The Camel Club
by David Baldacci
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Book Summary Information
Author: David BaldacciEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-10-25
ISBN: 0446577383
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of The Camel Club
Book Review: (4-) Who is Oliver Stone and How Did the Camel Club Get Its Name?
Summary: 4 Stars
I had a very mixed reaction to this book by David Baldacci, an author whose work I have often praised in the past. As detailed in this review, there were parts which I enjoyed immensely and yet a few aspects which meaningfully detracted from my enjoyment. By the time that I had concluded writing this review, I finally settled on what might be an overly generous compromise four star rating as a reflection of my enjoyment despite problems with some problems with some facets of the plot and its totally unbelievable nature. However, I was disappointed by three factors. First, aspects of the political message inherent in the plot development seemed almost overtly propagandist. (At times I felt as if I were reading a Richard North Patterson book.) Second, the author seemed willing to slow the pace of the narration considerably to provide great explanatory detail about some aspects (e.g. the mental state and background of some of the protagonists) but alternated such interludes with moving the action forward at breakneck speed furnishing very minimal background information. Last, certain elements of the conclusion were not satisfactorily explained. I will not discuss this last criticism in this review, since I cannot do so include without including spoilers.
The story opens with a brief prologue that immediately foreshadows one of the key elements of the plot. The reader is then immediately introduced to Oliver Stone, a tortured loner with a violent past who is currently one of the protesters allowed to maintain a presence in Lafayette Park across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. (If you visit DC, this is a scene you should see.) The sign outside Oliver's tent reads I WANT THE TRUTH, and this enigmatic statement sets the stage for the story. What events have led to Oliver's current situation? Is he simply another conspiracy nut? (Some of whom occasionally do stumble across the truth.) Will the reader ever learn Oliver's true identity? (Yes, but not until near the conclusion and while his history is extremely relevant his name is not, except to a few participants in the story.) We are soon introduced to Caleb Shaw, Reuben Rhodes, and Milton Farb, Oliver's friends and the other members of the top secret CAMEL CLUB, whose history and name are eventually explained as the story unfolds. The group then retreats to their prearranged clandestine meeting on Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River.
In another scene shift, we have been introduced to Secret Service Agent Alex Ford and his favorite bartender Kate Adams, who is a moonlighting DOJ attorney. We have also already been introduced to President James Brennan and his intelligence chief Carter Gray, who will also be major characters in the story. Next, the members of THE CAMEL CLUB witness a murder which has been foreshadowed in one of the introductory chapters, and the action rockets forward as the lives of all these DC participants are increasingly drawn together and the members of THE CAMEL CLUB furiously try to unravel a political conspiracy which they gradually understand simultaneously threatens both their own lives and the future stability of the world political order. Meanwhile, in further scene shifts, we have also met an entire cast of additional characters whose roles will gradually unfold. There are the many Muslims whose dedication to their faith and willingness to sacrifice their lives is central to the plot and also their coordinator - the mercenary Captain Jack. There is Oliver's neighbor in tent city - a seemingly bit player who suddenly assumes a very important role and whose history is as interesting as Oliver's. Finally, there is Tom Hemingway, Carter Grey's number two, a man with incredible physical and psychological abilities and whose perceived relationship with Kate is of immediate concern to Alex.
The pace is breakneck, the plot is very inventive and has several unexpected twists (unfortunately many strain the reader's credulity) and the story involves politics, romance and several interesting characters - if you are a speed reader and don't worry about the details these factors may be enough to make it a five star read for you. However, the book's political dimension far surpasses the plot - there several segments which come perilously close to political propaganda and stereotyping of the type not found in Baldacci's other work. My interpretation of these scenes (some are dialogues, some are mental monologues; some are brief and subtle, some are prolonged and in your face) is that they reflect two attributes of Balducci's work. First, they obviously result from his detailed research and his desire for making his characters realistic. A second related point is that the incredible audacity of the concept which forms the basis for the central storyline of the book only becomes believable if he succeeds in establishing the authenticity of the characters involved. And the fact that he successfully achieved that goal in my case is why I rated the book four stars.
Despite my observations concerning the story's flaws, I didn't want to put the book down although I was tempted to skim over a few parts (but did not). I really liked Oliver and his mates in THE CAMEL CLUB; I was intrigued by many of the other characters; I hated the villains (when I correctly identified them); and I was tremendously upset at the sudden and shocking death of one of the "good guys" (and also surprised at the survival of some of them).. And while I don't share some of the political viewpoints seemingly implicitly endorsed by the book, I did not feel that it was totally onesided in its depiction of the issues involved; based on my first hand experience I in fact agree with two of the implicit messages of the story. First, that many of the decisions made by politicians today suffer from a lack of creative thinking and result from seriously outdated preconceptions. Second, that most politicians and bureaucrats are much more concerned with doing the safe thing (which often means consensus action) than doing the right thing even if it involves risk to their careers.
My summary - if you like political thrillers with interesting plots set in the contemporary world, read this book despite its flaws. Then, like me, you will wonder if the conclusion has set us up for a sequel in which some of these characters will reappear. Perhaps fittingly THE CAMEL CLUB will solve a mystery involving the Arabian desert or less likely the National Zoo.
Tucker Andersen
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