Hillary Clinton tells her life story in "Living History." She does it with grace and caution, revealing only those details not likely to fuel her enemies's venom. She discusses public and private experiences in her and her husband's lives that everybody already partially knows. The result is a well-written book that covers all her public life including some private matters that had been made public when her husband was president.
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The reader won't find new bits of unrevealed scandal in her book. What the reader will find is a well-written, articulate explanation of Hillary's life, her marriage to Bill, the careers both of them wanted to pursue, and her side of the story about the various controversies surrounding her and Bill. "Living History" is Hillary's second autobiography. She wrote the first as a sixth-grade writing assignment in 1959.
One good example of how Hillary deals with public controversy is how she handled the Monica Lewinsky affair. When Bill finally told Hillary that he had lied about Monica, Hillary was hurt and started "crying and yelling." She desperately needed a friend to talk to. Realizing that Bill had to tell Chelsia made her anguish worse. When Bill was preparing his explanation to the American people, and was getting conflicting advice from his advisors, Hillary told him: "Well, Bill, this is your speech. You're the one who got yourself into this mess, and only you can decide what to say about it."
When the crisis wore off, Hillary was left with nothing but profound sadness, disappointment, and profound anger. She presumed the American people forgave her husband because his standing in public opinion polls remained high. His standing with her, however, hit rock bottom. Friends began to intercede for Bill. Gradually Hillary realized that Bill was not only her husband, he was her president also, and as her president, he deserved her support.
Hillary didn't have to write her autobiography. Many people would feel uncomfortable explaining events that are very private and embarrassing. Hillary handles herself very well. She's bright, articulate, and knows the best, least damaging, things to say about her and her husband's careers. If you don't like Hillary and Bill and would like to see their careers ended, don't look for scandal in this book.
The review of this Book prepared by Maurice A. Williams
