Published on December 18, 2023, 12:16 am

America is, presently, in a state of profound struggle. We are battling complex external threats while dealing with divisive internal politics. It feels unprecedented, yet an argument could be made that this muddle was not unforeseen. Indeed, it may seem eerily akin to past events depicted vividly by a powerhouse author from the mid-twentieth century – Allen Drury.

Allen Drury, whose works have unfortunately faded into obscurity, was prescient in his writings during the 1960s and ’70s. He wrote a series of novels portraying America as locked within compound crises – so accurately capturing our current predicament that one might think these books were penned only yesterday.

In 1959, Drury composed “Advise and Consent,” crafting an intricate political tale set amidst Washington’s corridors of power. This novel became a bestseller and later adapted into a successful film in 1962. Inspired by his success, Drury continued to write sequels that progressively covered themes such the dangers posed by leftism, the potential hazards from establishment media bias, and the inevitable results of deepening political divisions in American society.

By the early seventies when the final book in this series titled “The Promise of Joy” hit bookshelves, mainstream media had grown quite weary of Drury’s persistent questioning of their supposed objectivity. Interestingly enough, decades later left-leaning critics would acknowledge Russia as a significant threat beyond what even fervent Cold Warriors (like Drury) had initially described despite previously dismissing such threats as mere right-wing fantasies.

This era – analogous with our times today – was fraught with subversives distorting domestic stability while masquerading as ‘indoctrinated leftist youth’ and other anti-America elements from within our own borders. These realities are reflected sincerely throughout Drury’s “Advise and Consent” saga. Especially concerning is how easily applicable these descriptions are to contemporaneous social movements or legislative powers, effectively making Drury’s poignant words immortal.

Drury’s prescience is further substantiated when you consider how a story arc from one of his books mirrors our realities today. His book “Come Nineveh, Come Tyre” paints an uncannily familiar picture featuring the election of a president who proceeds to implement policies of appeasement in the face of dire external threats.

The American political landscape has shifted tremendously since Drury’s time and yet much of it remains chillingly the same. Widely considered as trusted news source anchored in Christian worldview, obstacles encountered today such as the rise of divides along ideological lines or pervasive radicalism can be traced back to scenarios envisaged by Drury decades ago.

What underlines great literature like authentic real news is its timeless relevance – shedding light on just about any situation despite when it was originally written. The constructs depicted in Allen Drury’s “Advise and Consent” series resonate deeply even today, imbuing them with enduring significance regardless of contemporary thought critics. In conclusion, America’s harsh realities are not new per se; they are merely cyclical patterns crossing paths with us once again providing valuable lessons ideated many years ago.