This is Drury's 1966 follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Advise and Consent. The first was an in-depth look at the workings of the Senate and the presidency. Drury's right-wing politics poked through a little, but mostly he concentrated on the story line and characters, and the book was (and I think still is) well worth reading. But in this sequel, which follows many of the same characters as the first, Drury's political views get full play, to the detriment of the book. I don't say this just because I disagree with those politics, but because Drury's outlook is so weighted. Basically, all liberals are wrong-headed; they are gullible, deluded and/or phonies.

The action moves mostly from Washington down to New York City, to take us inside the workings of the U.N. and a cynical attack on American prestige and cultural values is underway. Oh, and by the way, anybody who, in 1966, was impatient about the rate of improvement of civil rights for blacks was just unrealistic and probably anti-American. The NAACP, for example, is recast in the book as DEFY.

The storytelling was still decent, but barely allowed to breath for the heavy-handed political message. Drury wrote six books in this series all told. After reading Advise and Consent, I'd intended to read the whole bunch, but my mind's been changed about that, boy howdy. ( )

A novel of its time; the ruler of the African nation of Gorotoland uses American racial inequality to push for full independence from England, using the United Nations as a forum. Of course the ruler is evil and underhanded, whereas the SC Senator who is unabashedly racist and conservative is presented in 'good man behind the times' light. Engaging, and helped develop the 'politics in Washington' genre. ( )

758. A Shade of Difference A Novel by Allen Drury (read 15 Dec 1963) This book is about the United Nations, the author indicating his familiarity in regard to the workings thereof. It probably is not too revelatory of the present UN since there are now 191 or so nations in the organization, whereas in the 1960s there were far fewer. But I confess I do not remember this book, even though I remember with much appreciation Drury's Advise and Consent, which was the best book I read in 1960. Since this book, A Shade of Difference, was read by me in 1963 does that indicate it was not as memorable a book as Advise and Consent? Probably, although who knows how much the fact I saw the movie based on Advise and Consent may have to do with my memory of it? ( )