Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Century (2018), 528 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: The White House is the home of the President of the United States, the most guarded, monitored, closely watched person in the world. So how could a U.S. President vanish without a trace? And why would he choose to do so? An unprecedented collaboration between President Bill Clinton and the world's bestselling novelist, James Patterson, The President Is Missing is a breathtaking story from the pinnacle of power. Full of what it truly feels like to be the person in the Oval Office-the mind-boggling pressure, the heartbreaking decisions, the exhilarating opportunities, the soul-wrenching power-this is the thriller of the decade, confronting the darkest threats that face the world today, with the highest stakes conceivable..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Draak
I am so disappointed in this book. I love James Patterson and all his books are always a fast read. I bought this book when it came out on Monday and today it's Thursday and I am only on page 14 the beginning of chapter 2 because I keep finding things I could do instead of reading this book, like
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cleaning the toilet. The first chapter is so boring that I keep having to re-read it because I have already forgotten what was written. Funny thing is that I even skipped to the middle of the book and read a chapter and it's boring also. I find it hard to believe that James Patterson had anything to do with this pile of garbage. I will struggle to finish this whole book because I hate the thought of spending money and not reading it but it will be a tale of those are hours of my life I will never get back. Oh and before people get hurt and start screaming politics...that doesn't play into this review. It is based on how the book grabbed me from the first and held my interest. It didn't on either count. Show Less
LibraryThing member harryo19
I've long ago quit reading Patterson. How does this guy sell so many books? I thought that maybe with the input of Bill Clinton and that as an audiobook it would be good for a long drive. Ah, just so-so. Dennis Quaid is a fun, if a bit overdramatic reader.
LibraryThing member ericlee
In the 1960's there was a thriller called The President's Plane is Missing by Robert J. Serling, the older brother of Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame. As I remember it, the book wasn't bad. This book by best-selling author James Patterson and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, on the other hand,
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is bad. Not just bad. It's awful. I won't even begin to list all the terrible things about it - there are too many. Why read it? I was curious to know how Bill Clinton wanted to present himself (for the lead character is a thinly designed him). This 'fictional' president marries a brilliant law student (who dies before the book even starts), adores his daughter, was governor of a Southern state, and was a decorated war hero. OK, maybe not all of those describe Clinton. The book ends with a long -- a very long -- speech by the fictional president laying out his views on everything. Tedious stuff. This definitely wins the prize for the worst book I've read this century. Show Less
LibraryThing member MaureenRoy
This is my 1st Patterson book ... I bought it at a discount store due to former US President Clinton being a co-author, because I wanted a presidential perspective on this national security plot. (I am an independent voter.) True, some of the 1st two chapters are slow-paced, since they have to
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introduce many characters and various settings. But after that, the pace is fast, faster than Dan Brown, anyway. My reading time was 8 hours. Having worked with computer databases, I found the discussion of software vulnerabilities to be realistic, although somewhat simplified. The book's greatest strength may be the authenticity of its presidential point of view ... fascinating. Have you ever enjoyed any of the C-SPAN BookTV author talks? If yes, then this is the novel for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
It pains me to give such a high rating to a James Patterson book but I actually enjoyed this story, even at over 500 pages. The plot serves up a compelling, intricate thriller with interesting behind-the-scenes detail of how the U.S. government might react to a cyber-crisis. The main character,
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President Duncan, is way too good to be realistic but it's balm to any anti-Trump soul. Credit should also be given for the use of female characters as assassins, skilled hackers, political powerhouses, capable heroes, and deceitful villains. The number of important female characters in a political thriller is worth noting. The final two chapters felt excessive in making an obvious point but some readers will revel in the sentiments. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tatoosh
First impressions can be misleading.
I was skeptical about “The President is Missing.” The fly leaf and back cover of the book did not contain any information about the plot so it appeared to me that Clinton and Patterson were relying on their names to sell the book. “Not a good sign,” I
The story begins with the President apparently being grilled by the House Select Committee. The writing seemed a bit stilted, the committee, as described was clearly configured to impeach the president, and the rationale given for the President agreeing to testify before the committee was implausible.
While the title is misleading — the President really isn’t missing — the book is first rate. Elements of mystery, intrigue, and action are woven skillfully through the entire novel.
The President is confronted with a pending catastrophe that will almost destroy the United States. The post-apocalyptic U. S. will be reduced to the “Dark Ages,” and a solution that will avoid the catastrophe is not apparent. Compounding the problem, one of the President’s eight most knowledgeable counter-terrorism experts is working with the terrorists. The President must find a way to ward of the impending doom while also identifying the traitor.
Once I got into the story, I was reluctant to put the book down and stayed up much later than I wanted. “Just one more chapter,” I kept telling myself. The identity of the traitor was not particularly difficult to puzzle out as only three of the suspects appear in scenes in the story. One of the three was the “obvious” suspect which suggested that she was a red heering. A second suspect was featured only minimally. That reduced the issue to the question of, “Why would she betray the U. S. and a plausible (although not completely accurate) answer is suggested well before the climax.
The real challenge, which continued up to the end, was thinking of a plausible solution to the terrorist threat. Yet once the final resolution is revealed I found it to be both technically plausible and consistent with the attitudes and behaviors of the leading characters as depicted throughout the book.
Bottom line: “The President is Missing” is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in quite some time.
I was skeptical about “The President is Missing.” The fly leaf and back cover of the book did not contain any information about the plot so it appeared to me that Clinton and Patterson were relying on their names to sell the book. “Not a good sign,” I
Show More
thought.The story begins with the President apparently being grilled by the House Select Committee. The writing seemed a bit stilted, the committee, as described was clearly configured to impeach the president, and the rationale given for the President agreeing to testify before the committee was implausible.
While the title is misleading — the President really isn’t missing — the book is first rate. Elements of mystery, intrigue, and action are woven skillfully through the entire novel.
The President is confronted with a pending catastrophe that will almost destroy the United States. The post-apocalyptic U. S. will be reduced to the “Dark Ages,” and a solution that will avoid the catastrophe is not apparent. Compounding the problem, one of the President’s eight most knowledgeable counter-terrorism experts is working with the terrorists. The President must find a way to ward of the impending doom while also identifying the traitor.
Once I got into the story, I was reluctant to put the book down and stayed up much later than I wanted. “Just one more chapter,” I kept telling myself. The identity of the traitor was not particularly difficult to puzzle out as only three of the suspects appear in scenes in the story. One of the three was the “obvious” suspect which suggested that she was a red heering. A second suspect was featured only minimally. That reduced the issue to the question of, “Why would she betray the U. S. and a plausible (although not completely accurate) answer is suggested well before the climax.
The real challenge, which continued up to the end, was thinking of a plausible solution to the terrorist threat. Yet once the final resolution is revealed I found it to be both technically plausible and consistent with the attitudes and behaviors of the leading characters as depicted throughout the book.
Bottom line: “The President is Missing” is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in quite some time.
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LibraryThing member 3j0hn
I mean this is basically fine airport reading. It's not great though and the self indulgently verbose conclusion went on for way too long however.
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
To divert an international catastrophe, the POTUS must go off the grip. This was deeper than the usual Patterson novel and I think some of Clinton's input/influence is obvious. They present an unusual potential terrorist act I have never thought about but one which would certainly put us in the
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dark ages. Show Less
LibraryThing member Clara53
It was an underwhelming read. I expected more. The plot was decent: cyberterrorism IS a very plausible threat, but the writing was so basic (probably not for James Patterson's fans, but it was for me). I didn't feel Bill Clinton's input - and that's what I was hoping for when I picked up this book.
LibraryThing member buffalogr
It is a fast read, an entertaining cyberterrorism thriller. I’m pretty confident that Patterson wrote 95% of it, but the added voice of an experienced president shines through. It’s not JUST a thriller, it’s a scenario of what-ifs. The downside shows in the end where POTUS is speaking to the
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nation about his weekend--that speech could be half of it's preachy duration. Fictional characters are all believable, except the part about Nina's 1 v 1 audience with the POTUS in the White House. Bill Clinton, could that really happen? Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
Very readable and very topical, almost credible.
The President is on the brink of impeachment. He has apparently met with a terrorist leader and appears to have foiled his capture. A young US soldier was killed. So the House Select Committee is baying for his blood.
And it won't have escaped your
I thought Bill Clinton's voice came through loud and clear, his social agenda and political ideals.
The President runs a tight ship. In crisis there must be absolute loyalty, but there is a traitor in the White House.
The President is on the brink of impeachment. He has apparently met with a terrorist leader and appears to have foiled his capture. A young US soldier was killed. So the House Select Committee is baying for his blood.
And it won't have escaped your
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attention how reliant we've become on technology. What would we do if it wasn't available?I thought Bill Clinton's voice came through loud and clear, his social agenda and political ideals.
The President runs a tight ship. In crisis there must be absolute loyalty, but there is a traitor in the White House.
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LibraryThing member slsmith101
This is a fast paced political thriller that I enjoyed very much. I'm not sure how much of the book was written by Clinton, but the book included many details that only an former president would know that I found very interesting (such as what it feels like to drive a car after not doing so for 10
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years). It was a fun summer read for a political junkie like me. Show Less
LibraryThing member lewilliams
This book started off slow but once it got going, it was hard to put down. The characters are believeable as is the the plot. It's not a fast paced book but it does keep your attention.
LibraryThing member LisaSHarvey
The President is Missing
Bill Clinton and James Patterson
An entertaining cyberterrorism thriller with quick pacing and relentless tension
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SUMMARY
The novel opens with President Jonathan Lincoln Duncan, preparing to testify before a House select committee. His staff has
“The media knows what sells—conflict and division. It’s also quick and easy. All too often anger works better than answers; resentment better than reason; emotion trumps evidence. A sanctimonious sneering one-liner, no matter how bogus, is seen as straight talk while a calm, well argued response is seen as canned and phony.”
REVIEW
The unique writing partnership between Patterson and Clinton has drawn us all in like a moth to a flame. Both men have at least a couple of books under their belts, and one even has a few years experience as the President. My advice is don’t go in with expectations, just read it for entertainment. Don’t look for any special meaning or significance in the plot or in the characters and you will enjoy it all the more. The duo has expertly delivered a thought-provoking cyberterrorism thriller that will leave you worried about internet dependence.
Short chapters propel the dramatic story along quickly. From the moment the President goes missing from the White House the tension is unrelenting. President Duncan narrates the drama so you are with him every step of the way as he goes undercover to a Nationals baseball game, and it’s game on from there. And just in case the wiper-virus isn’t enough to hold your interest, there is an pregnant female assassin who goes by the name Bach on the loose, and the President is without his security detail.
I listened to the audible version of the book and found it interesting. Most of the voices were great, but there were a few minor characters that left a lot to be desired. Very stilted and strained and painful to hear. Thankfully those voices have very limited roles and detracted only slightly from the overall enjoyment of the book.
Showtime cable network has acquired the dramatic rights to the book and it is expected to be a TV series next year. You are going to want to read the book first. The book is always better!
Publisher Little, Brown/Knopf/Random House Audiobooks
Published June 4, 2018
Narrated Dennis Quid/Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton and James Patterson
An entertaining cyberterrorism thriller with quick pacing and relentless tension
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SUMMARY
The novel opens with President Jonathan Lincoln Duncan, preparing to testify before a House select committee. His staff has
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strongly advised him against testifying. The panel of political opportunists are intent on impeaching the president. Congress is insisting that he explain his actions of the past week. According to phone records released by a French newspaper, President Duncan placed a direct call to Suliman Cindoruk, head of the Sons of Jihad terrorist organization. Duncan refuses to reveal to the country that this terrorist organization has threatened to activate a devastating computer wiper-virus within days, that will infect every server, computer, and electronic device in America. Once activated the country’s financial, legal, security, and medical records will be totally erased in just a matter of hours. The transportation and electrical grid’s will crash and the water system will no longer be potable. It’ll be the dark ages and the U.S. will immediately become a third-world country. But President Duncan is working tirelessly to stop the terrorist, identify the country supporting the terrorist, and find a traitor in the West Wing. But can he do it in time?“The media knows what sells—conflict and division. It’s also quick and easy. All too often anger works better than answers; resentment better than reason; emotion trumps evidence. A sanctimonious sneering one-liner, no matter how bogus, is seen as straight talk while a calm, well argued response is seen as canned and phony.”
REVIEW
The unique writing partnership between Patterson and Clinton has drawn us all in like a moth to a flame. Both men have at least a couple of books under their belts, and one even has a few years experience as the President. My advice is don’t go in with expectations, just read it for entertainment. Don’t look for any special meaning or significance in the plot or in the characters and you will enjoy it all the more. The duo has expertly delivered a thought-provoking cyberterrorism thriller that will leave you worried about internet dependence.
Short chapters propel the dramatic story along quickly. From the moment the President goes missing from the White House the tension is unrelenting. President Duncan narrates the drama so you are with him every step of the way as he goes undercover to a Nationals baseball game, and it’s game on from there. And just in case the wiper-virus isn’t enough to hold your interest, there is an pregnant female assassin who goes by the name Bach on the loose, and the President is without his security detail.
I listened to the audible version of the book and found it interesting. Most of the voices were great, but there were a few minor characters that left a lot to be desired. Very stilted and strained and painful to hear. Thankfully those voices have very limited roles and detracted only slightly from the overall enjoyment of the book.
Showtime cable network has acquired the dramatic rights to the book and it is expected to be a TV series next year. You are going to want to read the book first. The book is always better!
Publisher Little, Brown/Knopf/Random House Audiobooks
Published June 4, 2018
Narrated Dennis Quid/Bill Clinton
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LibraryThing member martinhughharvey
My first Patterson book. Interesting style - small chapters so lots of them and overall I found these formulaic and "processed". The conversations too are shallow with little depth and analysis. The level of description is shallow, little definition of the 'scenes', or the thought processes. There
If the latter sounds negative it isn't but just my observations. It doesn't necessarily make for poor book.
Decent cast of characters and a good prolonged action sequence.
It ended with what was clearly an anti-Trump chapter dressed up as a new "ask not" speech by the President.
So IMHO a shallow yarn that makes up a decent if unchallenging read. Fast and bearing these parameters in mind worth it.
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were lots of twists and turns tied nicely into the action parts and I got the feeling it's been so many pages so better time for another tilt.If the latter sounds negative it isn't but just my observations. It doesn't necessarily make for poor book.
Decent cast of characters and a good prolonged action sequence.
It ended with what was clearly an anti-Trump chapter dressed up as a new "ask not" speech by the President.
So IMHO a shallow yarn that makes up a decent if unchallenging read. Fast and bearing these parameters in mind worth it.
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LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
Years ago I used to read James Patterson's book - particularly the Alex Cross books and the Women's Murder series. However, once he started farming out his books to others, I stopped reading him. I found his books too predictable, boring and not worth spending my time reading. However, when I saw
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who his new co-author was on this book, I decided to give this book a shot. I am so glad I did. Clinton brings many insights and a high degree of quality to this book. In this tale, President Duncan finds himself in the middle of a cyberwar that could bring the United States to her knees. Despite having the best and brightest in the intelligence community, this computer virus has everyone perplexed. Fortunately, two of the people who created it found their way to the White House so there is hope. In a tension-filled tale, the president and his intelligence officers, with the help of foreign countries and the young man who introduced the virus into the U.S. cyber world, work against astounding odds that included a traitor in their midst to save the free world. Making this book even more amazing is the president's address to Congress at the end - I simply wish President Trump would read that section and absorb some of it! Simply brilliant! I can now say that I will read another Patterson book, but only if former President Bill Clinton writes with him! Show Less
LibraryThing member breic
It is a fast read, a thriller. For the genre, it is fine. Some reviewers are complaining that it starts slowly, but I found the "slow" start to be the best part. The action scenes are more tedious.
LibraryThing member haymaai
I don’t often read novels of political fiction, so I was fascinated by the intrigue in ‘The President Is Missing,’ by former President Bill Clinton and James Patterson. First of all, the collaboration is a unique one, and it completely piqued my curiosity. Although most readers of political
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fiction stated that this novel is far from realistic, I was enraptured by the story and found it captivating my interest. As the novel begins, President Jonathan Duncan prepares for an interview before the House Select Committee regarding his possible impeachment due to a low 30% term approval rating. Meanwhile, President Duncan goes incognito and is called upon to meet with extreme terrorists who are bent on crippling the entire cyber world of the United States. Such a cyber attack would render our country in despair and chaos. With minutes remaining until the country meets its doom, the President, at an undisclosed location, works frantically with his most brilliant minds to override the virus, which might be triggered at any moment. Although critics have said that this story is far from a real Presidential situation and devoid of any classified secrets, I did notice some Presidential similarities between President Duncan and the book’s author President Clinton. Both came from humble beginnings, had one daughter, and were enigmatic men. They both also met their wives in college. And both faced possible impeachment proceedings. However, in the novel, President Duncan was completely devoted to his deceased wife, while President Clinton was well known for his sexual encounters beyond his spouse. All in all, I felt that ‘The President Is Missing’ hit the mark for me, as an interesting weekend read, and I’d highly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member imyknott
I was looking forward to reading this book and my worst fears were confirmed because it was not up to the sort of standard I expect of James Patterson. Whilst the story was excellent and when Patterson was allowed to get into his stride the book moved along at quite a pace. However all too
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frequently the hand of Bill Clinton came in and slowed the entire story down. I did not want to listen to his political ideals and wondered occasionally if this was a fictional book or a political Broadcast. Nevertheless a good story with a scary undertone reminding us that we have become totally and utterly reliant upon the Internet. It was a terrorist that wanted to launch a virus that took out the American ability to access the Internet requiring the president to go undercover and with the aid of various countries and cyber terrorist geeks defeated the plan. Let’s hope James Patterson does not release his wonderful storytelling powers to other political amateurs. Show Less
LibraryThing member LARA335
Fascinating high-speed thriller focusing on America’s terrifying internet dependence. Not surprisingly I was imagining Clinton as the presidential character & enjoyed the small insights he contributed, like being rusty driving a car.
It did make me wonder that with all the stress, lack of privacy,
It did make me wonder that with all the stress, lack of privacy,
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and being a permanent assassination target, why anyone would put themselves forward for this job. But a very entertaining read looking over the shoulder of someone who has really done it. Show Less
LibraryThing member ccheripka
I had read so many mixed reviews, but I found the President is Missing to be an exciting story that I totally enjoyed....This book was not a political propaganda story at all, but an entertaining story of what is possible in our computer driven world.....a scary scenario of what would happen if
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computers were all crippled .... Show Less
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
A very fast paced but very average thriller. I stopped reading Patterson's book a while ago - this was a reminder why. All in all trite and formulaic lacing in imagination.. The presidents "speech" to the nation at the end of the book seemed like nothing more than a vehicle to give Clinton a forum
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for his philosophy - not necessary in a work of fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member c.archer
I found "The President is Missing" to be an amazingly exciting political/cyber thriller! It kept me on the edge of my seat for hours, sure that it was too far out there to be true, but deep down scared to think that it might just happen.
LibraryThing member reading_fox
One of the problems with reading a really good book, is that reading an averagely entertaining book afterwards merely highlights all it's flaws, and the areas in which it fails to live up to the possibilities you can experience. This is not the really good book, this is at best an average one
The basic plot is just about believable if you take a good dose of suspension beforehand, and like the authors, no little to nothing about current technology. One hopes that the political backdrops are somewhat accurate enough, but there's nothing in the areas you do know about to indicate any degree of trust. The pacing is good, and the story rattles along until the conclusion and ties most of the loose ends together neatly enough. It then allows the president to make speech, otherwise known as Bill Clinton delivering a polemic. Whether or not you agree with it will depend on where your thoughts lie on the american political spectrum. It's a call for political unity, and for media to defactionalise politics, to care about the issues and the truth, rather than click bait and loud arguments.
Sadly it has almost no relevance to the rest of the plot. The concept is that terrorists have planted a dormant virus across all of the US's computers, giving it time to spread without causing damage. The leader of the group, can now trigger it to delete every file on every system in america with little (although some) spill into the rest of the world. Anybody with any understanding of IT will recognise the flaws in this. The President is contacted, by someone who contacted his daughter with information pertaining safely defusing this threat before it becomes known. But in order to do so, the President has to duck all his staff, and meet in absolute secrecy. As the deadline approaches he feels it is better to remain in seclusion rather than causing widespread panic.
Sadly apart from the pacing, the rest of the writing is as bad as the plot. There are infodumps of all the minor characters as they're introduced, not subtly, not even in thoughts, just a brief background bio. On every single character. There also a couple of quick jumps in POV away from the President to other characters which is silly. The action is contrived the President conceals information from the reader just for heightened tension.
Despite both famous names it's not really worth reading.
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(author's prestige notwithstanding) with it's flaws particularly notable.The basic plot is just about believable if you take a good dose of suspension beforehand, and like the authors, no little to nothing about current technology. One hopes that the political backdrops are somewhat accurate enough, but there's nothing in the areas you do know about to indicate any degree of trust. The pacing is good, and the story rattles along until the conclusion and ties most of the loose ends together neatly enough. It then allows the president to make speech, otherwise known as Bill Clinton delivering a polemic. Whether or not you agree with it will depend on where your thoughts lie on the american political spectrum. It's a call for political unity, and for media to defactionalise politics, to care about the issues and the truth, rather than click bait and loud arguments.
Sadly it has almost no relevance to the rest of the plot. The concept is that terrorists have planted a dormant virus across all of the US's computers, giving it time to spread without causing damage. The leader of the group, can now trigger it to delete every file on every system in america with little (although some) spill into the rest of the world. Anybody with any understanding of IT will recognise the flaws in this. The President is contacted, by someone who contacted his daughter with information pertaining safely defusing this threat before it becomes known. But in order to do so, the President has to duck all his staff, and meet in absolute secrecy. As the deadline approaches he feels it is better to remain in seclusion rather than causing widespread panic.
Sadly apart from the pacing, the rest of the writing is as bad as the plot. There are infodumps of all the minor characters as they're introduced, not subtly, not even in thoughts, just a brief background bio. On every single character. There also a couple of quick jumps in POV away from the President to other characters which is silly. The action is contrived the President conceals information from the reader just for heightened tension.
Despite both famous names it's not really worth reading.
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LibraryThing member peggy.s
I was pleasantly surprised with this book! It is a good, believable mystery - with lots of twists and turns. Pretty much typical Patterson - but lots of presidential "insider" info from Clinton. I especially liked the fact that many of the important roles were given to women. I get very tired of
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reading crime fiction in which almost all of the main characters are men. Great summer reading! Show Less
Awards
Irish Book Award (Nominee — 2018)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2018
Physical description
528 p.; 6.38 inches
ISBN
9781780898391
DDC/MDS
| 813.6 |