Strange Bedfellows: Politicians and their Favourite Crime Novels
Houses of Parliament
A recent article in the Telegraph listed some of the books President Barack Obama is said to have read. His reading list includes several high brow titles, but I was pleased to discover the President also appears to be a fan of crime fiction. Obama has read both The Way Home (2009) by George Pelecanos and The Bayou Trilogy (2011) by Daniel Woodrell. If Obama can be considered as a fan of crime fiction then he is following in the footsteps of President Bill Clinton who named Walter Mosley as one of his favourite writers. Clinton was also photographed on Air Force One holding a copy of Dennis Lehane’s Prayers for Rain (1999), a relatively minor incident which led to a huge increase in sales of Lehane’s work. President Kennedy regarded Ian Fleming’s From Russia With Love (1957) as one of his favourite novels, and also appears to have admired Richard Condon’s The Manchurian Candidate (1959). When Frank Sinatra informed JFK his next film was an adaptation of Condon’s novel, the President replied “Great, who plays the mother?”
If any readers can think of any other politicians who love crime (fiction that is!), please share them in the comment thread.
The Venetian Vase 
Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts included Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. See “Baker Street Irregulars” in Wikipedia, citing the Boston Globe for this information.
Thanks Gary,
I wonder how many other politicians enjoyed reading about the Golden Age sleuths.
Best wishes,
Steve
There are at least three other crime writing Peers in the Lords: Lord (Douglas) Hurd, Lord (Bertie) Denham and Baroness Cohen (Janel Neel), though I show my age when I admit that my first free lunch in the Lords was as a guest of the late Lord (Ted) Willis, the creator of Dixon of Dock Green.
Probably the most knowledgeable MP when it comes to crime fiction is Sir Gerald Kaufman, who (I think) still represents Val McDermid’s constituency and who reviews for crime for one of the Scottish newspapers.
Thanks Mike,
I had no idea we had so many crime writing peers, and let’s not forget Lord (Jeffrey) Archer. I’m envious, I would love to lunch at Parliament!
Best,
Steve
President George H.W. Bush (Bush I) was a fan of of the works of John D. MacDonald.
Then I’ve been maligning him for many years – Bush I that is, not the great John D.
Thanks Steve,
I’m less knowledgeable about the Presidents, but I’ve managed to dig up some more Lords with links to the genre. There is Lord (Julian) Fellowes, Gosford Park is a murder mystery and Downton Abbey has elements of mystery. There is also Lord (David) Puttnam who produced Agatha, a film about Agatha Christie’s life starring Vanessa Redgrave, although Puttnam quit the production due to disagreements with Dustin Hoffman.
Best,
Steve
Just remembered Bush 1 is also friends with Patricia Cornwell.
As a fan of the new Three Stooges movie (nyuk) I am sure you will have noticed that Jersey Shores dwarf Snooki was featured briefly “reading” Pelecanos novel The Cut.