Living History

Rating:
Summary: A good, if selfserving, book
Review: I found Living History an interesting read. Based on my knowledge of the Clinton wars (apolgies to Blumenthal) and the right's attempts to take him down at any cost, I saw it as a reasonably accurate, albeit somewhat selfserving, account of those times. The Clintons have been subject to an amazingly broad spectrum of attacks: Starr's ceaseless attempts to pin something, anything, on them; Ken Foster's suicide, the Buddist temple scandal in which one of the investigators was sleeping with a Chinese double agent who just happens to be a major Republican contributor/operative. I'm not sure if this book will change anyone's mind about Hillary - or indirectly, Bill - but it does provide an interesting insight into what will probably prove to be the first serious female candidate for the U S Presidency.

Most of the other reviews appear to be less review and more hatred of anything Clinton. For the record, Hillary did write the book, in longhand, no less, although the originally intended ghost writer was paid.

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Summary: Did we read the same book?
Review: Some of your featured customer reviewers appear to be expressing their opinions about the author rather than the book in question. The Living History I listened to (audio CD version) was as advertized, a history, and very much like listening to tapes of older relatives relating events occurring during various periods in their lives. As a contemporary of Ms. Clinton, I was interested in her take on those years as I remembered them. I found the work engaging, even moving in parts. I was dismayed to read the reviews on this website that emphasized political differences, even bordering on viscious reactions to her remembrances. I enjoyed the book, especially her recollections of raising a daughter in "interesting times".

Rating:
Summary: fiction
Review: mentions nothing of all her failures and lies. total fiction and disappointment.

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Summary: Not for those who can't read grownup books.
Review: When someone as well known as Hillary Clinton writes a book, many have expectations of what that book should be. When it is not the book they thought she should write, they judge it "bad." Obviously, many thought "Living History" should contain lurid "insider" details of what was never any of their business in the first place - the personal, intimate relationship in a marriage. I applaud Senator Clinton for not pandering to base expectations (as the conservative writer of an another current bestseller does).
"Living History" is interesting in that it tells what it feels like in a personal sense to experience the ins and outs of American politics. Further,it helps us to understand the kind of inner strength it takes to survive it, all the way to the highest office in the land. Also, I knew Senator Clinton was a strong advocate for women's and children's welfare, but I had no idea that she had done so much work on their behalf, in the United States and all over the world. That theme of the book was fascinating.
Perhaps my greatest pleasure was in the personal identification with Clinton's Midwestern upbringing -- the social mores of the early 60's and how things changed by the end of the decade, the impact of the civil rights movement, her grounding in religious faith, etc. Her richly detailed recollections brought back those years vividly. I also identify strongly with the importance of friends in her life and with how she raised her daughter. And if there's one statement in the whole book which explains her enduring commitment to a marriage that has caused her a great deal of pain, it is when she says that she and Bill Clinton started a conversation 30 some years ago that is still ongoing. I wonder how many of her most rabid critics can say that about their marriages?
P.S. It's obvious that a lot of "reviewers" didn't read this book How about including, in the directions for writing a review, a little honor statement for the reviewer to "sign" that he or she has actually read the book?

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Summary: THERE IS A REASON THE RIGHT GOES AFTER THE CLINTONS
Review: The right does not go after the Clintons because Bill lied about Monica Lewinsky. They go after them because they think they may have ordered the murder of Vince Foster. They go after them because kids were murdered on railroad tracks in Mena, Arkansas because they may have witnessed their drug-running operation there in the 1980s. They go after them because there is a list of between 50 and 100 people mysteriously killed, all of whom knew the Clintons and had knowledge of their activities. These people were generally young and in good health. Did they all die by accident? To quote Shakespeare, "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than can be dreamt of in your philosophy." In other words, it is possible they all were killed by means other than the Clintons' ordering their deaths, but it is so far from possible as to be very close to being, for all practical purposes, that with which is impossible. Bodyguards, witneses, drug buddies, state troopers, kids, etc. Dead. If the Clintons are responsible for some or all of their deaths, they got away with all of it. THAT is why the right goes after the Clintons. If I go missing, look in Ft. Marcy Park.

STEVEN TRAVERS
Author of "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman"
[e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: The most controversial American woman of our time. . .
Review: Reviews of "Living History" are all over the lot, just as people's opinions of this controversial woman. The book itself is a well-written, political autobiography of a woman whose political career is far from over, and therefore you'll find few revelations, and not much candid self-reflection. But there's a reason this was a surprise best-seller--Hillary is a smart, complex woman, who continues to shape American politics in a way her husband no longer does.

Hillary had modest, conservative, Midwestern roots, growing up in the Chicago area and starting her political life as a young republican. It seems clear that she was going places long before she met Bill Clinton--she knew Vernon Jordan before she met her future husband, and Wellesley and Yale are hardly run of the mill schools. But Bill clearly provided the platform for her to shine. Bill and Hillary are two totally political animals, and focussed on little else--lost in the publicity surrounding the purchase of the house in New York State after Bill left office was the fact that the Clintons had somehow neglected to acquire a home they could return to, and New York was as good a place as any, even if Hillary had not decided to run for senator. Money and material possessions seem not to hold a lot of atttraction for these two--but power is another story.

Hillary's first years in office were painful--she struggled to create a real job where none existed, and what worked in Arkansas didn't work nationwide--thus the health care fiasco. Smarting from that experience, she spent the next few years in a more traditional role, using her position to raise awareness of women's and children's issues. Then the scandals hit. She portrays herself and Bill as remarkably self-possessed throughout, and her analysis of the legalities of Whitewater, Travelgate and the impeachment are excellent--I had forgotten that she worked on the Nixon impeachment as a young lawyer and was something of an expert in the field. And critics--of which there are many--forget that the Clintons were exonerated of all wrongdoing.

Is this book something of a whitewash? Of course! Nothing is said of her famous temper, the Clintons' abandonment of friends when they got into hot water, Bill's crazy work habits. And it's easy to weary of her constant references to her prayer group and Eleanor Roosevelt. But this book is an intriguing look at life in the White House, and a glimpse, carefully controlled though it may be, into the mind of a woman we haven't heard the last of.

Rating:
Summary: I liked her before.....and I love Hillary now!
Review: Poised to run for the presidency in 2008, Hillary Clinton's life took her from "Goldwater Girl" in suburban America to "Campus activist" at Wellesley and Yale to corporate lawyer, and then the White House.

From the moment Bill Clinton launched his 1992 campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton became a lighting rod for this country's ideas about women and our rights. Although it was obvious the 'average woman' was different than 30 years ago, we did not collectively want to admit the shift until epitomized by the new First Lady.

Not glossing over the author's flaws or those of friends/family, this book is very different than most biographies-especially those written by public figures. We ultimately see a woman whose politics evolved over time, but her love of family and community remain constant. Reading the 'family' vignettes also reminded me that these are real people instead of the one-dimensional images presented through the mass media. They eat, sleep, breathe, and watch TV just like any one of us.

Like other mothers around the country, Hillary panicked when her child was going off to college and arrived with contact paper in an attempt to make peace with her own separation anxieties. I laughed as I easily pictured these people driving their own daughter nuts in her new dorm room and found comfort that many families have gone through that same experience which I had with my own parents.

Because I am a campus activist and aspiring politician myself, reading this memoir was very inspiring. Simply having made it this far in her own life has required Clinton to stand up for the rights of other women in America and around the world. In the face of much criticism from the American right (who still believes everybody lives a fairytale life) she is a truth-teller who will not rest until women's rights are universal. This focus on women's freedom is a genuine concern, and not an activity undertaken for appearances sake....the book makes it clear that she is more interested/involved in women's rights than the 'liberal' mass media has disclosed.

Hillary acknowledges her critics, but is very careful to avoid using her book to attack people. It is far more productive to acknowledge your own internal flaws while not dwelling on the motivations of those who are predisposed to hate you simply for existing. This is called taking the political high road.

The only flaw with this book is such a dynamic woman is continuing to chart history at such a rapid pace that another edition or volume will certainly have to be written. Standing alone, this version cannot do her (or championed social causes) justice. I eagerly await these new versions.

Rating:
Summary: What a waste
Review: This book was such a joke, but what could you expect from a money and power hungry, lying, fake. Hillary could not tell the truth if her life depended on it. I'm so sick of hearing her held up as a role model for our young women. Where was N.O.W. when she was so grief stricken by her husband's infidelity(s). This book was a waste of good money, (I didn't buy it, it was given to me) and time spent reading it. Gee wonder how many copies her and Bill bought?

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: OK. I waited until the hub-bub died down. I bought the book hoping to find out the real Hilary's story. What I found was a mix of fiction and half-truth. As a political scientist, I was very disappointed that her ghost writer went to the lenghts to put Hilary in a good light. As a tried and true Democrat, I was amazed at the inaccuracies in this missive. It should have been advertised as 'mostly fiction' instead of her life story. I know she made a lot of money on this book and I expect Bill to do the same. Unfortunately, the revisionism I'm seeing is unreal. Even Rush Limbaugh occasionally tells the truth.

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Summary: The biggest lie I've ever seen...
Review: I thought the book was absolutely laughable. First of all, Hillary didn't even write her "autobiography" herself: she had a bunch of other people doing it for her. Next she portrays herself as a caring, loving, compassionate person: actions speak louder than words - she's the most dominating, controlling, power-hungry woman I've ever seen. Of course, in her book she's going to portray herself as what she wants people to think of her; certainly not the scary political terror she really is. If you want to know the truth, don't read what she and her supporters wrote about herself - examine the true evidence. What about all the people who knew the Clintons and died under suspicious circumstances? I didn't read any explanations of them. What about Mr. Clinton's betrayal to our country's safety in selling security secrets to China - not to mention all the opportunities he passed up to capture Osama bin Laden. That goes to show you how lightly the Clintons hold the safety and security of our nation, yet they have maintained a disgusting contempt for our wonderful military - the men who are sacrificing their lives for our freedom and security for which the Clintons could apparently care less. The Clintons disgraced and degraded the name, reputation, and honor of America for eight years. I shudder to think of Hillary ever becoming president. If you want to see just how unbelievingly this woman and her cohorts can lie, I found the book entertaining in that respect...it was hilariously ridiculous.