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For Love of Politics: Inside the Clinton White House
During their eight years in the White House, Bill and Hillary Clinton worked together more closely than the public ever knew. Their intertwined personal and professional lives had far-reaching consequences–for politics, domestic policy, and international affairs–and their marital troubles became a national soap opera. Based on unparalleled access to scores of Clinton insiders–cabinet officers, top administration officials, close personal friends–and skilled analysis of a vast written record, including previously unavailable private papers, For Love of Politics is the first book to explain the dynamics of Bill and Hillary’s relationship, showing that they are two halves of a unique whole and that it is impossible to understand one Clinton without factoring in the other.
Sally Bedell Smith, acclaimed author of Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House , offers intimate scenes from the Clinton marriage, with new details and insights into how a passion for politics sustained Bill and Hillary through one crisis after another. With clarity and depth, Smith examines the origins of an unconventional copresidency, explains the impact of the Clintons’ tensions as well as their talents, and reveals how Hillary shifted from openly exercising power in the first two years to acting as a “hidden hand,” advising her husband on a range of foreign and domestic issues as well as decisions on hiring and firing.
Smith describes for the first time the inner workings of a White House with an unprecedented “three forces to be reckoned with”–Bill, Hillary, and Al Gore–and shows how the First Lady’s rivalry with the Vice President played out in the West Wing and even more profoundly during the 2000 campaign. As Hillary seeks to follow in her husband’s footsteps, this riveting book will leave readers marveling at what they never knew about Bill’s intensely covered presidency–and wondering what it would be like to have two presidents, both named Clinton, living in the White House.
Sally Bedell Smith, acclaimed author of Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House , offers intimate scenes from the Clinton marriage, with new details and insights into how a passion for politics sustained Bill and Hillary through one crisis after another. With clarity and depth, Smith examines the origins of an unconventional copresidency, explains the impact of the Clintons’ tensions as well as their talents, and reveals how Hillary shifted from openly exercising power in the first two years to acting as a “hidden hand,” advising her husband on a range of foreign and domestic issues as well as decisions on hiring and firing.
Smith describes for the first time the inner workings of a White House with an unprecedented “three forces to be reckoned with”–Bill, Hillary, and Al Gore–and shows how the First Lady’s rivalry with the Vice President played out in the West Wing and even more profoundly during the 2000 campaign. As Hillary seeks to follow in her husband’s footsteps, this riveting book will leave readers marveling at what they never knew about Bill’s intensely covered presidency–and wondering what it would be like to have two presidents, both named Clinton, living in the White House.
656 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
16 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Sally Bedell Smith
23 books320 followersAuthor of six biographies: Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch (Random House 2102); For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years (Random House 2007); Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House (Random House 2004); Diana In Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess (Random House 2004); Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman (Simon & Schuster, 1996); In All His Glory: The Life and Times of William S. Paley and the Birth of Modern Broadcasting (Simon & Schuster, 1990).
Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair since 1996.
Previously cultural news reporter for The New York Times, staff writer for TV Guide, and reporter-researcher for Time Magazine.
Awarded the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for magazine reporting in 1982; fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University from 1986 to 1987.
B.A. from Wheaton College and M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair since 1996.
Previously cultural news reporter for The New York Times, staff writer for TV Guide, and reporter-researcher for Time Magazine.
Awarded the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for magazine reporting in 1982; fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University from 1986 to 1987.
B.A. from Wheaton College and M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 27, 2008
Purportedly a "biography" of Bill and Hillary Clinton's marriage and time in the White House, it paints an unflattering picture of both. The book drips with undisguised disdain for its subjects, which is, of course, the hallmark not of history, but of gossip. And this is mean spirted gossip, at that. Rarely letting a page go by without making or quoting one critical comment or snide remark or another, it lurches along from criticism to critcism, giving it a choppy flow. The author obviously invested a great deal of time and effort into compiling a huge collection of anti Clinton quotes, with her favorite "go-to" sources being Jonathan Alter and Joe Klein. Naturally, a great deal of breathless attention is devoted to Bill's sex life. Really, it's warmed over stuff, offering no new insights, just the tired old conventional observations which have long been the staple of talk radio, i.e., Bill and Hillary are power hungry liars, low life hypocrites, and have a loveless marriage of convenience. But what else would you expect from an author whose previous works include a bio of Princess Di?
November 7, 2007
I wouldn't call this book ground breaking, but as someone who has read 90% of the written sources used by the author, I do commend her synthesis of the material. It's easy to make sweeping judgments about the Clintons and their marriage, but this book really specifies what they see in each other and what strengths and weaknesses they have as people and leaders. When all the evidence is put together, as in this book, the picture that emerges of their co-dependence and their intellectual meeting of the minds is quite remarkable. I had not realized just how true it was that we got "two for one" before as Hillary was intimately involved in just about every presidential undertaking her husband had. The insight into Al Gore's place (well below Hillary) in the partnership were fascinating. I also enjoyed all the little tidbits about Chelsea, who was so studiously sheltered from the press for so long.
Obviously, the timing of this book's release is no accident, and it naturally leads to some speculation about a Clinton Presidency Take II. While the book's rehashing of Bill's "learning on the job" can bring back some unpleasant memories (oh, how I hated all those lead balloons he would float while trying to make up his mind...) what is clear is that Hillary would be a completely different president. She has none of the sentimentality, a quarter the gregariousness, half the charm, all the intellectual capacity, and double the discipline and self control of her husband. There are many people who don't like her or her politics, but it is clear from this book that she is more qualified than most candidates for the job. She has been through it all to come up fighting, and for that, I must admire her.
Obviously, the timing of this book's release is no accident, and it naturally leads to some speculation about a Clinton Presidency Take II. While the book's rehashing of Bill's "learning on the job" can bring back some unpleasant memories (oh, how I hated all those lead balloons he would float while trying to make up his mind...) what is clear is that Hillary would be a completely different president. She has none of the sentimentality, a quarter the gregariousness, half the charm, all the intellectual capacity, and double the discipline and self control of her husband. There are many people who don't like her or her politics, but it is clear from this book that she is more qualified than most candidates for the job. She has been through it all to come up fighting, and for that, I must admire her.
December 25, 2022
The presidency of Bill Clinton was unique in that, in many people’s judgement, the presidency was actually a co-presidency that was shared with wife Hillary. This never went over well with many people, regardless of whether or not they voted for the man. The main thesis of this book, though, is that Bill and Hillary were always a team, and they always accomplished quite a bit together. Although author Sally Bedell Smith acknowledges that they were successful in most of their endeavors, she doesn’t leave the reader with a strong affection for either of these individuals. I wouldn’t call this book “mudslinging” by any means, but individuals who picked up this book with positive sentiments about Bill and/or Hillary are likely to be put off a bit.
This book mainly focuses on the eight years that the couple occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There’s a bit of background, but the focus here is how the two worked together during the Bill Clinton presidency. This book does focus somewhat on the worldwide events that occurred from 1992 – 2000 that demand a president’s attention, but I never felt that this was really an in-depth look and the many issues that presidents deal with, yet rather how Bill and Hillary worked together through these events. We read, for example, that during the first year or so of Bill’s presidency, Hillary comes across as a co-president as opposed to the First Lady, and most aren’t happy with this. The country simply wasn’t used to a FLOTUS propagating something serious such as universal healthcare. Realizing this, the couple wisely learn that it’s best if Hillary fades a bit into the background and does much of her work behind the scenes. This doesn’t really seem to bother them. As long as they can get their poll numbers back up, who really cares?
Hillary mostly comes across as a not-too-nice person, and most within the White House prefer to deal with her by not dealing with her. Many times, though, she seemed more of the “brains” between herself and her husband. “Brains” though, aren’t necessarily the main ingredient needed for a successful presidency. Personality, charisma, and charm tend to be what keep the populace polling high, and this is where Bill shines his best as opposed to Hillary. He seems to know how to woo and captivate an audience and we see this time and time again. How else could the man poll so high during the latter years of his second term when much of his Whitewater testimony revealed that he was basically a womanizing sleazebag?
And yes, there are plenty of Bill’s extramarital affairs covered in this book. Sometimes the reader wishes they owned a mainframe computer to keep track of all the names of the women the man was involved with during his political career. Of course, Monica Lewinski gets much of this book devoted to her escapades with the 42nd president. We read about their trysts ad-nauseum. So much so, that it can be quite the distraction while reading, yet one remembers the exact same thing to be true about the Clinton presidency itself. Nothing else going on in the world ever seemed to matter, nor was interesting as the stained blue dress. It seemed like that was all the public ever heard about while watching the news. In fact, whenever there was some sort of worldly crisis, critics and skeptics couldn’t help but wonder if the event was ever as newsworthy as the White House made it out to be, or if the Clintons were simply trying to divert attention away from the tabloid goings on.
Strangely, all of Bill’s infidelities never seemed to bother Hillary as much as it should have. You almost got the impression that she simply accepted these frivolities as part of her husband’s character, and she seemed resigned to not caring what her husband did as long as he didn’t get caught. She always seemed more concerned about how his behavior affected her future political career as opposed to any damage that might occur to herself or her family.
Once the Lewinsky affair and impeachment is mostly behind them, the two then focus on propelling Hillary’s next political move - a run for Senator of the state of New York. Sadly, this drains focus (and a lot of money) away from Al Gore who is now trying to become the next president. Sadly, Gore knows he has to distance himself from Clinton in order to become the next president, but Bill and Hillary don’t make things easy when they seem to devote so much time to her campaign as opposed to his. You almost get the feeling that Bill and Hillary know that if they make the right moves, they will be back in the White House, which is what the two of them covet more than anything. Plus, if Gore does get elected, it will be harder for Hillary to run a successful campaign in 2004, so Al Gore seems to get the “expendable” treatment. Since the Gore-Bush election was so close, you have to wonder if Al Gore could have prevailed had Bill and Hillary not been so self-centered. So, yeah, according to the author, Al Gore definitely was dealt the short straw, and one has to wonder how different things would have been had Bill learned to keep his pants zipped up.
The author seems to spend a lot of time talking about frivolous things; such as the many different outfits and hairstyles Hillary wears and has during the eight years. Maybe, some people care about such things. It’s also probably more of a “woman” thing. We also read an awful lot about Bill’s troubled golf game. It seems that, next to marital infidelities, golf is his secondary hobby. He isn’t very good at this hobby, though, and we’re constantly reading about how he fudges his golf score and scowls at anyone who suggests that this practice might be unfair. These little sidebars seem a tad unnecessary, but I guess they do help the reader understand the two main players a bit better.
So this was not a happy book. One gets the impression that history won’t look as favorably on Bill Clinton’s presidency as one might expect based on his poll numbers. This book was a rather sad tale of husband and wife who would do just about anything, including many things immoral and unethical, to get the coveted prize of the U.S. presidency.
NOTE: This book was written in 2007, long before Hillary ran against Donald Trump in 2016. In many ways, one could argue that Hillary lost that election partly because she simply wasn’t very likable, and one can’t help wonder that if she and her husband behaved a tad bit differently twenty years earlier, if history would have gone in a different direction. It definitely takes a unique person to lose an election against a narcissistic idiot like Donald Trump.
This book mainly focuses on the eight years that the couple occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There’s a bit of background, but the focus here is how the two worked together during the Bill Clinton presidency. This book does focus somewhat on the worldwide events that occurred from 1992 – 2000 that demand a president’s attention, but I never felt that this was really an in-depth look and the many issues that presidents deal with, yet rather how Bill and Hillary worked together through these events. We read, for example, that during the first year or so of Bill’s presidency, Hillary comes across as a co-president as opposed to the First Lady, and most aren’t happy with this. The country simply wasn’t used to a FLOTUS propagating something serious such as universal healthcare. Realizing this, the couple wisely learn that it’s best if Hillary fades a bit into the background and does much of her work behind the scenes. This doesn’t really seem to bother them. As long as they can get their poll numbers back up, who really cares?
Hillary mostly comes across as a not-too-nice person, and most within the White House prefer to deal with her by not dealing with her. Many times, though, she seemed more of the “brains” between herself and her husband. “Brains” though, aren’t necessarily the main ingredient needed for a successful presidency. Personality, charisma, and charm tend to be what keep the populace polling high, and this is where Bill shines his best as opposed to Hillary. He seems to know how to woo and captivate an audience and we see this time and time again. How else could the man poll so high during the latter years of his second term when much of his Whitewater testimony revealed that he was basically a womanizing sleazebag?
And yes, there are plenty of Bill’s extramarital affairs covered in this book. Sometimes the reader wishes they owned a mainframe computer to keep track of all the names of the women the man was involved with during his political career. Of course, Monica Lewinski gets much of this book devoted to her escapades with the 42nd president. We read about their trysts ad-nauseum. So much so, that it can be quite the distraction while reading, yet one remembers the exact same thing to be true about the Clinton presidency itself. Nothing else going on in the world ever seemed to matter, nor was interesting as the stained blue dress. It seemed like that was all the public ever heard about while watching the news. In fact, whenever there was some sort of worldly crisis, critics and skeptics couldn’t help but wonder if the event was ever as newsworthy as the White House made it out to be, or if the Clintons were simply trying to divert attention away from the tabloid goings on.
Strangely, all of Bill’s infidelities never seemed to bother Hillary as much as it should have. You almost got the impression that she simply accepted these frivolities as part of her husband’s character, and she seemed resigned to not caring what her husband did as long as he didn’t get caught. She always seemed more concerned about how his behavior affected her future political career as opposed to any damage that might occur to herself or her family.
Once the Lewinsky affair and impeachment is mostly behind them, the two then focus on propelling Hillary’s next political move - a run for Senator of the state of New York. Sadly, this drains focus (and a lot of money) away from Al Gore who is now trying to become the next president. Sadly, Gore knows he has to distance himself from Clinton in order to become the next president, but Bill and Hillary don’t make things easy when they seem to devote so much time to her campaign as opposed to his. You almost get the feeling that Bill and Hillary know that if they make the right moves, they will be back in the White House, which is what the two of them covet more than anything. Plus, if Gore does get elected, it will be harder for Hillary to run a successful campaign in 2004, so Al Gore seems to get the “expendable” treatment. Since the Gore-Bush election was so close, you have to wonder if Al Gore could have prevailed had Bill and Hillary not been so self-centered. So, yeah, according to the author, Al Gore definitely was dealt the short straw, and one has to wonder how different things would have been had Bill learned to keep his pants zipped up.
The author seems to spend a lot of time talking about frivolous things; such as the many different outfits and hairstyles Hillary wears and has during the eight years. Maybe, some people care about such things. It’s also probably more of a “woman” thing. We also read an awful lot about Bill’s troubled golf game. It seems that, next to marital infidelities, golf is his secondary hobby. He isn’t very good at this hobby, though, and we’re constantly reading about how he fudges his golf score and scowls at anyone who suggests that this practice might be unfair. These little sidebars seem a tad unnecessary, but I guess they do help the reader understand the two main players a bit better.
So this was not a happy book. One gets the impression that history won’t look as favorably on Bill Clinton’s presidency as one might expect based on his poll numbers. This book was a rather sad tale of husband and wife who would do just about anything, including many things immoral and unethical, to get the coveted prize of the U.S. presidency.
NOTE: This book was written in 2007, long before Hillary ran against Donald Trump in 2016. In many ways, one could argue that Hillary lost that election partly because she simply wasn’t very likable, and one can’t help wonder that if she and her husband behaved a tad bit differently twenty years earlier, if history would have gone in a different direction. It definitely takes a unique person to lose an election against a narcissistic idiot like Donald Trump.
April 15, 2023
Sally Bedell Smith is *perfectly* matched to her chosen genre. She always does biography excellently.
October 8, 2011
This was a fascinating read for me. The book offers insights into what a great politician Bill Clinton was. I admire both Hillary's and Bill's accomplishments. I admire Hillary's tenacity for standing by her man.
Because it was done based on research rather than with their personal backing, you do not get the full understanding of their relationship or the reasoning for their decisions. But educated guesses are made.
His and to a lesser degree her ethical weakenesses are a travesty. But without at least some aspects of their charachter, they likely would not have accomplished what they did. This is no excuse. Some of the actions were dispicable. Hillary must have been at least complicit in the pardons offered at the end of his presidency.
Overall his actions degraded the respect America has for the President. This is most unfortunate.
Because it was done based on research rather than with their personal backing, you do not get the full understanding of their relationship or the reasoning for their decisions. But educated guesses are made.
His and to a lesser degree her ethical weakenesses are a travesty. But without at least some aspects of their charachter, they likely would not have accomplished what they did. This is no excuse. Some of the actions were dispicable. Hillary must have been at least complicit in the pardons offered at the end of his presidency.
Overall his actions degraded the respect America has for the President. This is most unfortunate.
December 18, 2014
While we can all act a little childish at times this book shed a different light on the former president and first lady. I originally wanted to read this book to understand their relationship and amidst all of the media fodder how and why they have chosen to remain together. I certainly got more than I bargained for and it put a lot of things into perspective. Political leanings aside, after having read this book unless Ms. Clinton has changed (become more flexible) it makes me feel somewhat relieved that she wasn't made president.
Quite this is quite an entertaining read and surprisingly not entirely a heavy read given the politics. I am certainly glad it only covers 8 years as the book while being a somewhat quick read still is quite packed with information.
Quite this is quite an entertaining read and surprisingly not entirely a heavy read given the politics. I am certainly glad it only covers 8 years as the book while being a somewhat quick read still is quite packed with information.
July 12, 2022
Interesting read in 2022, especially how prescient the author is about the future ambitions of Hillary. However, it is about 200 pages too long. Editing out some of the mundane details about every presidential action and concentrating on just the Clinton relationship would have made for a slicker read.
I didn't feel as if the author was particularly biased for or against the Clintons, although her frustration with their hubris, greed and failure to achieve their promise is palpable.
I didn't feel as if the author was particularly biased for or against the Clintons, although her frustration with their hubris, greed and failure to achieve their promise is palpable.
February 18, 2024
Interesting and detailed, but I didn’t enjoy the exposure of their disfunction in their personal lives and being so single minded they were unaware of the feelings/ needs of the people of the United States. A political junky would like this book.
May 2, 2018
Really thorough, but biased. It only presents the critique without presenting their accomplishments. The author's political opinion obviously colored the facts which were presented.
May 16, 2017
It talked a little too much about politics for my taste. I guess the title should have clued me in. I guess I was hoping more to hear about their White House years.
But what I read, was well written and interesting, and the pictures are great.
But what I read, was well written and interesting, and the pictures are great.
June 3, 2022
2 June 2022
I've now listened to this book three times. I don't really know why I keep returning to this book, or the topic of the Clintons in particular. I've read ~40ish books on, by, or related to Bill, Hillary, and/or Chelsea Clinton, and I've read several of them multiple times. I find the family as a topic endlessly fascinating and endlessly infuriating.
I have a great deal of admiration for the Clintons, and for Hillary Clinton in particular. That said, admiration for the Clintons comes with a slew of caveats.
And frankly, this book is chock full of caveats.
Let's start with the unequivocally positive.
Sally Bedell Smith is an excellent writer and biographer. I have read multiple of her works. Admittedly I've not read the books that feature her most original reporting; much of this content is a bit of a retread of information that can be found elsewhere. But the way she puts it together into a coherent storyline is admirable.
The content is infuriating.
INFURIATING. I did not keep track of the number of times I wanted to slap the ever-living crap out of Bill Clinton. The malignant narcissism is PAINFUL. The amount of promise wasted is painful.
Hillary doesn't exit the book unscathed, but good grief. Bill is... yikes.
That's all I got.
I've now listened to this book three times. I don't really know why I keep returning to this book, or the topic of the Clintons in particular. I've read ~40ish books on, by, or related to Bill, Hillary, and/or Chelsea Clinton, and I've read several of them multiple times. I find the family as a topic endlessly fascinating and endlessly infuriating.
I have a great deal of admiration for the Clintons, and for Hillary Clinton in particular. That said, admiration for the Clintons comes with a slew of caveats.
And frankly, this book is chock full of caveats.
Let's start with the unequivocally positive.
Sally Bedell Smith is an excellent writer and biographer. I have read multiple of her works. Admittedly I've not read the books that feature her most original reporting; much of this content is a bit of a retread of information that can be found elsewhere. But the way she puts it together into a coherent storyline is admirable.
The content is infuriating.
INFURIATING. I did not keep track of the number of times I wanted to slap the ever-living crap out of Bill Clinton. The malignant narcissism is PAINFUL. The amount of promise wasted is painful.
Hillary doesn't exit the book unscathed, but good grief. Bill is... yikes.
That's all I got.
January 22, 2024
What an interesting book. Having only been very young in the 90s I was unaware of the Clinton’s story from their time in Arkansas and their journey to and through the White House. This book, I think, shows why so many people distrust Hillary or see her as a controversial figure. It was also interesting to find out that the Clintons came as a political package deal and that it was always 2 for 1. What I ultimately gathered from this book is that regardless which party a president comes from, White House politicians are often prone to controversy, scandal, corruption, backstabbing, and partaking in dicey decisions in the name of politics and what they believe to be right. The book also highlights how much Hillary hated the press and how she attacked the press. After reading the book you can’t help but wonder if 90s Hillary hated the press as much as Trump hates it today. On the other hand you feel somewhat bad for Hillary because her marital problems were aired openly on the White House lawn and rubbed in her face. Nobody wants that. In the end all I can say is: the Clintons are a fascinating political couple and are like all politicians — controversial. Like judging all politicians it depends on where you stand, what you’ve read about them, what facts are known about them and if you can push past partisan politics to choose to believe in the truth.
December 20, 2007
Yet another book about the morbidly intriguing Clintons - a vey well-written one - that covers the Clintons' White House years from the angle that the pair's amazing political climb was made possible only through their work as a single unit with laserbeam, unyielding focus on gaining and maintaining supreme political power against all odds. Anyone who has read this book is not likely to question the presidential experience/exposure that Hillary racked up as the so-called First Lady.
The book appears to be unbiased and highlights the flaws, the brilliance, and the characteristics -both inherent and developed- that were necessary for the Clintons to make their mark as the ultimate controversial, brilliant, and power-hungry uber-political power couple.
The book appears to be unbiased and highlights the flaws, the brilliance, and the characteristics -both inherent and developed- that were necessary for the Clintons to make their mark as the ultimate controversial, brilliant, and power-hungry uber-political power couple.
July 17, 2011
I am not a citizen of the Us so I had no previous knowledge of American poltics before reading "Living History" by Hillary Rodham Clinton.After reading this book I became a mild Hillary fan as I beleived and did not question the parts of her book in which she glazes over the bad decsions her and her husband have made.After reading her memoirs I longed for a relativly neutral opinion so I read For love of Poltics which I greatly enjoyed but also found slightly critcal.The book in my opinion focused too much on the scandals and problems in the Clinton Admindistration and marraige and not on some of the amazing poltical triumphs and peace agreements the administration achieved. That said I throughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone wanting a good poltical read.
July 20, 2009
I just continue to find these two a fascinating pair. There is something real and tangible in their staying together even as they are incredibly flawed people (as we all are of course). In the midst of conduct that I couldn't imagine living through, they have a real connection and need to be there for each other - through everything, that bond has been non-negotiable. I can't imagine how different their lives would have been if they hadn't found each other, but the one question I kept coming back to is regardless of the obvious love they have for their daughter, what sort of perspective must their one daughter have after watching their dynamic give-and-take over the years?
Read
October 2, 2016Wanted to read something not written by the Clintons or their admirers- mission accomplished. Managed to further my dislike of Bill while perpetuating one of my least favorite portrayals of Hillary as the mastermind in her clueless husband's presidency, able to share the blame for poor choices but not credited for any positive accomplishments. Illuminated the impact of Bill's personal life on his presidency. On a related note, didn't realize that Wag the Dog came out before the Lewinsky scandal broke.
January 10, 2008
While this book doesn't have any juicy (or nasty, more like) details that you won't find in the Ken Starr report, it's an interesting study of the Clinton White House. In particular, it examines in-depth the role that Hillary Clinton played--and it was a big one. In fact, reading the book, I realized that Hillary is even more of a soul-sucking demon than I had previously thought, and it reaffirmed my suspicions that she has no business being president.
August 18, 2012
Meticulously researched, well-attributed. I have no real quarrel with the overall assessment of the president; for all his extraordinary gifts, he was terribly flawed in his behavior. Bedell Smith captures well the utter recklessness in his character. I think she is a bit rough on Hillary, whom I admire immensely, but she is fair. What makes this book different and worth reading is the analysis of the synergy between the President and Hillary.
December 31, 2008
Read this over the Christmas 2007 holiday. I was a committed Obama supporter before I read the book, and it only hardened that view. I thought the book was biased and gossipy, but having read a good deal about the Clintons by authors sympathetic and not, I also thought it corroborated some basic things we seem to know about them, and their thirst for power.
November 22, 2013
This book is a typical neoconservative hatchet job against the Clintons. I got into chapter two before giving up. Every page contains snarky comments, innuendo, accusations, and probable lies. It's truly appalling, and as I like the Clintons very much, I don't want to read such rubbish. Certainly not recommended!
June 15, 2009
I finished this book although it took a long time, like two or three months. It's, of course, thick with political discussion which creates a slow read, but it was very enlightening. I have a very different view of the Clinton's now. Worth reading to appreciate some of the dynamics of politics.
November 7, 2011
I 'read' the audio version -- all 26 hours of it -- while on a looooong drive. It really kept me engaged (and awake) mostly shaking my head at the behaviors. I think SBS really had her facts together.
May 12, 2012
A book about the Lewinsky scandal should be enough not sitting next to serious discourse on serious matters such racial cleansing and terrorism. Incidentally; if you hate Hillary, you should love this.
September 3, 2015
Simply put, this was a great book. A very detailed account of the ethics, or lack thereof, in the Clinton administration, on the part of both Bill and Hillary. A worthwhile read and reminder, especially as Hillary runs for president in 2016.
January 26, 2016
It's clear the author doesn't approve of the Clinton's actions. But a well put together account of their love of politics and getting ahead while in the White House. Thanks for putting this information out there.
February 1, 2008
non-biased and quite informative
a great reminder of all that took place, plus plenty of things not previously known
a great reminder of all that took place, plus plenty of things not previously known
April 15, 2008
I listened to this on my ipod and found it a fascinating glimps into the Clintons. I listened to the abridged version....not sure but the unabridged might be too much.
June 11, 2008
Bill and Hillary are portrayed as polar opposites- he's nimble and intuitive, she's steady and restrained. That idea of the "other" worked in the primary election too.
August 14, 2008
...explains a LOT about Hillary....definately affected how I voted in the primary!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews