Rating: 
Summary: historical, but reads like throwaway journalism
Review: For a book that will certainly serve as a primary source for presidential historians because of its insider reporting, this book is extremely disappointing and indeed superficial. You get a kind of blow by blow report of Clinton's tumultuous first year in the White House with virtually no analysis and context, but instead just raw description. I was appalled at how much trash was in it. The one nugget I took away was that in that first year, Clinton spent too much time chatting with aides due to his "lack of discipline" and enjoyment of exercising his mind with the extraordinary grasp he had of policy. But there is no exploration of his character, and indeed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the details of the policies he was attempting to advance. As such, this book is like so much election journalism of today: covering the horse race but not the issues. Not recommended, except for academics doing deep research.
Rating:
Summary: historical, but reads like throwaway journalism
Review: For a book that will certainly serve as a primary source for presidential historians because of its insider reporting, this book is extremely disappointing and indeed superficial. You get a kind of blow by blow report of Clinton's tumultuous first year in the White House with virtually no analysis and context, but instead just raw description. I was appalled at how much trash was in it. The one nugget I took away was that in that first year, Clinton spent too much time chatting with aides due to his "lack of discipline" and enjoyment of exercising his mind with the extraordinary grasp he had of policy. But there is no exploration of his character, and indeed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the details of the policies he was attempting to advance. As such, this book is like so much election journalism of today: covering the horse race but not the issues. Not recommended, except for academics doing deep research.
Rating:
Summary: This book should be called "Inside The Clinton Whitewash."
Review: From Deep Throat to Bill Casey's deathbed confessions, it is difficult sometimes to discern where the truth ends and the fiction begins with Mr. Woodward and his former coconspirator, Mr. Carl Bernstein. With nary a whisper of impropriety, Woodward latched onto President Nixon like an amorist bulldog with lockjaw, but hasn't uttered a peep since President Clinton debased the White House. Based on this love letter he calls an expose, I would suggest that he gather his reporter's objectivity from off the curb and get back in the game. If this critique smacks of bias, I must confess it's because of a previous association some of my colleagues had with the author. When they brought a story to Mr. Woodward and Bernstein several years ago (years before the San Jose Mercury News story about the CIA and the crack cocaine epidemic), Mr Woodward balked because of its disagreement with the conclusions he had already drawn in "Veil," and Mr. Bernstein, although having invested considerably more time and energy in the story, also shied away due to the risks involved. The CIA operation was called "Pseudo Miranda," a troubling story of our government's complicity in the drug trade. It is my sincere hope that one of these guys summons up enough journalistic courage (the euphemism for balls) and integrity to tackle this story again one day.
Rating: 
Summary: A quick, journalistic expose rather than history
Review: If you're looking for a critical analysis of the first 100 days of the Clinton White House, this is not the book for you. Woodward's unimpeachable ability to get the most minute human details about his subject merely presents the scene; he leaves it to others to blow rhetoric hot and cold about our controversial President. Woodward places the reader inside the White House, where you feel the frenzied pressure of trying to pass an economic reform package. And for a political junkie, Woodward's fly-on-the-wall style of reporting is great fun. Congress emerges as a hodge-podge of competing special interests and constituencies, and you feel the White House's frustration with it's own ignorance of Byzantium On The Potomac. The Outsiders from Arkansas receive their crash course in Washington politics, and it's not pretty. With every compromise struck, two hard-won bargains are lost. Yet the players never seem petty, but merely hostage to the varied yet insatiable demands of the American electorate. These are men and women of conscience and duty, yet must work in the most competitive of environments. After reading this account, one cannot help but reconsider his last diatribe about the bums in Washington: Woodward eloquently and entertainingly presents the burdens The System imposes on our elected officials and their staffs. All in all, an entertaining, surprisingly fast read
Rating: 
Summary: Woodward is lacking direction and missing the focus
Review: It would seem that Bob Woodward lacked the courage to investigate the Clintons that he had somehow mustered to bring down President Nixon. The impeachment proceedings that we are seeing today are evidence of the kid gloves that Bob used in the background investigation for this book. If I had wanted to read a book describing Clinton's greatness, I would have chosen one entitled "How to lie under oath and get away with it." This book was disappointing. I had expeceted much better investigation from someone who had been described as a great American for his work with Watergate. I believe now that the motivation for the Watergate investigation was his hatred of both Richard Nixon and the Republican party at large.
Rating:
Summary: not what i expected
Review: liked this because it let me analyze the facts for myself, which was actually a lot more interesting than reading the book honestly. this actually makes a great reference item. the balance surprised me a little.
Rating:
Summary: The book that made Clinton furious at the media and himself
Review: Mr. Woodward writes a fine book that lifts the veil off the battle to pass the Clinton economic agenda in 1993. The reader, however, is left with a negative impression of a new president portrayed as disorganized, indecisive, and out-of-his-league. Woodward focuses on Clinton's failures but doesn't put the proper emphasis on the episode's conclusion: Clinton got his plan passed! In spite of the odds against him and a number of gaffes, a budget equally significant as the 1981 Reagan plan, passed. You could argue over the plan's merits but Woodward should do a better job explaining how difficult it is to get things accomplished in Washington, especially legislation that is seen as harming entrenched interests and launched by a freshman administration. A solid book nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: The book that made Clinton furious at the media and himself
Review: Mr. Woodward writes a fine book that lifts the veil off the battle to pass the Clinton economic agenda in 1993. The reader, however, is left with a negative impression of a new president portrayed as disorganized, indecisive, and out-of-his-league. Woodward focuses on Clinton's failures but doesn't put the proper emphasis on the episode's conclusion: Clinton got his plan passed! In spite of the odds against him and a number of gaffes, a budget equally significant as the 1981 Reagan plan, passed. You could argue over the plan's merits but Woodward should do a better job explaining how difficult it is to get things accomplished in Washington, especially legislation that is seen as harming entrenched interests and launched by a freshman administration. A solid book nonetheless.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Fan
Review: Ok, I admit it; I am a big fan of Woodward. I will read everything he puts out and probably enjoy it. With that being said here is another book of his that I will profess to really enjoying. For my money he is the best political writer in the business today. He has so many contacts that many times in reading the book you could swear he has the White House bugged. This book follows the Clinton team through the first two years that they are in office. You get all the standard Woodward items with the book, great details, wonderful he said - she said conversations that really make you feel like a fly on the wall, an easy to follow and well laid out book. I have read the book All Too Human that George Stephanopoulos wrote and in the book he describes the interviewing technique of Woodward, he stated that Woodward has a great style of getting you comfortable with him and then before you know it you are spilling all the secrets. What was also interesting is that Stephanopoulos wrote that Woodward audio tapes all of his interviews so that leads me to believe that the information in his books has not gone through a reporter taking notes loss of detail. One last bit of info is the Stephanopoulos said that once this book came out the Clinton's got so mad at George for all of the info he told Woodward that they basically shut him out for a year. That must mean Woodward got it right. A great follow up to this book is the Elizabeth Drew book "Showdown: The Struggle between the Gingrich Congress and the Clinton White House", it picks up where The Agenda leaves off. This is an interesting book that I really enjoyed. IF you like Woodward you will like this book, if you are interested in the first two years of the Clinton presidency then this is also a good source of information.
Rating:
Summary: Big Fan
Review: Ok, I admit it; I am a big fan of Woodward. I will read everything he puts out and probably enjoy it. With that being said here is another book of his that I will profess to really enjoying. For my money he is the best political writer in the business today. He has so many contacts that many times in reading the book you could swear he has the White House bugged. This book follows the Clinton team through the first two years that they are in office. You get all the standard Woodward items with the book, great details, wonderful he said - she said conversations that really make you feel like a fly on the wall, an easy to follow and well laid out book. I have read the book All Too Human that George Stephanopoulos wrote and in the book he describes the interviewing technique of Woodward, he stated that Woodward has a great style of getting you comfortable with him and then before you know it you are spilling all the secrets. What was also interesting is that Stephanopoulos wrote that Woodward audio tapes all of his interviews so that leads me to believe that the information in his books has not gone through a reporter taking notes loss of detail. One last bit of info is the Stephanopoulos said that once this book came out the Clinton's got so mad at George for all of the info he told Woodward that they basically shut him out for a year. That must mean Woodward got it right. A great follow up to this book is the Elizabeth Drew book "Showdown: The Struggle between the Gingrich Congress and the Clinton White House", it picks up where The Agenda leaves off. This is an interesting book that I really enjoyed. IF you like Woodward you will like this book, if you are interested in the first two years of the Clinton presidency then this is also a good source of information.
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