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My Life, Volume I: The Early Years
President Bill Clinton’s My Life is the strikingly candid portrait of a global leader who decided early in life to devote his intellectual and political gifts, and his extraordinary capacity for hard work, to serving the public.
It shows us the progress of a remarkable American, who, through his own enormous energies and efforts, made the unlikely journey from Hope, Arkansas, to the White House—a journey fueled by an impassioned interest in the political process which manifested itself at every stage of his life: in college, working as an intern for Senator William Fulbright; at Oxford, becoming part of the Vietnam War protest movement; at Yale Law School, campaigning on the grassroots level for Democratic candidates; back in Arkansas, running for Congress, attorney general, and governor.
We see his career shaped by his resolute determination to improve the life of his fellow citizens, an unfaltering commitment to civil rights, and an exceptional understanding of the practicalities of political life.
We come to understand the emotional pressures of his youth—born after his father’s death; caught in the dysfunctional relationship between his feisty, nurturing mother and his abusive stepfather, whom he never ceased to love and whose name he took; drawn to the brilliant, compelling Hillary Rodham, whom he was determined to marry; passionately devoted, from her infancy, to their daughter, Chelsea, and to the entire experience of fatherhood; slowly and painfully beginning to comprehend how his early denial of pain led him at times into damaging patterns of behavior.
President Clinton’s book is also the fullest, most concretely detailed, most nuanced account of a presidency ever written—encompassing not only the high points and crises but the way the presidency actually works: the day-to-day bombardment of problems, personalities, conflicts, setbacks, achievements.
It is a testament to the positive impact on America and on the world of his work and his ideals.
It is the gripping account of a president under concerted and unrelenting assault orchestrated by his enemies on the Far Right, and how he survived and prevailed.
It is a treasury of moments caught alive, among them:
• The ten-year-old boy watching the national political conventions on his family’s new (and first) television set.
• The young candidate looking for votes in the Arkansas hills and the local seer who tells him, “Anybody who would campaign at a beer joint in Joiner at midnight on Saturday night deserves to carry one box. . . . You’ll win here. But it’ll be the only damn place you win in this county.” (He was right on both counts.)
• The roller-coaster ride of the 1992 campaign.
• The extraordinarily frank exchanges with Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole.
• The delicate manipulation needed to convince Rabin and Arafat to shake hands for the camera while keeping Arafat from kissing Rabin.
• The cost, both public and private, of the scandal that threatened the presidency.
Here is the life of a great national and international figure, revealed with all his talents and contradictions, told openly, directly, in his own completely recognizable voice. A unique book by a unique American.
From the Hardcover edition.
It shows us the progress of a remarkable American, who, through his own enormous energies and efforts, made the unlikely journey from Hope, Arkansas, to the White House—a journey fueled by an impassioned interest in the political process which manifested itself at every stage of his life: in college, working as an intern for Senator William Fulbright; at Oxford, becoming part of the Vietnam War protest movement; at Yale Law School, campaigning on the grassroots level for Democratic candidates; back in Arkansas, running for Congress, attorney general, and governor.
We see his career shaped by his resolute determination to improve the life of his fellow citizens, an unfaltering commitment to civil rights, and an exceptional understanding of the practicalities of political life.
We come to understand the emotional pressures of his youth—born after his father’s death; caught in the dysfunctional relationship between his feisty, nurturing mother and his abusive stepfather, whom he never ceased to love and whose name he took; drawn to the brilliant, compelling Hillary Rodham, whom he was determined to marry; passionately devoted, from her infancy, to their daughter, Chelsea, and to the entire experience of fatherhood; slowly and painfully beginning to comprehend how his early denial of pain led him at times into damaging patterns of behavior.
President Clinton’s book is also the fullest, most concretely detailed, most nuanced account of a presidency ever written—encompassing not only the high points and crises but the way the presidency actually works: the day-to-day bombardment of problems, personalities, conflicts, setbacks, achievements.
It is a testament to the positive impact on America and on the world of his work and his ideals.
It is the gripping account of a president under concerted and unrelenting assault orchestrated by his enemies on the Far Right, and how he survived and prevailed.
It is a treasury of moments caught alive, among them:
• The ten-year-old boy watching the national political conventions on his family’s new (and first) television set.
• The young candidate looking for votes in the Arkansas hills and the local seer who tells him, “Anybody who would campaign at a beer joint in Joiner at midnight on Saturday night deserves to carry one box. . . . You’ll win here. But it’ll be the only damn place you win in this county.” (He was right on both counts.)
• The roller-coaster ride of the 1992 campaign.
• The extraordinarily frank exchanges with Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole.
• The delicate manipulation needed to convince Rabin and Arafat to shake hands for the camera while keeping Arafat from kissing Rabin.
• The cost, both public and private, of the scandal that threatened the presidency.
Here is the life of a great national and international figure, revealed with all his talents and contradictions, told openly, directly, in his own completely recognizable voice. A unique book by a unique American.
From the Hardcover edition.
646 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published May 31, 2005
10 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Bill Clinton
228 books1,274 followersEconomic expansion and the first balanced federal budget in three decades marked presidency of William Jefferson Clinton, known as Bill, who served forty-second in the United States from 1993 to 2001; the House of Representatives in 1999 impeached him on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, but the Senate acquitted him on both counts.
Born William Jefferson Blythe III, he ranked as the third-youngest president, older only than Theodore Roosevelt and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. People know him the first baby-boomer president at the end of the Cold War. He is the husband of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the junior senator from New York and a Democratic candidate in the election of 2008 in the United States.
People described Clinton as a New Democrat and knew him largely for the Third Way philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president. They described his "centrist" policies on issues, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history, which included a balanced budget and a reported federal surplus. Clinton reported a surplus of $559 billion at the end of his presidency, based on Congressional accounting rules. His presidency was also quickly challenged. On the heels of a failed attempt at health care reform with a Democratic Congress, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. In his second term he was impeached by the U.S. House for perjury and obstruction of justice, but was subsequently acquitted by the United States Senate and completed his term. Polls of the American electorate taken at this time showed that up to 70% were against pursuing the allegations. (New York Times December 21, 1998).
Clinton left office with a 65% approval rating, the highest end-of-presidency rating of any President who came into office after World War II. Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the William J. Clinton Foundation to promote and address international causes, such as treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2004, he released a personal autobiography, My Life.
Born William Jefferson Blythe III, he ranked as the third-youngest president, older only than Theodore Roosevelt and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. People know him the first baby-boomer president at the end of the Cold War. He is the husband of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the junior senator from New York and a Democratic candidate in the election of 2008 in the United States.
People described Clinton as a New Democrat and knew him largely for the Third Way philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president. They described his "centrist" policies on issues, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history, which included a balanced budget and a reported federal surplus. Clinton reported a surplus of $559 billion at the end of his presidency, based on Congressional accounting rules. His presidency was also quickly challenged. On the heels of a failed attempt at health care reform with a Democratic Congress, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. In his second term he was impeached by the U.S. House for perjury and obstruction of justice, but was subsequently acquitted by the United States Senate and completed his term. Polls of the American electorate taken at this time showed that up to 70% were against pursuing the allegations. (New York Times December 21, 1998).
Clinton left office with a 65% approval rating, the highest end-of-presidency rating of any President who came into office after World War II. Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the William J. Clinton Foundation to promote and address international causes, such as treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2004, he released a personal autobiography, My Life.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 5, 2008
he is an excellent writer, and his depiction of his chubby childhood getting struck with political fever is really cute. too bad this paperback version was only part one of his bio!
July 15, 2010
Interesting man, well told biography with the bonus of some good democratic party history along the way. Glad to have read it. I'll go back for part two at some point. Listened on CD.
July 6, 2013
Enjoyed this tremendously.
May 26, 2015
This was an extremely detailed book about Clinton pre-presidential years. It showed how he became the man he was. It's obvious that Clinton decided to write such an expansive book on himself so he could control the message. If he left any room for the Goodwin's of the world to come in, maybe some of his storied past would be told in a less then favorable way.
As a social liberal myself, Clinton was always a favorite of mine. His policies and highly educated economic training appealed to me. Learning about his rise through politics and even his early years helped understand the "real" Bill Clinton.
If your not into politics AND biographies, this is going to be a painful book for you. But for those of you who are interested in discovering how great leaders are made, how they deal with failure, and adversity, then is this the book for you. It's a mammoth of a read, but in my humble opinion, a worthwhile one.
As a social liberal myself, Clinton was always a favorite of mine. His policies and highly educated economic training appealed to me. Learning about his rise through politics and even his early years helped understand the "real" Bill Clinton.
If your not into politics AND biographies, this is going to be a painful book for you. But for those of you who are interested in discovering how great leaders are made, how they deal with failure, and adversity, then is this the book for you. It's a mammoth of a read, but in my humble opinion, a worthwhile one.
March 9, 2012
I read My Life at the same time that I read, "Living History" by Hillary Clinton. I always enjoy a new perspective that comes from a biography. The life of politics is not easy - always in the limelight, personal lives open to criticism. I admire anyone who accepts the challenge. One thing about Bill and Hilary Clinton – they know the power of a message.
Read
December 25, 2015This book is well written, informative, inspiring at points, but very long. It was a slow read for me, as I'm not a political reader by nature. I picked this up from the little free library, so if anyone would like to have it, I'd love to pass it along! Let me know.
January 18, 2016
Really enjoyed this book....not as dry as the Lyndon Johnson books (which I am also enjoying. I could hear Bill Clinton saying the words as I read. Good historical biography. Looking forward to reading the second volume
January 31, 2016
I found this book to be very interesting and enjoyed it. It is very thick with almost 1000 pages. Some of it was a bit slow but for the most part it wasn't. I enjoyed reading about his childhood and the close relationship between him and his Mother. Interesting personality.
February 24, 2007
i like it, i am like him
December 19, 2007
A great man's attempt to be humble. Surefire storytelling. Worth reading aloud at many points. Almost wish I'd got the Audiobook.
November 1, 2009
I found it easy to read, and hard to put down, even with it's length.
A pretty good book from a pretty good president.
Off to start the second volume!
A pretty good book from a pretty good president.
Off to start the second volume!
January 11, 2013
President Clinton recounts the road to the Presidency starting with the local politics in Arkansas. Very informative, whether you are a Clinton hater or not...
May 14, 2015
Audio Book
Liked that Bill narrated the text. Well written and at times I felt as though I was sitting across the room having a conversation with him.
Liked that Bill narrated the text. Well written and at times I felt as though I was sitting across the room having a conversation with him.
June 8, 2016
LONG book but so much background information and history of Bill Clinton, his background, career, and family. Confident now, with so much of Hillary's story included, in saying "I'm With Her."
June 30, 2022
(March 2021) I tried to read this book. I felt that this was history-in-the-making, and I love history. I also love a good book. This did not qualify, in my opinion, as a good book. It rambled, backtracked, and meandered, all while attempting to follow a timeline. The writing picks up later in this book. It might help to skip some pages of trivia to get to more weighty topics.
[2022] - I returned to this book to find that it got better at around the mid-point. It was heavily researched and followed a pattern of the event description, the event`s significance, Clinton`s take on the situation, who helped him, and sometimes a brief analysis of the results of actions taken. I was surprised to read his frank discussion on mistakes he made in his first term as governor. While his mistakes are a matter of public record, it was his rationale and follow-up analysis that were interesting. I will update this when I finish the book.
(June 2022) - Upon finishing the book, I was amused to find that Clinton was convinced to cut out a lot more name-dropping by his editor and research staff. They said people would be overwhelmed, and they were right. Much of this book got mired in the details. He seemed to think all who helped him changed his life in some way. So far, this book appears to include a huge thank-you to all mentioned people (and, thankfully, many more who were unnamed). Anyway, since this book picked up in the second half, I`m looking forward to reading Volume II about his presidential years.
[2022] - I returned to this book to find that it got better at around the mid-point. It was heavily researched and followed a pattern of the event description, the event`s significance, Clinton`s take on the situation, who helped him, and sometimes a brief analysis of the results of actions taken. I was surprised to read his frank discussion on mistakes he made in his first term as governor. While his mistakes are a matter of public record, it was his rationale and follow-up analysis that were interesting. I will update this when I finish the book.
(June 2022) - Upon finishing the book, I was amused to find that Clinton was convinced to cut out a lot more name-dropping by his editor and research staff. They said people would be overwhelmed, and they were right. Much of this book got mired in the details. He seemed to think all who helped him changed his life in some way. So far, this book appears to include a huge thank-you to all mentioned people (and, thankfully, many more who were unnamed). Anyway, since this book picked up in the second half, I`m looking forward to reading Volume II about his presidential years.
September 3, 2022
Really interesting but Clinton needed a strong editor. I enjoyed reading about the campaign, the changing sentiments in American politics and ideologies in the 70s-90s, the modern history, and the biographical detail. But I could have done without the laundry list of every person he ever met, the recounting of exam questions asked of him over the years, etc. I think that’s a fairly common criticism of this book. Need a breather before Volume 2.
September 29, 2017
Skips over some of the more interesting stuff (everyone wants the juicy stuff on the scandals and scandal-adjacent events), but Bill sure as hell paints a picture of Arkansas and how it's political climate formed his political views. I'll be sure to read the second volume at some point.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews