Caveman Politics

“Nobody writes about the thick-headed glories of sport with redder blood than Atkinson. . . . He evokes the true joy of kicking ass.” —Men’s Health


Caveman Politics is a wild tale of the lowdown life and politics of a small Florida town. When a black man is accused of raping a white woman, his eccentric rugby teammates come out in force to help him, led by the crusading reporter Joe Dolan.


The cops have presumed Mike guilty, the D.A. is determined to convict him at any cost for political reasons, and the “victim” is ready to sell her story to the movies. In the mix are a bizarre assortment of rugby players, a black lawyer who knows the system all too well, a life insurance salesman with a death wish, and a schizophrenic Elvis impersonator who may be the King reborn.


Needless to say, in short time all hell breaks loose. It’s a ribald, hilarious, tragic, unflinching look at the underbelly of America, full of dirty realism, intrigue, brutality, humor, romance, hate, love, sex, and the caveman politics of life.


A finalist for the Discover Great New Writers Award, Caveman Politics has gained a reputation as a cult novel and a no-holds-barred Florida thriller ranking with those of Carl Hiaasen and James Hall. Ice Time, Mr. Atkinson’s nationally renowned account of schoolboy hockey in his hometown, was a Publishers Weekly “Notable Book of the Year,” and a New England Booksellers Association bestseller.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jay Atkinson is a novelist, short story writer, essayist, critic, investigative journalist, and itinerant amateur athlete from Methuen, Mass. He is the author of two novels, a story collection, and three narrative nonfiction books. His nonfiction book, Ice Time, was a Publisher’s Weekly notable book of the year in 2001, and Legends of Winter Hill was on the Boston Globe bestseller list for several weeks in 2005. Atkinson’s narrative nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, Men’s Health, Boston Globe and many other publications. A former two-sport college athlete, Atkinson has competed in rugby for three decades and continues to play in exotic locales with the Vandals Rugby Club out of Los Angeles. He teaches journalism at Boston University.


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Praise for CAVEMAN POLITICS


“The blind dedication of an unforgettable cadre of ragtag, itinerant jocks is transformed into a transcendent metaphor for life in this moving first novel.” —Publishers Weekly


“Atkinson piles on events and characters of depth and substance until the reader appreciates the antic cast and the imperfect world they crash through. . . . Joe Dolan’s journey is made even more memorable by wonderful encounters with some heroically deranged people.” —Booklist


“Gutty, powerfully written — from start to finish, my kind of novel.” —Harry Crews


“Mr. Atkinson keeps his plot moving at a good pace, offering enough twists to keep the reader’s attention, but it is the humor and insight of his characters that make the novel work.” —The New York Times Book Review 


“Joe is a hero you can care about, and he is surrounded by a cast of often zany but always interesting characters. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal


“A wild ride through rugby’s savage landscape. . . . This novel is highly recommended for any sentient jocks out there who have ever struggled for perfection in their sport or meaning in their lives.” —Tampa Times & Tribune