Novel: Seven Days in May

Overview
"Seven Days in May" is a taut political thriller that stages a chilling near-miss of American democracy. Set against the tense atmosphere of Cold War anxieties, the novel dramatizes an attempted military coup against a democratically elected president, unfolding over a single, pressure-packed week. The narrative examines how ambition, fear, and institutional arrogance can conspire to threaten constitutional rule.

Plot Summary
The story begins after the president pursues a controversial arms-control agreement that infuriates elements of the military and political establishment. A revered and powerful general, convinced the president's policies imperil national security, orchestrates a clandestine plan to seize control of the government. The plot is methodical and thorough, relying on the general's prestige, the loyalty of like-minded officers, and the exploitation of bureaucratic levers to immobilize civilian authority.
The conspiracy is discovered by a small circle of loyal civilians and military officers who must move quickly to gather proof, mobilize legal levers, and rally key institutions before the coup can be executed. The narrative builds as information is obtained, alliances are tested, and the protagonists confront hard choices about how to expose the conspiracy without plunging the country into open conflict. Each day brings higher stakes, with political maneuvering, clandestine meetings, and tense confrontations propelling the drama toward its decisive seventh day.

Characters and Conflict
At the center stand the president, whose commitment to democratic processes and international compromise makes him a target, and the general, whose charisma and reputation for toughness allow him to rally supporters. Around them orbit aides, intelligence officers, members of the Department of Defense, and political operatives caught between loyalty and legality. These figures are drawn with brisk efficiency: their motivations are believable and their dilemmas resonate because they reflect genuine questions about duty, honor, and the limits of obedience.
The interpersonal conflicts, between civilian authority and military command, personal ambition and public responsibility, drive the narrative as much as plot mechanics. Trust is a scarce commodity, and the suspense arises from the protagonists' race to marshal institutional safeguards while preventing the conspirators from using force or legal pretexts to legitimize their actions.

Themes and Resonance
The novel probes the fragility of democratic institutions when faced with determined, organized opposition from within the state. It asks whether constitutional checks and public opinion are sufficient when those entrusted with arms and command choose to subvert them. Questions of patriotism, the proper role of the military in politics, and the ethical obligations of officials under pressure are examined without didacticism; the moral ambiguity of some characters underscores the complexity of such crises.
Written with spare, fast-paced prose, the book functions as both a political warning and a study of crisis management. Its insistence that vigilance, principle, and timely action matter gives the story its urgency. The scenario it dramatizes, an internal coup planned by insiders, remains unsettlingly plausible, and the novel's legacy lies in its capacity to make readers consider how fragile democratic norms can be and what it takes to defend them.