$17.81$17.81
FREE delivery:
Wednesday, Aug 30
Ships from
Amazon.ca
Sold by
Amazon.ca
$11.00
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Follow the Authors
OK
The President Is Missing: A Novel Paperback – June 11 2019
Purchase options and add-ons
Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from the world's bestselling author, James Patterson: an "undeniably gripping ride through the hidden passageways of power and politics" that "moves like Air Force One" (Michael Connelly).
The President Is Missing confronts a threat so huge that it jeopardizes not just Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street, but all of America. Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view . . .
Set over the course of three days, The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former commander in chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in many years.
#1 New York Times bestseller
#1 USA Today bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal bestseller
#1 Indie bestseller
"President Duncan for a second term!" -- USA Today
"This book's a big one." -- New York Times
"Towers above most political thrillers." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The plotting is immaculate . . . the writing is taut." -- Sunday Times (London)
"Ambitious and wildly readable." -- New York Times Book Review
- Print length528 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGrand Central Publishing
- Publication dateJune 11 2019
- Dimensions13.46 x 3.94 x 20.32 cm
- ISBN-101538713837
- ISBN-13978-1538713839
Frequently bought together
Customers who bought this item also bought
- He has probably been crying, though it’s impossible to see on his rain-slicked face. His eyes widen with fury. “You killed her!” he spits. “You killed her!”Highlighted by 43,004 Kindle readers
- “So it’s nothing specific to Russia. It just so happens that many of our NATO allies happen to be in your backyard. Right,” I say, drawing it out, “in your backyard.”Highlighted by 42,164 Kindle readers
Product description
Review
"Ambitious and wildly readable... Clinton and Patterson's fictional commander in chief brims with humanity, character and stoicism."
―New York Times Book Review
"It's a go-to read. It maximizes its potency and fulfills its mission. There's a twist or two of which Frederick Forsyth might be proud. So, if you want to make the most of your late-capitalist leisure-time, hit the couch, crack a Bud, punch the book open, focus your squint, and enjoy."
―The New Yorker
"Harrowing . . . Mr. Patterson withholds details until the moment of maximum dramatic effect . . . beach reading of a high order."
―The Wall Street Journal
"Sure to entice millions of readers . . . the novel is fascinating . . . President Duncan for a second term!"
―USA Today
"The President Is Missingfeels like the result of a strong collaboration . . . It's driven by star power and persuasive-sounding presidential candor . . . This book's a big one."
―New York Times
"An extraordinary event . . . the pages spark to DEFCON 1."
―Washington Post
"This book moves like Air Force One. Big and fast. Clinton and Patterson are a dream combo. Two great storytellers, one inside and one outside, both at the top of the game. They've put together an undeniably gripping ride through the hidden passageways of power and politics. This book teaches as much as it entertains."
―Michael Connelly, #1 bestselling author of the Ballard and Bosch series
"The pages of The President Is Missing are filled with the classic tropes of a big commercial thriller . . . but the authors resist pure escapism . . . The pleasure of this book is in imagining the wild tales Clinton might disclose about his own years as President, if only he could."
―Time
"The plotting is immaculate... the writing is taut."―Sunday Times (London)
"The dream team delivers big time . . . Clinton's insider secrets and Patterson's storytelling genius make this the political thriller of the decade."―Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series
"The clock ticks, suspense builds. . . [to] a satisfying twist at the end."
―Newsday
"The plot is epic."
―The Economist
"A first-rate collaboration from a couple of real pros! Engrossing from page one."
―David Baldacci, #1 bestselling author of The Fallen
"Could I put The President Is Missing down? Of course not . . . The climax is very exciting."
― Bloomberg
"Compelling from page one. A fantastic read!"
―Mary Higgins Clark, #1 bestselling author of I've Got My Eyes on You
"A high-octane collaboration . . . the addictivequalities are undeniable."
―Daily Telegraph (London)
"Marry the political savvy of Bill Clinton with the craftsmanship of James Patterson and you get a fabulously entertaining thriller that is meticulous in its portrayal of Washington politics, gripping in its pacing, and harrowing in its depiction of the perils of cyberwarfare. This dark tale is, at bottom, a warning and a prophecy about the mortal threats to our democracy posed by terrorists abroad, homegrown extremism, and the technological miracles that have rendered us both powerful and defenseless at once."
―Ron Chernow, #1 bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Grant
"The novel's accelerated pace of action is one of the novel's strongest assets, along with a roster of intriguing characters . . . a clever, brave and moral leader that any free nation would be lucky to have at the helm."
―Columbus Dispatch
"Addictive. . .The President Is Missing towers above most political thrillers . . . Must read."
―Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The President Is Missing is heart-pounding, gripping, terrifying. As I read, ferociously turning the pages, I kept asking myself, 'Could this really happen?' Bill Clinton's insight into the pressures of being president and life in the White House coupled with James Patterson's chops as an action writer have combined to give us a genuinely masterful thriller. My knuckles are still white!"
―Louise Penny, #1 bestselling author of Glass Houses
"A blockbuster."
―Express (London)
"Bill Clinton and James Patterson seamlessly craft a heady thriller revealing the razor-thin edge between policy and ambition, politics and patriotism. They provide a front-row seat to the inner workings of our political system, a plot that is frighteningly plausible, and a cast of complex characters--both men and women--who all have their own stake to claim. The result: a fast-paced summer read you'll see on planes, trains, and every beach across the country and around the world."
―Walter Mosley, bestselling author of the Easy Rawlins series
*"Clinton and Patterson are a dynamic duo weaving a suspenseful and gripping technothriller that will leave readers wondering, 'Could this really happen?' Highly recommended for thriller and suspense fans."
―Library Journal, starred review
*"A page-turning thriller. The authors keep the suspense high . . . Fans of the TV series 24 and the movie Air Force One will be riveted."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The President Is Missing is a big, splashy juggernaut of a novel, combining thrills with a truly authentic look at the inner happenings in Washington. I read it in one gulp. You will too."
―Harlan Coben, #1 bestselling author of Don't Let Go
"The combination of Patterson's lightning pace and Clinton's tantalizing inside knowledge of how terrorists operate is what make this timely novel so vivid, engrossing--and authentically frightening."
―Carl Hiaasen, bestelling author of Razor Girl
"From the pens of two American icons comes a political thriller that rocks. The President Is Missing entertains, educates, and inspires us all to put our country above our politics. Bill Clinton delivers the art of government and James Patterson delivers the art of writing. The reader gets a helluva story."
―Nelson DeMille, #1 bestselling author of The Cuban Affair
"Truth hides on every page in this fiction--scary, remarkable truth that can only come from the ultimate insider. The President Is Missing is more than a book, it's a skeleton key that lets you inside the head of a U.S. president. What a surprising treat."
―Brad Meltzer, #1 bestselling author of The Escape Artist
"The President Is Missing ticks every box for top-notch thriller writing: A relentlessly fast plot, utterly unexpected reversals and twists, a compelling--and a thoroughly human--hero, and a searing and honest examination of issues that strike close to our hearts as Americans in this day and age. Bravo, James Patterson and Bill Clinton!"
―Jeffrey Deaver, bestselling author of The Bone Collector and The Cutting Edge
"A bullet train of a thriller, power-fueled by equal parts adrenaline and expertise. Timely, furiously paced, and crackling with authenticity, it's The Day of the Jackal for the 21st century."
―A. J. Finn, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
About the Author
James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community from the National Book Foundation. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, and his books have sold more than 375 million copies worldwide. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson created a new children's book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: "We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, 'PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.'" He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and funds over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities. He has also donated millions of dollars to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.
Product details
- Publisher : Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (June 11 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 528 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1538713837
- ISBN-13 : 978-1538713839
- Item weight : 417 g
- Dimensions : 13.46 x 3.94 x 20.32 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #210,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #779 in Politcal Fiction
- #1,267 in Women's Action & Adventure
- #1,406 in Men's Adventure Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 375 million copies worldwide. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.
James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, Dog Diaries and Max Einstein series. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed author of adult fiction in UK libraries for the past eleven years in a row. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.
William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in United States history. President Clinton's core values of building community, creating opportunity, and demanding responsibility resulted in unprecedented progress for America, including moving the nation from record deficits to record surpluses; the creation of over 22 million jobs--more than any other administration; low levels of unemployment, poverty, and crime; and the highest home ownership and college enrollment rates in history. After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. His Clinton Global Initiative brings together global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues. He served as the UN Envoy for Tsunami Recovery and is now the UN Special Envoy to Haiti.
Customer reviews
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from Canada
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
The mesh of styles between Patterson, whose fictional works include the successful Alex Cross detective series, and Clinton who has written a number of treatises on major political and social problems, becomes apparent and is the likely culprit in the book's length at 512 pages. It doesn't need that length to tell the story it tells, but there are a number of digressions in the book as fictional President Jon Duncan stops to set out a Clintonian vision for a better world, free of self-serving political polarization in which all share common goals.
President Jon Duncan, the hero of the story, has much in common with Clinton and many dissimilarities. Like Clinton, he is a former governor from a southern state with a daughter who is an accomplished young woman. He is also facing impeachment. Unlike Clinton, Duncan is a recent widower, a former Army Ranger who was a Gulf War vet and POW, as well as a former professional baseball pitcher. Many of the characters in the book resemble those from Clinton World, including a pot-bellied, grey-haired, self-serving Speaker of the House that sounds a lot like Clinton's attempt at literary revenge on Newt Gingrich.
The book also incorporates a number of contemporary issues, including the lack of preparedness for cyber-terrorism and how nations like Russia and China have taken the lead in this new frontier of modern warfare. According to President Duncan, if cyber-attack was a sport, Russia would have the best offense and Israel plays defense best.
The clash of the differing worlds that the authors come from makes, at times, for a cumbersome and difficult merge. Parts of the book are tough slogging, especially early on, but the book gathers speed as zero hour approaches. Although one of the goals of the collaboration was to paint a realistic picture of what a pending mega cyber attack might look like, much of the details in the book seem unrealistic and complex problems appear to be solved too neatly, though it should not be forgotten that this is a work of fiction and not a documentary. The book contains a provocative "State of the Union" address that calls for political unity, but the appeal of which will be inspirational to some and an irritant to others. It's message that we must be rid of polarization and incivility is timely and sorely needed, but where it becomes divisive is in its definition of the principles that everyone must agree on.
Clinton and Patterson attempt to deliver a cautionary tale about America's vulnerability to cyber-terrorism, using fiction, suspense, action and thrills as the vehicles to get their message across. The finished product is not without its flaws, imperfections, and diversions. Its appeal will be affected by the reader's political mindset and biases. But at its heart is a warning about the brave new world we live in and the challenges we face in the 21st century.
OK, enough whining. I really enjoyed the writing in this book, although as noted above it's not "Patterson" style as much as some of my favorite thriller writers' style. I had the "one more chapter" push through most of the book, and the story unfolds nicely, as does the character exposition. Of course, there's the usual twists at the end, but that's to be expected. I am now half way through the Clinton-Patterson follow-up novel, and enjoying that one even more. Well done, gentlemen; an interesting and addictive read!
Top reviews from other countries
Let's begin at the beginning, the book starts off with an initial encounter in a simulation of a series of impeachment hearings (I wonder who wrote this part..) that are later revealed to be just an exercise. The stage is set very nicely here, where all of the characters with a little bit of depth are introduced in a nice manner. Suspense is building as the main villain, Suliman Cindoruk, was apparently contacted directly by the president in an attempt to stop a plot known internally as "Dark Ages" which is later revealed to be a sophisticated computer virus. In the beginning the paint is obvious, however the main villain is never really developed much as a character. We get some allusion to his large financial gains, his hedonistic lifestyle, and more (it's obvious we aren't meant to like him) but beyond disliking him, there isn't much to suggest he's a maniacal person seeking to overthrow the world order, and what motivations he might have beyond simply being a terrorist. For most people this is probably a little to nitpicky, so I'll be sticking to broader points in the next section.
As the plot moves forward the president decides to operate from a remote area in Virginia, with a limited security detail so as not to attract attention. We are introduced to the so-called "best computer experts" the country has, who for some reason never come up with the idea that the computer virus can simply be tricked into thinking there's nothing left to wipe on a PC, and therefore just decides to shut itself off. This overly convenient plot moment drives several chapters worth of suspense as the team fails after iteration upon iteration to replicate the virus through reverse-engineering it. This part here isn't difficult to buy, as it seems standard to want to take it apart to see how it works in order to find a solution. For reasons unexplained, when running their trials on new computers, the team decides to use their reverse-engineered copy of the virus rather than using an actual copy of it. Perhaps they would be afraid that copying the virus from an actually infected computer would somehow detonate it, a reasonable concern, and they didn't have any sacrificial computers they were able to lose in this attempt. None of this is explained to the reader, but it could also simply be a lack of obvious creativity. Furthermore, the virus, by design, is doomed to fail from the start by design.
The final chapters of the book are probably the most underwhelming, because of one simple thing: a password. For some reason, Nina, the virus' architect, decides that a failsafe key should be offered up as a way out of deploying the virus completely, and it has a 30-minute timer on it (how convenient). Predictably the team solves it with not much time to spare, but the entire device of using a keyword flies in the face of everything we know about these characters. Nina is beyond sophisticated in her skills, so sophisticated that the entire DoD staff and presidential team had weeks to discover it but were unable to for some reason. Once the virus is accidentally triggered by an attempt to remove it (the deletion thing didn't end up working) the virus reveals itself to have a keyword to shut it off. The president and his team after this reveal immediately start guessing random passwords that seem to make sense all in vain. This step in particular is unbelievable from a technical standpoint, as it ignores the rather high probability that the virus would detonate itself upon too many wrong guesses. Much like how we have to call customer service after we type in a wrong password too many times in an attempt to retrieve it in vain, someone as sophisticated as Nina could have easily triggered a detonation after a number of attempts, and would have been smart to do so in order to ensure an even greater need for her leverage (the keyword itself). None of the technical experts in the room ever consider this, which makes absolutely no sense given that they all are supposed to be the "best of the best." Sure it might be plausible that under the circumstances everyone rushes to do the exact wrong thing, but it seems laughably unrealistic given all of the character development that ocurred so far. This password mechanic in and of itself introduces a gaping logic error in Nina's (who we are made to believe is an incredibly intelligent woman) thinking. If the keyword was allowed to be guessed with unlimited attempts, then her leverage never really existed. Brute force software is relatively commonplace in the world, and is used to guess passwords by randomly entering strings of characters into a text box until it opens. Governments ostensibly would have access to such software, and the vast computing power needed to make it efficient. However, even though the president seemingly brings this up, he is told it would take too long to setup and deploy to working on the password (which is complete nonsense). Because she decided to hinge the fate of the US on a password, her plan was doomed from the start because of course people would be able to figure it out in a 30 minute timeframe, that was never in any doubt by anyone. This double whammy of the timer and password makes no sense, and leaves the ending of the book feeling overly contrived and lacking in detail.
If you haven’t read Blackout by Marc Elsberg , I suggest that you do so before you read this book. It was about computer crime related to power grids. It began in Italy but when it “crossed the pond” and arrived at Nuclear One near Russellville, Arkansas, it was a little too close for comfort - since I live just a little over a hour’s drive from there.
And now there is The President Is Missing. I don’t know what I expected but this wasn’t it. This is my first Patterson novel and, to be honest, I think I decided to read it because Bill Clinton, Arkansas’ politician extraordinaire, was the co-author even though I am not a fan. I think, however, you can see where his knowledge of the presidency was of great assistance.
A well-liked President who is a former Marine and a prisoner of war in Iraq, with an ultra-competent Chief of Staff , a Vice President who was his opponent for his party’s nomination, a Speaker of the House from the opposition party who is a pain in the President’s a _ _ (see Chapter 1), and a hemotologist that wants the President to follow her directions but can’t bring get him to do so, and a group of individuals the President trusts and who he brings into his confidence.
The President has recently lost his wife to cancer, his only child, a daughter, is in Paris studying at Sorbonne, and he is dealing with an exacerbation of a blood disease that comes on him occasionally and all but renders him useless. Then comes a look at any President’s greatest fear, a peekaboo computer virus that is very dangerous.
It’s not there long enough for anything to be done about it but long enough for those who have the technological knowledge to know it’s dangerous. Then the President gets a message that was delivered to his daughter in Paris that has to have come from one of his trusted advisors. What is he to do?
Since, as Harry Truman was careful to point out when he was POTUS, the buck stops with the President. He must make the final decisions in matters of national importance. What kind of decision is a President who is not technologically proficient to make? President Duncan devises a plan that upsets the entire country and has the news hounds guessing what is happening.
Will the President’s plan work? Can the President and his team stop this menace? They know that someone who has access to the inner-working of the President’s top 8 advisors has leaked information to one of the individuals who planted the virus. But who planted it and how can they stop it before it does real damage, reveal the traitor, keep his blood disease from killing him, and prove to his political enemies that he was not “consorting with the enemy.”
This novel has insights into things with which a President must deal and the difficulty finding individuals he can trust. I’m sure there are a lot of young men and women today who dream of becoming President of the United States but I think a lot of them will change their minds if they read this book and realize the nature of a President’s daily existence - I would not call it a life because forever after there will be the ever present Secret Service and the “fourth estate,” and no enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life before the Presidency.
I happen to know that while she was growing up, Gov. Bill Clinton used to take Chelsea to climb Pinnacle Mountain on the weekend. This would not have been a father/daughter outing once he became President and he will never get to do such a simple thing with his grandchildren.. He even jogged around Little Rock. When he became President this meant tying up traffic and holding people up from getting to their jobs - ask me how I know this.
I left my office - on foot, as usual - one morning to walk the two blocks to the Post Office to get our mail, and as I crossed the street I had to hesitate because of a jogger in my path. I said hello and was ignored. I realized after that it was Vice President Gore. I don’t know whether he wasn’t allowed to say hello to me or whether he was just that unfriendly. I do remember wondering why I was permitted to get that close to him, but have no answer for that.
At any rate, this takes Blackout further and opens up a whole new look at what goes on behind the scene in the Presidency and forces us to take a look at our dependence on computers and the internet (which, if you recall, Al Gore said he invented) for everything we do.
Before getting into this review, please know that I am a Democrat. Despite that, I am going to tell you what I liked about this latest offering from Patterson, and what I did not like.
The opening is far better than I feared. Perhaps it is because it is written in first person POV. Maybe it is something the current occupant of the White House could have said. At any rate, the opening grabbed me fully and, despite the occasional stereotypical statement that felt a little worn, I found myself glued to the book. In reflection, the writing in this story is crisp and more fun than Patterson’s most recent novel, “Princess: A Private Novel.”
Oh, and by the way, I read it while listening to part of it, as I also bought the audible version. Yes, I know the description indicates it is in German, the copy I got is in English, narrated by Dennis Quaid, and others.
I’m going to presume that most of the book actually is written by James Patterson. I cannot, however, distinguish between Patterson and Clinton, in terms of the writing. Had it not billed Clinton as co-author, I probably would still have purchased this book, as I am a fan of this most prolific writer.
BLUSH FACTOR: Although there is a sprinkling of mild cussing, there are no profanities.
EXCERPT
‘…hitting the fan, you’re the guy I want in charge.”
I let out air, nod my head.
“Hey.” Danny gets up from his chair and sits down next to me on the couch. He lightly punches my knee. “Being in charge isn’t being alone. I’m right here. Same place I’ve always been, no matter what your title is. Same place I’ll always be.”
“Yeah, I—I know.” I look at him. “I know that.”
“This isn’t about the impeachment [expletive deleted], is it? Because that’ll work itself out. Lester Rhodes? That boy’s so dumb he couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the directions were on the bottom.”
He’s pulling out all the stops, dusting off another of Mama Lil’s greatest hits. He’s trying to take me back to her, to her strength. After Daddy died, she cracked the whip as hard as any drill sergeant I’d later meet, smacking me in the head if she heard a double negative or an ain’t, telling me I’d go to college or she’d tan my hide. She’d go to work early and come home in the afternoon with two Styrofoam cartons of food that would be dinner for Danny and me. I’d rub her feet while she checked our homework and interrogated us about our day at school. She always said, You boys aren’t rich enough to afford not to pay attention.
“It’s that other thing, isn’t it?” says Danny. “That thing that you can’t tell me, that’s had you canceling half your schedule for the last two weeks? The reason that you’ve suddenly become so interested in martial law and habeas corpus and price controls? Whatever it is that’s kept you quiet as falling snow about Suliman Cindoruk and Algeria while Lester Rhodes beats the snot out of you?”
“Yeah,” I say. “It’s that thing.”
“Yeah.” Danny clears his throat, drums his fingers. “Scale of 1 to 10,” he says. “How bad?”
“A thousand.”
“Jesus. And you have to go off leash? I gotta tell you, that sounds like a terrible idea.”
It just might be. But it’s the best one I have.
“You’re scared,” he says.
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
We are quiet for a long moment.
“You know when the last time was I saw you this scared?”
“When Ohio put me over 270 electoral votes?”
“No.”
“When I found out Bravo Company was deploying?”
“No, sir.”
I look at him.
“When we were getting off that…’
Patterson, James. The President Is Missing: A Novel (Kindle Locations 842-863). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition.
BOTTOM LINE
Great writing? No, this is not great writing. But it sure is a fun, easy read. It’s also terrific on Audible, so consider getting the audio format so you can listen while driving. I should note that I listened only to, say, 10% in Audible. I do intend to listen to it fully with my wife during our upcoming trip to Texas.
Did this review answer most of your questions and concerns? I encourage you to leave a comment below to help me provide reviews that work for you. Further, I am writing a book for aspiring reviewers and for product suppliers seeking reviews in an effort to help improve the process and to understand the value of Amazon’s Customer Review process.
Together, you and I can build something great. Will you join me?
One request: Be respectful and courteous in your comments and emails to me. I will do likewise with you.
Thank you.