Customer Reviews

Rewriting History

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

Dick Morris is tough to figure out; I honestly don't know where he is coming from, or what motivates him. He is definitely not a conservative Republican. But I doubt he is welcome in any Democratic circles these days, either. What Morris is, as far as I can tell, is a very astute, insightful observer of human behavior. He also has a great sense of humor. Having his own foibles exposed in a very public manner, Morris has little to lose...he seems ready to expose others who have dark secrets. He is tenacious and a survivor, which makes him seem more human than he did before his fall from grace. Perhaps Morris is a gossip. But he is an oddly credible one, and he is definitely entertaining. Both Hillary and Bill could have used his sense of drama and storytelling in their own weighty BORING autobiographies. Even when I disagree with Morris, which is often, I find him compelling and interesting. This book does provide some uniquely personal--and, I believe--important insights into the character and behavior of Hillary Clinton. Though she is at least four years away from running for the Presidency, she is already hard at work laying the foundation for her candidacy. Thus, every action she takes right now is in preparation for that day...which makes Morris' book timely and important indeed.

It is funny how this book hits store shelves on May 4 and by May 5, there are about 20 reviews. I really wish that Amazon would not allow this type of thing. Many of the reviews are like this line: "Haven't we heard enough of this idiot??" Sorry, but that is not a book review and political books are never reviewed fairly. The fact is, if you want to hear from someone who has known Hillary for 25+ years, as a friend and advisor, then read this book. The only other books written about (and for) Hillary were written by people who do not know her personally. Those that know her personally would not dare write a book about her. This is the same guy who helped Bill get elected and re-elected governor and president. Sure, he's out to make a buck, but every author is and maybe, just maybe this could be true. Hmmm? If you believe Hillary is nothing more than the image she projects, then you are a fool and are being used by her, just like most other politicians use the public with PR people and images. There is always more to it than that, and a book like this shows the real ambitious human behind the mask. If nothing else, it is interesting reading.

So much vitriol from the idealogues! Regardless of your political persuasion, this book is fascinating. The things Morris has seen and participated in while acting as Clinton's prime pollster and political strategist going all the way back to his Arkansas years lends tremendous insight into the political lightening rod that is Hillary. Depsite the personal attacks from those who know only how to hate someone they disagree with, it is difficult to discredit Morris' first hand accounts of his interactions with Bill and Hillary. This is not a book citing vague references or unnamed sources, but observations from an insider who did everything he could to help the Clintons ascend to power for more than a decade. Morris is not a right-wing idealogue. In fact, he's not even right-wing as he admits to voting for Gore in 2000.

This book is a much needed, rational, and factual assessment of a woman clearly on the political rise. Morris' inside view into how Hillary operates is a fascinating story and very important debating stuff as voters will likely have to reevaluate this ultra-ambitiuos woman as she strives for more power.

I always thought Hillary would be the first female president. That was until I read this book. Mr. Morris does a great job providing the public with another view of Hillary Clinton that differs from the image she paints of herself in her own book. True...there is always two sides to every story, but at least now we get to see that other side. Morris provides an insight into the former first lady that we haven;t seen before in any other books about her... insight from someone that worked very close to her on a daily basis . This is worth checking out, and as usual... make your own mind up!

Great book! You know what's interesting? Look at all of the 1 star reviewers here that say they never even read it. Who cares what they think about it? And look at the number of reviews left by people who hated the book that said horrible things about the author. Says a lot about about the "tolerant, caring" liberals and democrats doesn't it? Tolerance means nothing when the person claiming it only tolerates others like themselves!
Anyway, this is a great book to compare with Hillary's. Sure, what do we know but what they tell us? It and Hillary's book could both be full of lies for all we know. But when you compare the Clinton's (both of them) track record of less than truthful speaking and deceitful posturing, with the opinion of Dick Morris, I'll buy Morris' version any day! For you detractors, PLEASE try to see things without insisting on looking through your ideological glasses before you make a judgement. I know it can be hard, but it can be done.

Unlike Christopher Anderson's didactic and misbegotten "American Evita", political insider-turned-outsider Dick Morris takes a more full-blooded tact in dissecting Hillary Clinton that by the end of the book, represents a more balanced view of her public and at least semi-private selves. I'm sure this incisive portrayal is causing rancor among extremists on both sides, most particularly among those who see her as the only hope for the Democratic Party should Kerry face defeat, Edwards notwithstanding. But by peeling her layer by layer like an onion, Morris effectively approaches his subject as a more complete person than she does herself in "Living History", which in hindsight, seemed too simplistic a portrait of a woman caught in the course of history and unforeseen personal struggles. Given the comically spliced cover photo on Morris' book, I was fully expecting a complete trashing of her autobiography. Instead, it felt more like an unabridged version of her own book, the warts-and-all version that would have never saw the light of day had her political advisors gotten a hold of a draft.

In what Morris views as her intensely focused quest to become President, Hillary Clinton is shaping her own destiny in spite of the highly unusual circumstances that have led to her current success. As we know, she achieved her greatest fame as a professionally emancipated, then personally scorned First Lady. Despite living in the constant shadow of her far more charismatic husband, she was elected U.S. senator for a state with which she had little previous familiarity or interest, having seized a prime opportunity when Rudolph Guiliani's health forced him to drop out. But through her own talent in creating an image of a powerful leader and decision-maker, she has flourished as the next Democratic presidential contender, even though she remains a cipher to us when it comes to her vision and values. She is obviously devoted to the party line and continues to back her husband, but we don't really know her. Judging from this book, we never will. And therein lies the rub that Morris is trying to exacerbate in this book. He exposes an insecure woman who exaggerates and fabricates stories on the national campaign trail, but at the same time, he praises her professional acumen, leadership and organized management skills. The combination of her talents became the ideal complement to her husband during their White House years, and one at least understands why they are so well partnered politically if not personally. Having known the Clintons for over 25 years, Morris has credibility, and he exhibits this throughout by being as upfront about her positive qualities as well as her negative traits.

Although by no means a flattering portrait, it is also not a completely unfair one, as Morris makes greater sense of her complexity and ambition and goes further than anyone else, including Hillary Clinton herself, in explaining why she induces such extreme reactions. With sometimes piercing insight, a good sense of humor and a little dime-store psychoanalysis thrown in, Morris actually makes his subject a more fully rounded person and perhaps unintentionally, not necessarily an unfavorable one compared to many of her colleagues. Given the limited truths and skewed perspectives that surround our current presidential candidates in other best sellers, that's probably a good thing for the rest of us to know as we consider our options in the 2008 election.

There is some good news and some bad news with this book. The bad news is it seems like a decent magazine article which has been padded out to fill a book (some of the same concepts and sentences are repeated). The good news is it appears to be about as fair an assessment of the complex person that is Hillary Clinton as we're likely to see. The Hillary lovers might not like it because it does discuss her not so nice side (a ruthless paranoid who can not see that others might not share her points of view). The Hillary haters might not like it because it does discuss her good points (she is a good manager and is trying to help people). I would recommend this book because as Hillary primes herself for a run at the Oval Office every potential voter should know as much as possible about the woman who would be president.

This book is anawesome read. Dick Morris has what many would kill to have: absolute inside information on how both Bill and Hillary lived and breathed. I think this lends great credibility to his account of things. I think this book was masterfully written and an absolute joy to read.

To say this is a book written by a 6th grader is simple partisan blather to try and discredit a great book. I can begin to count how many times liberals shoot accusations bindly without any sort of logic or credibility. However, when something is written about liberals, the platinum strandard is somehow involved. Nice try, but those who read this book will come away with quite the opposite opinion.

The first anecdote I thought was decisive in establishing Hillary's pathology of exagerration and lies. When she claimed her mother named her after Sir edmund Hillary...man! You have to be very, very insecure with yourself to have to make up such an easily verifiable story.

Dick Morris, once again you have come up with a winner. If I ever run for public office, I would make sure you were on my staff. Too bad I can't get this autographed. Great job. Bring on some more..! See you on Fox.

I wonder if all the top leaders of the Democratic Party and the Senate are all giving out orders to give 1 star reviews to every single right-wing book. Look at the average number of stars on Left-wing books and then look at right-wing books. Maybe the amount of liberals outnumbers conservatives on this site but it seems to me they're a mission to give 1 star reviews to EVERY conservative book out there. Being the supposed party of "tolerance" look at the names liberals give Republicans and Conservative. Well, I guess if you're in the majority then tolerance no longer applies to you. I commend Dick Morris for revealing Hilary's reign of terror whether it's piggy-backing her "hubby" Bill or using New York to get further. If anyone wants the truth (or for what most of us know as the truth) read "Re-Writing History." By the way love the cover!

Rewriting History is a surprisingly riveting read. It is far better than Morris' previous book, Off With Their Heads, which was good but dry. RH contains information, anecdotes and theories that are insightful, thought-provoking and all around juicy. The theme of the book is whether or not Hillary will end up being an RFK or Nixon-type presidential candidate. Such an original and interesting debate. Morris skillfully argues his theory based not on his own opinion but on facts and eye-witness events. If you don't care for Hillary, or even worry about what kind of president she would be (God forbid), this book is for you. It will enlighten and entertain!