A Senate Journal 1943–1945

“December 2, 1943. Today I was assigned to the Senate staff of the United Press and moved into the Senate Press Gallery; I hope to stay. Nothing could be a better break for a newspaperman and nothing could please me more. It is exactly what I wanted.”—Allen Drury, from A Senate Journal Allen Drury is perhaps the greatest political novelist of the 20th century. His masterpiece Advise and Consent won the Pulitzer Prize and became one of the best-selling novels of the century. His other works, such as Decision, A Shade of Difference, A God Against the Gods, and That Summer showcase human politics from an intimate scale to a grand panorama. In his seminal years, a young and idealistic Allen Drury was assigned as a reporter to the U.S. Senate for three years that were some of the most turbulent in our history. He was there as an eyewitness to World War II, FDR’s New Deal, vicious political in-fighting, attempts to pack the Supreme Court, and bitter partisan divides in the face of global war. Drury’s astute observations, insights, and perspectives bring history and politics to life in this truly remarkable account, which has great relevance to today’s headlines. “a panorama of 20th century US history.”—Paul Moreno, from his Foreword