Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I don't understand why critics do not rate this book as one of the best presidential memoirs ever written, May 31, 2009
I read this book 5 years ago, in 2004 when it was first released. It was a book I had been waiting for many years to come out, and I had the pleasure of meeting the man himself during his book tour after the book was eventually published. The book is heavy. More than 957 pages.I hardly used to read non-fiction biographies during those years. The only one I had read by that time was Nelson Mandela's The Long Walk to Freedom, and I was able to get through that book because it was the story of a life of wonderful leader, and the book was very well written. But I was not to be let down by Bill Clinton either....
Just a background- I have read a number of presidential biographies and autobiographies of other US Presidents since 2004, but I must say that Bill Clinton's memoirs ranks amongst my most favourite so far. The book is told chronologically, from the time he was born, till the time he leaves the presidency. A lot of other US Presidential autobiographies are told by division of chapters that discuss certain specific issues in each chapter. But Clinton decides to tell it as it happenned. As he himself indicates in the book, when you are president, issues occur all at once, not waiting for the other. There is Clinton, sleeping in the sofa, in exile from his bed by Hillary, and at the same time knowing he would be bombing Osama Bin Laden's bases in Afganistan the next day and making sure the plan is solid.
The other thing I like about this book is that it is pretty simple to read as well. You can fly through the book. It is engrossing, and it doesn't get stuck in places because of some sections being too boring or some sections being too difficult to understand. After all, Bill Clinton is the master of explaining complex subjects in very simple language.Even if one is interested only in foreign policy, his discussions on domestic public policy or economic policy won't bore you. Even if one is interested in his political life, his description of his personal life won't bore you. The other good thing about this book is that it is not ghost written. It is Bill Clinton all the way. It is long. But once has the patience to listen to what Clinton has to say.
When the book first came out, everyone wanted to know what he had to say about the Monica Lewinsky affair. During interviews right after the book's release, Clinton indicates he did it because 'he could'. I thought that it was a great answer. Yes, he did it, because it was there, and he could. He couldn't restrain himself. It also happened under mutual consent. Not that Clinton excuses himself. He just explains what happenned and why he did it. You won't obviously get the sordid details in this book. (For that you'll have to read the Starr Report!). Only 17 pages are dedicated for the issue - an issue for which Clinton will likely be forever remembered. In fact, in the book, Clinton doesnt even explain the issue. He starts off by surmising that everyone knows what he is talking about. He also starts to explain that he did it because he was leading a 'parallel life', as explained to him by his shrink (I can't remember the official word he uses in the book), that because he grew up in a family where there was domestic violence, he would often retreat to another life, where he is reckless. In all honesty, I think that's nonsense. I believe in his initial statement. He did it coz he could! It had nothing to do with the fact that Newt Gingrich and the Republicans were threating to shut down the government.
When Bill Clinton became President, the Cold War was over. There were few hot spots in the world, but nothing as substantial as the Cold War, or Desert Storm, or 9/11. He became president through his campaign to end the recession of the early 90s. Bill Clinton succeeded in bringing prosperity to the nation, but he was helped by the recession ending even before George HW Bush's term was over. Bill Clinton never had a big crisis like 9/11. Presidents are often remembered if they are a war president or if they succeed in resolving a big crisis. But there never was one under Clinton's presidency. (I'm sure sometimes he asks himself how Obama was able to be president under such circumstances with crisis just left and right of him). So in the narrative, there really isn't anything that would be considered a major crisis under Bill Clinton, simply because they never occured! But it is wrong to judge a president just by the way he conducts himself in a crisis. I think Bill Clinton did a great job. His handling of the presidency led not just to prosperity in the country, but overall peace in the world. Yes, his first year in office went badly in foreign policy - Somalia, Bosnia, even Haiti and N. Korea. But he grew and learnt the job as he went along. It is interesting to read about his dealings during the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement and the Israeli-Palestian Peace Process. There are a number of examples where the reader will be able to read the book and learn about the events that occured. For instance, at the end of his presidency, Yasser Arafat tells Clinton that he is a 'great man', and Clinton tells him 'no, I am a failure. And you made me one.' Such kind of revelationss with other world leaders are discussed throughout the book. I absolutely loved it! Clinton deserves credit for keeping overall peace in the world, and for the great economic book not just in the US, but for saving failing economies around the world. I think he played a good role in the handling of the Asian Economic Crisis of the mid-90s.
Bill Clinton's journey to the most powerful post in the world is worth reading about. After all, Clinton was born to power or wealth. He was a product of a single mom, at times a product of living with a step dad who would often be violent because he was an alcoholic. He was the youngest governor and one of the youngest presidents. The book is aptly titled 'My Life' with a portrait of his handsome face. This is the story of a man who loved his job, who would bounce back after every fall. The story of the comeback kid. One can read about his many comebacks here. After all, this was a guy who was impeached, whose troubled marriage was there for all to see, and yet - he leaves the presidency with one of the highest popularity ratings, and whose wife would go on to become Senator of the Empire State, and a future candidate for the job that he so loves. This book is thorough and it isn't divided into 2 books. Some presidents, like Eisenhower and Truman, have divided their memoirs into 2 volumes, which sometimes can be painstaking to read. But Clinton tells it all in 1 volume, and the book is never painstaking to read. Clinton also reflects on what he wishes he had done, e.g., done more to stop the genocide in Rwanda.
I certainly believe that this is the best book written by a president about his life and his presidency. Critics indicate that the best memoirs written by a US President is by Ullyses Grant, but those memoirs are about the Civil War, not really about the presidency. Also, there are rumours that the books were actually written by Mark Twain. My Life by Bill Clinton gets 5 stars. It is an inspirational book. Go Clinton...
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book changed my perspective about Clintons..., July 11, 2007
Being a fatherless child, I can understand the depth of Clinton's feeling now. He has touched a lot in this limited room. I wish, I could get more where I wanted while reading. This is an excellent autobiography. He proved himself to be one of us rather than some elite class. It was a delight reading this book.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The first Black President!, January 7, 2009
I love Bill Clinton ... and I was really looking forward to learn about the behind the scenes of Bill as a person.
This book talks about his growing up without a father and how that built his personality, it takes you through the young Governors rise to power and the political gambits that make DC.
Many of the details are long (like his speeches :-)) and sometimes too much to endure - but overall it is a slice of history (a big slice) from Bill Clintons perspective.
*SPOILER* What i did miss was the lack of details around the Monica Lewinsky scandal and what did he do to survive Hillary's wrath ;-) (my wife would have given me permanent black and blues).
But hey it's his book, who am i to complain ;-)
Overall : nice, informative, inspiring and enjoyable. Since I listened to the audio book read by him - the experience was enhanced.
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by Bill Clinton
by Hillary Rodham Clinton
by Bill Clinton
by Hillary Rodham Clinton
