incidents of nuclear weapons management and near-catastrophes, complementing the nuclear tensions central to A Thing of State.

Executive Actions by Gary Grossman The story follows political operatives managing an international crisis that threatens American security, paralleling the State Department focus of Drury's novel.

★ Allen Drury won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1960 for his novel "Advise and Consent," making him one of the few authors to receive this prestigious award for political fiction. ★ Before becoming a novelist, Drury worked as a Senate correspondent for United Press International, giving him firsthand insight into the political machinations he wrote about. ★ "A Thing of State" (1995) was one of Drury's final novels, published just three years before his death in 1998 at age 80. ★ The novel's 1999 setting was particularly prescient, as it predicted increased tensions in the Middle East and nuclear proliferation concerns that would become major global issues in the 21st century. ★ Drury's political novels were so influential that the term "Drury-esque" became shorthand in Washington for complex political narratives involving behind-the-scenes power struggles.