Arkansas Mischief: The Birth of a National Scandal

by Curtis Wilkie (Co-author), Jim McDougal (Co-author)

Until His Recent Death in federal prison, Jim McDougal was the irrepressible ghost of the Clintons' Arkansas past.McDougal's knowledge of embarrassing real estate and banking deals, bribes, and obstructions of justice have long haunted the White House. Completed only days before his death and co-authored by veteran journalist Curtis Wilkie, Jim McDougal's vivid and irreverant self-portrait reveals the hidden intersections of politics and special interests in Arkansas and the betrayals that followed. It is the story of how ambitious men and women climbed out of rural obscurity and "how friendships break down and lives are ruined".

Mr. McDougal, an irascible and charming rogue to the end, never whines nor does he endeavor to exonerate himself. And, though image-shattering, there's no attempt to get Bill or Hillary Clinton, Jim Blair, Jim Guy Tucker, or the silenced Susan McDougal.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction

316 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Curtis Wilkie is a Mississippi-born journalist, author, and professor who has chronicled the changing South since 1963. During his career, Wilkie also covered presidential campaigns, the White House, the Middle East, and major events of the twentieth century in both the United States and abroad.

Reviews

[Jennifer Sciubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book as background research for writing a fictional account of a financial crime but stayed through every word because the writing was so fabulous. The stories MacDougal relates about life in Arkansas and various, sordid land schemes were fascinating and I'd highly recommend this as just a great memoir in general. It would be hard to think highly of Bill and Hillary Clinton after reading this.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watched a lot of TV news around the time that this scandal broke but I never really got what the scandal was about. I listened to the Audio book on Audible for free so I only invested time in this book. I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. James B. McDougal led an interesting life and it was interesting to hear about small town USA politics and how the political scene played out.

I think a lot of people will read it for his accounts of his dealings with Bill and Hillary Clinton. Quite informative about their conduct before they made the big time. If you are interested in the Clintons I would say that this is must read otherwise a pass unless you are interested in rural property development, US political history, banking/real estate scams.

It's good that Jim McDougal managed to finish the book before untimely death. He suffered from ill health, so no conspiracy material there. Also telling that final hours of his presidency, President Clinton granted McDougal a full presidential pardon, I'm not sure he would have pardoned Jim McDougal.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because Curtis Wilkie is a great writer and a generally-likable person. If he felt ok writing Jim McDougal's jailhouse memoir, then I felt ok reading it. As far as political scandals and corruption go, the Whitewater controversy seems so quaint in 2021....but as a fan of backwoods politics and small-town southern scandal, this was still a fun read, albeit one that is not-at-all believable. To hear McDougal tell it, he was thrown under the bus and never meant to do anyone any harm. In fact, he was just in the people-helpin' business and it, apparently, is a thankless job. McDougal is a sad protagonist, but tells an entertaining tale.

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Like any lawyer, he would steal anything that wasn't nailed down."

This is the story of a former friend of President Bill Clinton and his expose on the Clinton Whitewater Investigation in which he was the primary person punished for his shady real estate deals. The coauthor claimed he believed Mr. McDougal but I have a harder time accepting everything he says as factual.

This is Mr. McDougal’s life story and he was far from a saint. He did many favors for politicians and people who contributed to politics. He also claims his wife had an affair with Bill Clinton even though she denied those allegations. Not easy for me to claim this man is unbiased in his dealing with Bill.

He uses most of his angry words towards Hillary but I found them to be mostly a misogynist blaming her for something her husband did.

I am sorry he died in prison. I am sorry he and his wife divorced. I am sorry his life came apart but I cannot put the blame on Bill and Hillary Clinton for his mistakes.

I borrowed this book from my local library.