Mr. President, Mr. President!: My Fifty Years of Covering the White House

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, but flawed
Review: Sarah McClendon's memoir of her 60+ years covering the Presidency is by turns fascinating and frustrating. You get some insider details and a feel for the era--somewhat. You're witness to some funny and sometimes unexpectedly revealing stories about her encounters with various Presidents. Even if you're die hard liberal (like McClendon), you'll find her stories about Nixon and Bush the Elder affecting and human. Alas, there's not as much here as I'd like about the real business of being a correspondent, or enough on the actual press conferences she participated in. There are snippets, some sharp exchanges, but there should be more. The book might have also benefited from "other voices"--interviews with or reminiscences by those who worked with McClendon or who were the target of her laser beam-like questioning. Still, this is an entertaining look at Washington, from someone who trod the boards there for over half a century.