My Life
by Bill Clinton
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Book Reviews of My Life
Book Review: Memoirs of a Former President
Summary: 3 Stars
Bill Clinton has an interesting life and an interesting story to tell. He was born to his recently- widowed mother in the 1940's and never knew his biological father. The male figure in this young life was his step father, Roger Clinton- a man who was an alcoholic and often prone to emotional outbursts. His roots were lower- middle class, yet he still achieved success in spite of the tremendous obstacles thrown into his path.
Clinton tells all about his life in this book, and parts of it are fascinating to read. Most people know the Bill Clinton who became president and was embroiled in numerous political and personal scandals. But few know about Clinton's early days, growing up in the state of Arkansas; attending Georgetown University; Going to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship; Running unsuccessfully for state rep from Arkansas; and winning election as governor of his home state. These, and many other stories are detailed in this book, with some facts that will raise your eyebrows on more than one occasion.
Clinton's presidency was overrun with scandal, and this area of his life is given much coverage in the book. On thing that I didn't like about Clinton's approach to these scandals is that he basically declares himself completely innocent of everything. Granted, I expected this when I started to read the last part of the book. But I was still hoping that maybe, just maybe, Clinton would tell the book reading world something shocking and admit to responsibility for some of these widely- publicized events. He never does, maintaining that it was his many enemies who set him up, tried to intimidate those close to him, and ultimately tried to bring him down.
Clinton's presidency was marked with some successes, and Clinton highlights these in his writing. I found it interesting how obsessed he seems to be with the terrorist issue. On page after page, he keeps coming back to the problem of terrorism and he quickly points out the progress he thinks he made on stopping these people and organizations whose intent is to threaten and kill innocent people and force their narrow agenda on the world. When I counted the number of times he mentioned terrorists, it made me a little suspicious. Could it be that Clinton feels a little bit guilty and a little bit responsible for not doing more to stop the people who were ultimately responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001? I started to wonder about this as I turned the pages. An occasional mention here and there would be normal, but it seems like Clinton touches on this issue too many times to be an accident. It seems like he had other motives when he decided to refer back to this problem so many times as he writes.
If you like your books short and simple, then you might want to pass on reading "My Life". This is the longest autobiography I have ever read, and it took me about one and a half months to finish it. The first part of the book was the most enjoyable, mainly because it included facts about Bill Clinton that I had never heard of before. The last one- third of the book (the parts that cover the presidency) are more predictable and less interesting because they say exactly what everyone already knows and they state exactly what you expect the former president to profess. Clinton doesn't offer any real surprises here. He blames others for all the problems and all the distractions he experienced while in the oval office.
In spite of some flaws, I still recommend reading this book. Many people resent Bill Clinton for his policies and for his personal actions and they wouldn't be caught dead reading his autobiography. But I still think this is a book worth reading. Clinton is respectful toward everyone he writes about, including people who are known to be his political enemies. He gets a little long- winded from time to time and he goes overboard with his efforts to show that he did what he could to stop terrorism. But the book is still a pretty good read, albeit a long one. I doubt it will change the way you feel about Bill Clinton, but it will succeed at helping readers find some new facts about the former president and it will explain his point of view regarding the multitude of scandals that took place when he served as president.
Book Review: Interesting but flawed book by interesting but flawed man
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought "My Life" because, despite all his flaws, I DO find Bill Clinton to be a fascinating, polarizing character. I also hoped that Clinton would provide some new, original, insightful perspective on his life, his two-term Presidency, and possibly even recent events like 9/11 and the Iraq war. So, how did he do?As far as his Presidency is concerned, what Clinton gives us in "My Life" is, essentially, little more than a "data dump" - on Monday at 10 AM, he met with his task force on reinventing government (or whatever); at 11 AM he got a call from Yasser Arafat (or whoever), at noon he had lunch with some visiting delegation from Uzbekistan (or wherever), ad nauseum. Boring as this sounds, it's actually not completely uninteresting to read about the varied and many-splendoured things a President does in a day, and to wonder how anyone can keep it all straight (while also keeping his sanity!) for 4 or 8 years! Also, on the positive side, Clinton does somehow manage to keep the data dump of events flowing along in a semi-readable - if rambling, undisciplined, unreflective, and uninspired - way. Still, it's unfortunate that Clinton wrote this part of the book in a mad rush to finish it before his publisher, Knopf, fired him or whatever. The 8 years of the Clinton presidency involve important events and issues, both good and bad, and they deserve a much more thoughtful and reflective treatment (not to mention a good editing!) than they get in "My Life."
A broader criticism I have of "My Life," and this applies to the entire book, is that Clinton deluges the reader with facts and anecdotes for page after page after page, but somehow never manages to find time to discuss several controversial issues -- how he got out of serving in Vietnam; his womanizing; Whitewater -- in any real depth. OK, sure, this is a political memoir and I'm not completely naïve; I fully realize that these things are self-serving. But still, how can you have hundreds of pages on Clinton's political career in Arkansas and next to nothing about Gennifer Flowers (for instance) and not wonder, "what else is he hiding?"
Probably the best part of "My Life" is the first part, dealing with Clinton's childhood in Arkansas, his young adulthood experiences at Georgetown and Oxford, the interesting characters he meets along the way, and the tumultuous times he lives through during the 1950s and 60s. There's actually some fascinating insight into Clinton's character in these pages, and overall he comes across as a more complex, less shallow figure than I had thought before reading the book. For instance, the way Clinton describes it in "My Life," his decision on whether or not to go to Vietnam was truly gut wrenching for him - as it was for millions of other Americans at the time. Also, his account of the horrible year, 1968, is heartbreaking - for him and for all of us - as something in America (hope? vision?) dies along with Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.
Unfortunately, although "My Life" has a good number of positive things going for it, like an excellent American history lesson for instance, the negatives keep dragging it down. Among other problems: the book is not well paced; it is both too long (at least as it's written) and too short (to cover all the material in any depth); it largely avoids/glosses over certain sensitive topics (Clinton's relationships with women in general, and specifically THAT woman Monica Lewinsky); it pins nearly all his problems on one out-of-control person - independent counsel Ken Starr - while apparently "forgiving" everyone else (are we supposed to believe that Clinton really forgives his bitter enemies?); and it devotes too little time and energy to true and sincere reflection (perhaps a lot more time has to pass before Clinton will be willing and/or able to do that?).
In the end, just like his Presidency, Bill Clinton's autobiography could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better. Too bad Clinton was in such a rush to get the book out before this year's election season kicks in. But then again, I guess we shouldn't be surprised; with Bill Clinton, EVERYTHING is political.
Book Review: A view from the inside...
Summary: 4 Stars
I must confess I am a fan of political autobiographies. The first one I ever read was the Nixon autobiography; I've since read the various presidential and prime ministerial works past and present. Against these various tomes, Bill Clinton's memoirs, 'My Life', stacks up well. There is nothing earth-shattering and revealing here; there are some different nuances and a little more candour involved, but not a lot. After all, Clinton is still a relatively young man, and could have other political aspirations (he wouldn't be the first president to also serve in the Congress after the presidency), and of course, his wife has an active political life of her own, which I am certain was a major consideration in the tone and content of this volume.I was fortunate to get advance reading material of this before the day of release, and got the local bookseller to permit me a purchase after midnight last night. Of course, like many people, I turned first to the part about Monica Lewinsky, who, for better or worse, will be a defining image of Clinton's presidency for the foreseeable future - history will likely be kinder to Clinton (as it ended up being for Nixon, and others who have stumbled in office), but for the present, this image holds true. There is a typical Clinton-esque mixture of self-reproach and blaming of others. Clinton's greatest ire is saved for Kenneth Starr, the special prosecutor, who Clinton characterises as being the tip of the spear of a vast right-wing conspiracy including conservative white southerners who never worked for civil rights.
He discusses the icy situation with his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea after the revelations, and how he slept on the sofa in different rooms for a significant period after the revelations. He also writes of his own self-examination and self-therapy (how does one do therapy with a president? Actually, there is some insight here, with his marriage counseling going on for a year after the incident). From visits with preachers (Clinton was never a traditionally religious man) to his own readings of self-help books and spiritual classics (one such, 'Imitation of Christ', by Thomas a Kempis, is a superb and well-known text, but not one I would have ever guessed useful for a president in this situation).
He gives some insights into the campaign trails, his early Arkansas experiences prior to national politics, and the two presidential elections, the first against the elder Bush, and the second against Bob Dole. He also takes good account of his childhood - the stories of his mother and various male figures in his early life are quite interesting, and beyond what was public during his presidential days. Even the derivation of his name - William Jefferson Blythe Clinton, has a story behind it worth reading.
One of the key points of interest of any political autobiography is the commentary and speculation the author makes on present and future situations, and Clinton's is no exception. He mentions his own assessment of the danger Iraq posed (he would have rated it no higher than number six on his list of priorities), and claims to have been more forceful in warning the incoming Bush administration about the dangers of Osama Bin Ladin. He also gives interesting perspectives on allies and other foreign leaders (John Major and Tony Blair, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Yasir Arafat, Ehud Barak, etc.).
In all, Clinton takes some of the blame for the troubles of his presidency, but shifts quite a bit of it to others, too. He also takes credit where credit is due for some of the successes in his presidency, but on the whole, as is typically true in such writings, casts the best of possible lights on most of his actions and the outcomes. Being an extrovert with a penchant for introspection, it is a wonder that this book could be contained in a mere 1000 or so pages.
Love him or hate him (and it is amazing how few people have neutral feelings about him, as he experienced and wrote about in his book), Clinton is a figure politicians must deal with for some time to come, and historians will likely rarely tire of debating and analysing.
Book Review: Public Life Separate from Personal Demons, Legacy Incomplete
Summary: 4 Stars
The most immediate traits one picks up from reading Bill Clinton's autobiography are his resilience and his charm, the two attributes that most directly come across on television. This is not to diminish the scope or depth of what he has written here as he has led a most unique life. Rather these traits portend a man who knows not only how to survive against adversity but how to prevail as if his legacy has already been assured. How history will view Clinton a century from now will be interesting since so much of what makes him memorable is his ability to connect with people during these times. And even with a wife who has been elected to the U.S. Senate and earmarked as the frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic ticket, he remains the dominant Clinton in the American psyche. The man is undeniably charismatic no matter how you view the life he has led. That's why this book provides great value since it provides a foundation for his legacy steeped as it is in a great amount of detail and explanation. At more than a thousand pages, this would border on excess from anybody else, but the length perfectly defines Clinton's character as a high-minded and goal-oriented intellectual determined to tell his story his way regardless of what his pundits would want him to emphasize and edit. His comprehensive approach may wear some out, but it provides major dividends as this has to be the most thorough account of a presidency ever written, justification enough for anyone interested in what is to be learned from the most difficult job in the world. Clinton not only highlights the milestone achievements and crises but also describes in sometimes surprising minutiae how his office worked on a daily basis for the eight years of his administration. Just for the simple fact that he has endured a multitude of scandals and fielded all sorts of questions about his character and integrity makes this autobiography a very worthwhile read.
Like it or not, Clinton is a nonlinear thinker, and this reflects in his often stream-of-consciousness writing style. For instance, instead of bringing up the illicit affairs with Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky as they happened in his life, he chooses to talk about them carefully within the context of the legal depositions that followed after the affairs were disclosed. I'm sure many are frustrated by what they view as an evasive approach to his adulterous behavior, but it more reflects a man who recognizes his shortcomings but does not place undue emphasis on them. What Clinton succeeds at reporting is his public life as separate from his private demons. If the reader can get past judging his personal behavior, one can see his career shaped by a resolute determination to improve the life of his fellow citizens, an intense commitment to civil rights and the environment, and an exceptional understanding of daily life from the Oval Office.
Clinton spends relatively little time on his childhood where he had to protect his mother and himself from the abuse of an alcoholic stepfather. Yet he is greatly sympathetic toward him for what his stepfather tried to do. Even at an early age, Clinton looked inward to see the cracks in his reality, the difference between what is and what might be. It is a uniquely personal facility that would carry him forth through his Presidency. The rest of this voluminous book is really about his political career and not nearly as much about his family life or his personal dealings. That is his decision to make, and given the richnes of what he shares, I don't disagree with it. His tone is confident throughout but especially so as he recalls his presidency dealing with complex policy-making and often frightening international issues, all within the context of an aggressive assault orchestrated by his conservative enemies. By no means is this a perfect book, and certain sections could have been better edited in hindsight, but it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the lingering impact of Bill Clinton's political career on our society.
Book Review: For Friends and Fans of Bill and Historians
Summary: 3 Stars
In the acknowledgments, former president Clinton thanks his editor, Robert Gottlieb, for helping him make the book half as long and twice as good. That man should get five stars! This book is way too long in its current form and not good enough.
Unless you are a friend or a big fan of Mr. Clinton, you will find this book not worth the effort. Fully half is devoted to descriptions of daily events during his two presidential terms. Almost all of the events you will probably remember from living through those years. Although these events were needed for completeness, there was little added that was new. I found the background descriptions of assisting the negotiations between Israel, Syria, and the Palestinians to be the most interesting part of the presidential section.
The best part of the book comes in the period before his first election in Arkansas. How did a young man from a very troubled home end up on the fast track for early political success? Although you will not be able to totally answer that question from reading this book, you will certainly know a lot more than you did before you started. I was especially impressed by the incredible loyalty that he showed to his stepfather, despite the awful treatment that his mother received. I did not realize that Mr. Clinton had only legally adopted the last name of Clinton after his mother remarried his stepfather.
I would have enjoyed a section about how young people can learn from his early experiences. Perhaps he will write something like that in a future book.
If you are looking for lots of insights into his personal inclination to cause pain in his marriage through affairs, you won't find anything new. You will find out the day when his wife stopped making him sleep on the sofa in the White House.
Although the book is mostly a diary of what he did and when, there are occasional moments of reflection in the book that make reading it rewarding. Unfortunately, the new reflections only occur about every 50 pages or so. Most of the best reflections are in the first half of the book.
The main ingredient that is missing from the book is the tremendous personal appeal that Mr. Clinton excites in many people. That element of his success is largely hidden in this account. He has a genuine liking for others, a sense of commitment to helping them and an incredible stamina for taking on challenges. It would have been good to combine this book with a CD of reminiscences about peoples' reactions to him at very critical times.
You also don't get much of a sense of his high intelligence, encyclopedic memory, and grasp of complex situations. I have heard Mr. Clinton go on for hours about difficult policy questions without notes and without knowing what questions would be asked. In fact, he tends to downplay those skills.
The material about his presidency would have been greatly enhanced with advice for future presidents.
The end of the book has an almost whiny tone in complaining about Right Wing conspiracies and recalcitrant Republicans in Congress. That part could have been edited down further. You'll get the idea after the first few pages of this discussion.
Frankly, I would not have finished the book except that many of my friends are in the book, and I found myself looking forward to their appearances in the text and what would be said about them.
For most people, you can read the first half and skip the rest.
If you really want to know about certain parts of his life and want to skip the others, the index can give you a pathway to create your own condensed books version of his life.
If you did not find him to be a person who inspired you, I suggest that you skip the book.
Seek to do the best for all!