As with most books written by politicians while in office (or at least aiming for one), Living History is, first and foremost, safe. There are interesting observations and anecdotes, the writing is engaging, and there is enough inside scoop to appeal to those looking for a bit of gossip, but there are no bombshells here and it is doubtful the book will change many minds about this polarizing figure. This does not mean the work is without merit, however, for Hillary Clinton has much to say about her experience as first lady, which is the primary focus of the book. Those interested in these experiences and her commentary on them will find the book worth reading; those looking for revelations will be disappointed.

Beginning with a brief outline of her childhood, college years, introduction to politics, and her courtship with Bill Clinton, Clinton covers a wide variety of topics: life on the campaign trail, her troubled tenure as leader of the President's Task Force on National Health Care Reform, meeting with foreign leaders, and her work on human rights, to name a few. By necessity, she also addresses the various scandals that plagued the administration, from Travelgate to Whitewater to impeachment, though she does not go into great detail about each one; rather, she seems content to simply state her case and move on without trying to settle too many old scores.

Along the way, she offers many apologies, though perhaps not the kind some would expect. She does not shy away from her "vast right-wing conspiracy" comment, for instance, though she does wish that she had expressed herself differently. Regarding the Monica Lewinsky scandal, she maintains that her husband initially lied to her, as he did the rest of the country, and did not come clean until two days prior to his grand jury testimony. Calling his betrayal "the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life," she explains what the aftermath was like personally and why she has elected to stand by her man. In all, Living History is an informative book that goes a long way toward humanizing one of the most recognizable, and controversial, women of our age. Shawn Carkonen

From Publishers Weekly
Whether or not you believe that the Clintons were victims of what Hillary calls a "vast right-wing conspiracy," this memoir has enough information and personality to appeal to people on both sides of the political fence. Most will not be surprised by Clinton's reading style, as it is similar (though not nearly as formal) to the manner in which she has delivered many television addresses. Her Midwestern accent is evenly pitched and pleasant. She easily laughs at herself, and fluctuations in her delivery render her emotions nearly palpable. Indeed, the casual straightforwardness of her delivery will engender a sense of trust and respect in listeners. Though she does not offer much new material, she is adept at disclosing many "backstage" details-from the personal, like her inner feelings about the Lewinsky scandal ("the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life"), to the humorous, like the time a mischievous Boris Yeltsin tried to coax her into sampling moose-lip soup. Her devotion to Chelsea, Bill and to her country feels genuine, as do her hopes for future. All in all, her infectious sense of optimism and unwavering energy shine through in her delivery and will leave listeners with a new respect for the former First Lady.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is a woman of many talents, including the ability to slime fish. She learned this skill while working in Alaska one summer during college, and, although she does not define the term in her new memoir, LIVING HISTORY, it sounds like a useful talent for a future politician. The major portion of Clinton's memoir is devoted to her years as a role-redefining first lady in the White House. It is full of both the shining and the tarnished events that we all remember-health care reform efforts, the endless Whitewater investigations, her advocacy for women and children's rights, the Arafat-Sharon handshake, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the fight to protect the president from impeachment. Clinton offers a comprehensive account that runs the risk of scrolling numbingly in the manner of a film with a too long list of credits. This is particularly apparent in the abridged audio's necessary cut-to-the-chase style. Thankfully, Clinton interrupts her blow-by-blow account with emotional reactions and reflections on the events of those years. Hillary Rodham Clinton comes across as smart, determined, humorous, and-you may or may not be surprised-a nice woman. Senator Clinton narrates the abridged audio of LIVING HISTORY in a forthright, level-voiced speaking style, which she would say is typically Midwestern. She is well paced, easy to understand, and, blessedly, possesses a moderately pitched voice that is pleasant to listen to. Admittedly, during the first half-hour or so she reads so carefully that the result is rather flat, yet as her comfort grows, she begins to vary her tone and develops an easy rhythm. Although the focus on the White House years is understandable, Clinton's early years are a story unto themselves. One hopes very much that she will one day expand on her engaging, all too brief account of them. The delight is palpable in her voice as she recounts her suburban childhood in a home that embraced both her father's conservative-and-proud-of-it Republicanism and her mother's quiet-yet-stubborn Democratic stance. Clinton is equally interesting in her reflections on her own transformation from a Goldwater Girl-yes, Goldwater Girl-during her college years at Wellesley to a Democrat during the turbulent 1960s. And for all of us, even those who profess not to be curious, she is delightfully funny about falling head-over-heels in love with Bill Clinton at Yale Law School. Bearded, he looked "more like a Viking than a Rhodes scholar" and seemed like "a force of nature." Of that marriage, she says that "they started a conversation" that still continues, which, as far as this reviewer is concerned, is all one really needs to know. (Yes, she does say more.) What else? Clinton both adores and admires her daughter, Chelsea. She values loyalty in herself and others. She is a fiercely devoted friend. And she seems genuinely committed to using politics as a tool to make the world a better place. That, and the ability to slime fish. She is worth a listen. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
The early reactions to Hillary Clinton's much-anticipated memoir (no prepublication review copies were distributed) have amounted to a kind of referendum on the person rather than a review of the book. Everyone has a theory about Clinton and why she wrote her book, but few of the commentators have bothered to read the volume, and none seem interested in reflecting on how it stacks up as an autobiography. In fact, it stacks up pretty darn well. Certainly the book has faults. Many early critics have pointed to the almost 600 pages and called the book too long. Wrong again; in some places, it isn't long enough. For instance, Clinton virtually flies over the Gennifer Flowers affair, and the other women in Bill Clinton's life--except for Monica and Paula--are not mentioned at all. She could have gained some space by not tipping her hat to so many "good friends"; myriad people are so described. What Hillary does very well, however, is to give readers a sense of who she is, starting with an effective description of her childhood and college years that manages not only to reveal her character but also to evoke the era vividly and in great detail. Her evolution as a wife and mother, as First Lady, and as a political lightning rod is portrayed in an engaging fashion, and her discussions of political policy, while occasionally dry, are well reasoned and worth reading. The book works especially well when the private and public Mrs. Clintons come together; for example, when she spearheads the health-care wars as her own father is dying. Only true Clinton haters will refuse to see her as a woman of faith or dispute the fact she loves her husband. Those two qualities pervade the pages. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

One of the most influential women of her time, Hillary Rodham Clinton has always found herself in the vanguard of political activism and social reform. In her high-profile roles as lawyer and children's activist, first lady, and U.S. senator, she has fought tirelessly and passionately for what she believes in. Now, in this meticulously detailed political memoir, she discusses her eight years in the Clinton White House and the watershed events of her husband's historic presidency. She describes the ecstatic triumphs and crushing defeats of an administration that set out to accomplish progressive reforms but was hamstrung from the start by relentless media scrutiny and criticism; she presents her views on such emotionally charged issues as the Whitewater investigation, the Lewinsky scandal, and the Clinton impeachment; and she sheds illuminating light on her complicated relationship with her brilliant, flawed, and charismatic husband. A thoughtful and provocative read, this memoir provides a rare and intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of a true political icon.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with candor, humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban, middle-class America in the 1950s and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to student activist to controversial First Lady. Living History is her revealing memoir of life through the White House years. It is also her chronicle of living history with Bill Clinton, a thirty-year adventure in love and politics that survives personal betrayal, relentless partisan investigations and constant public scrutiny.

Hillary Rodham Clinton came of age during a time of tumultuous social and political change in America. Like many women of her generation, she grew up with choices and opportunities unknown to her mother or grandmother. She charted her own course through unexplored terrain -- responding to the changing times and her own internal compass -- and became an emblem for some and a lightning rod for others. Wife, mother, lawyer, advocate and international icon, she has lived through America's great political wars, from Watergate to Whitewater.

The only First Lady to play a major role in shaping domestic legislation, Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled tirelessly around the country to champion health care, expand economic and educational opportunity and promote the needs of children and families, and she crisscrossed the globe on behalf of women's rights, human rights and democracy. She redefined the position of First Lady and helped save the presidency from an unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment. Intimate, powerful and inspiring, Living History captures the essence of one of the most remarkable women of our time and the challenging process by which she came to define herself and find her own voice -- as a woman and as a formidable figure in American politics.

FROM THE CRITICS

The New York Times

Living History is neither living nor history. But like Hillary Rodham Clinton, the book is relentless, a phenomenon that's impossible to ignore and impossible to explain. — Maureen Dowd

The Denver Post

Living History is a solidly written, personal account from a major player in one of this country's most politically contentious periods. It is an important part of the record. — Tom Walker

Los Angeles Times

[Hillary] Clinton has produced a surprisingly engaging and, at points, even compelling book. Especially once the couple reaches the White House; she provides enough of a peek behind the curtain to keep the pages turning. She presents intriguing new details on her role in shaping the policies of her husband's presidency. — Ronald Brownstein

Kansas City Star

The only thing that matters, with any book, is this: Is it worth reading? And in the case of Living History, the answer is yes...it's going to be hard for any but the most partisan to ignore her grace, and her mix of self-confidence and the insecurities that seem to burden us all.

Publishers Weekly

Whether or not you believe that the Clintons were victims of what Hillary calls a "vast right-wing conspiracy," this memoir has enough information and personality to appeal to people on both sides of the political fence. Most will not be surprised by Clinton's reading style, as it is similar (though not nearly as formal) to the manner in which she has delivered many television addresses. Her Midwestern accent is evenly pitched and pleasant. She easily laughs at herself, and fluctuations in her delivery render her emotions nearly palpable. Indeed, the casual straightforwardness of her delivery will engender a sense of trust and respect in listeners. Though she does not offer much new material, she is adept at disclosing many "backstage" details-from the personal, like her inner feelings about the Lewinsky scandal ("the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life"), to the humorous, like the time a mischievous Boris Yeltsin tried to coax her into sampling moose-lip soup. Her devotion to Chelsea, Bill and to her country feels genuine, as do her hopes for future. All in all, her infectious sense of optimism and unwavering energy shine through in her delivery and will leave listeners with a new respect for the former First Lady. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. Read all 6 "From The Critics" >

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