Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies – Michael Koempel

We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite books and movies. Their responses are posted in “Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies.”

Michael Koempel (bio), a senior specialist in American National Government for the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, shares his favorite book and movie. (You can see some of Mike’s favorite things about living in our nation’s capital here.)

Favorite Book and Movie

There are many good books and movies about Washington, but my favorite book and movie about Washington are the same: Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent. The book, and the movie on which it was based, was written by someone who knew the Senate and Senators very well and respected the institution and its people, captured the essence of congressional politics in a real way, successfully invoked the political backdrop prevailing at the time (anticommunism; there’s always a political backdrop), was based loosely on a real event, and, in the case of the movie, was wonderfully cast and directed.

For more, also see our Political and Government Classics page.

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