Customer Reviews

On the Road with Hillary: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Journey from Arkansas to the U.S. Senate

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Patrick S. Halley's book On the Road with Hillary is a terrific, rollicking, fun read. For Hillary fans, political junkies, or just folks who want to know what really goes on behind the scenes, this is a great book.
I'm not a political junkie but I learned a lot from this book and enjoyed it...Halley is a great story teller, and he tells a story as if you were in his favorite pub in Boston, with him regaling you with tales of a trip just completed, laughing over a glass of his favorite potion, Guinness stout.
Halley is one of the pople that set up appearances for political figures. He prepares successful appearances for Hillary all over the country, from isolated rural college campuses to big city parades and fund raisers. He visits umpteen countries, suffering the hardships of dining in Paris and visiting the poorest places in the world, including Mother Teresa's orphanage in Calcutta. Through it all he never loses the pinch me sense of wonder of a working class kid who makes it good on his native talents but still can't believe his good fortune.
One of the best parts of the book is getting to look at Mrs. Clinton as a real human being. Halley is an unabashed Hillary lover, and he is right up front about that. The thing I liked though is the book does show her as a real flesh and blood human being, and not the one dimensional figure we get through the media at times.
Halley has a real talent for finding trouble and then getting out of it, usually in a daring and funny way. Some of his best stories are about how he wound up buck naked in the lobby of Tokyo's finest hotel, in a losing test of wills with an enraged yak, and in a shoving match with President Clinton while an aghast Mrs. Clinton looked on. But everyone will have a different favorite from this book.
So Hillary bashers, down a quart of maalox and loosen up a bit! But for Hillary lovers, Hillary neutrals, people who like politics, or just people who like fun, this is the book for you.

This book is fun to read, and presents Hillary Rodham Clinton as a real human being rather than a power-hungry monster. Patrick Halley saw Hillary Clinton at the high points and low points of the Clinton administration, and by the end of the book still finds much to admire in the former first lady.
The behind-the-scenes stories from trips all over the United States and the world are humorous. Mr. Halley and Mrs. Clinton seemed to hit it off right from the start, and he presents an interesting insight into her personality and commitment to her political beliefs and various causes.

Just finished this book. I found it to be a very honest account of Mrs. Clinton. A must read. I've always found it amusing that all the Clinton "haters" out there buy the books and read them!Interesting.

Written by Patrick S. Halley, On the Road with Hillary is a must-read for political junkies, especially ones from Massachusetts, where partisan campaigns are played with the enthusiasm of contact sports. Halley cut his teeth working for local political figures like Chet Atkins, Ted Kennedy, Scott Harshbarger, Mike Dukakis, and Paul Tsongas.

However, this behind-the-scenes look at Hillary Rodham Clinton's journey from Arkansas to the U.S. Senate transcends the inside baseball of Bay State politics as the author reluctantly agrees to become Hillary's advance man in September 1992. A modern day Huck Finn, Halley spends then next 10 years setting up trips in 25 states and 36 countries for one of the most admired and hated women in the world.

On his journey with the Arkansas-Governor's-wife-turned-first-lady-turned-senator, Halley learns two things. First, he discovers to his surprise that Hillary isn't a prima donna, a militant feminist, or a political opportunist. "She's one of us." Second, after agreeing to go to New York for just a couple of days to do only one trip with Hillary, he learns something about himself. "That one short trip proved to be enough to get me to quit my job, sell my house, and run away to join the circus."

This circus includes everything from keeping Hillary from bumping into Fidel Castro when both are booked into the same hotel in Switzerland, to getting into a shoving match with then President Bill Clinton during the New York State Democratic Convention in 2000. Along the way Halley sees a sunrise on the Sahara and winds up nude in a Japanese hotel lobby.

In the spirit of total disclosure, I've known Pat for more than 20 years. I was editor of The Concord Journal and the political columnist for a chain of weekly newspapers back in 1978 when he became the executive director of the state Democratic Party - at the age of 24. He is an unforgettable character, but I never thought of him as a writer. However, after reading his first book, I've discovered that he is a gifted storyteller who has 29 remarkable stories to tell.

...But, don't blame me if this one short sample proves to be enough to get you to break a date, skip a meal, and pony up <the money> to read the next 28 chapters of this "ten-year roller-coaster ride through the American political landscape."

I saw an interview with Patrick Halley on the Fox News O'Reilly Factor and Halley convinced me to read this book -- just by being needled by O'Reilly.

He's an undistinguished seeming man -- could be a Secret Service Agent and blend into the crowd.

His voice has an even timbre, and his eyes are steady and true. He wasn't nervous - showed every sign of being an experienced public speaker.

I believed every word he said - and it wasn't really much more than you've read in the cover blurb or the amazon reviews above. It wasn't just that he said he first signed on to be Hillary's front man because she's (quoting here from his own words in that interview - which I scribbled down as he spoke) "really different." It was the way he said it. Matter of fact. Not really trying to convince you that she's "different" -- but explaining why he ditched his whole life to go on the road with a political figure knowing full well what he was getting into. He wouldn't have done that for most any other political figure. But Hillary wasn't like the others -and after one small taste of what it would be like working for Hillary, he wanted to work for her.

Now, personally, I have little use for Hillary. As a writer, both fiction (put my name into the amazon search slot to see a list)and nonfiction (Biblical Tarot and Star Trek Lives! also available here), I have listened to her speeches and watched her delivery. She presents herself as I would present a character of mine that I didn't want anyone to believe.

So I watched this interview with Halley very, very closely. I have never seen anyone else say such positive things about Hillary in such a convincing way. Living in New York, I did see a lot of Hillary - and a lot of coverage on her. What Halley was seeing was very different from what I had seen.

You could read the book a dozen times and still not be convinced the impression Halley says he had gotten of her is true -- after all, anyone can type words onto paper, craft and hone them until they seem sincere. Halley could just be looking for another job -- or he might have been paid to say nice things about Hillary because nobody else wants to. But I was convinced he meant it.

He might be wrong, but I think he believed every word.

When probed about Hillary's response to the eruption of scandal, Halley said, "She's a very strong person (...) she realized it was important to carry on with the Clinton Agenda."

He saw her as committed to Bill and Bill to her.

It didn't sound like a coverup to me.

Asked about how he could guarantee the crowds the press wanted to see at Hillary's appearances, -- did he pay people to show up and hold signs? Halley said that he never paid people to show up and hold signs, but he did pay for the buses.

He went out of his way to make the point that the bussed in crowd was there mostly for the convenience of the press -- so they'd be sure they could get their shot and make their deadlines.

He said that the Press is the prism through which people are viewed, and he seemed to consider that it was his job to give them a clear view of Hillary to pass on to the Nation.

When asked at the end of the interview if she will run for the Presidency, he answered with perfect politician's aplomb that he hopes she will run.

That was the only point where I felt there was some more to be said that he wasn't saying.

Read this book -- if she plans to run as we all expect she does, this book will be the first advance campaign gambit.

People should also read this book if they don't yet know the difference between what a candidate says from the podium and what is really happening. If you don't understand politics as show-business (something I learned about while traveling to collect material for Star Trek Lives!) you really need to read this book.

If you already understand what politics really is, and politicians never fool you, then you don't have to read this book, but you should remember that Halley - who worked with Hillary under the most trying circumstances, thinks she is a steady and strong person.

What would she have done if she were sitting in the Oval Office when the Twin Towers came down?

I think that's the question this book is giving you the material to answer for yourself.

Live Long and Prosper,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg

I had so much fun reading On the Road with Hillary. It's the best backstage look at politics I have ever read, filled with hilarious stories, and fascinating portraits of world leaders. Hillary comes across as a human being in a way she never has to me before. I was also very moved by the story about the Clintons and Nelson Mandela at the prison where he spent so many years. Halley sounds like a great guy, someone you'd like to have a beer with. This book is full of life and full of laughs!

This is a sympathetic, almost fawning chronicling of Hilary Clinton's campaigning and globetrotting during her husband's run for the Presidency and her run for the Senator of New York. And while the book has its better moments -- for instance her run for Senator of New York did indeed revealed her in a novel and unguarded light. Overall, however, it did not quite manage to hold my interest.

For my taste, the description of the events covered were a bit too "frilly" and "fluffy" - I hesitate to say even somewhat fawning, with too much emphasis on cosmetics and PR and too little on the substance of Mrs. Clinton's views.

Although it succeeds at its goal of giving the reader an intimate backroom view of "Hillary on the road," that does not seem to have been sufficient to make the book robust or interesting: After so many whistle stops, the whole project became a bit repetitious, circular and boringly predictable -- often requiring the author to spin his wheels trying to set up the scenes by "padding" them with "pumped up enthusiasm" in an effort to make them minimally interesting. That Mrs. Clinton's campaign tours and travels were mostly mundane surely was not the author's fault, as he tried his best to make the best of some very uninteresting "run-of-the-mill" situations. For that my hat is off to him.

Three stars for making the lemonade tasty.

I purchased this book so that I could learn what being on the "Advance Staff" was all about. Also I wanted to read something from the perspective of a relatively unknown staffer, one that wasn't being either touted or persecuted by the mainstream media. (Prior to this book I'd never heard of the author, though he apparently was on O'Reillys show.) In general, the book was interesting, though at times I thought it a quite partisan, and often came away with the feeling that the author had more than an employee/employer interest in Mrs. Clinton. (Maybe a bit of a crush on FLOTUS there Mr. Halley??) For that reason, I tended to take some of the book with a grain of salt.

Alright, I'll be the first to admit that as a die-hard political news junkie, I had a hard time passing On the Road with Hillary one up. When I'm looking to get the latest bit of political gossip (all the better to meticulously pick apart with a fine toothed comb and later blanch about in a heated blog post) I want it to be a clear cut, unimpassioned view of the issues. I apologize to editors everywhere but; opinions - especially political ones - are just far too messy. And, no, I don't miss the irony in that statement regarding the type of essay I'm currently writing. But as we all know, books are stuffy subjects and, upon picking this book up, I felt a bit of inflammatory rhetoric couldn't hurt, right?
Immediately, I could tell this one would be a doozy; and it wasn't the bright pink and neon yellow color scheme. No, a book on either of the Clintons was bound to be a wholly impassioned one. There was the chance of either a right-wing rail against the very fundamentals of the Clinton machine or a reproachful decry of the news media's special hate for the
ex-presidential family and undying loyal support that Clinton activists are famous for. Despite the cover sporting a look best described as "embarrassing", this book falls in the latter camp.
For many, this reading would be a bit of an outdated one. Published before recent political events, this book misses the time line entirely of Hillary: presidential nominee to instead trace the path of Hillary: presidential wife. This is apparent in the books subtitle: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Journey from Arkansas to the U.S. Senate. Told by one of Hillary's best advance men Patrick S. Halley, it becomes readily apparent that this would be for the most part a feel-good novel. And I'm not ashamed to confess that, putting aside all personal political stances, I felt good reading this.
Quick, with writing balanced by a rather well-paced, good-sized read, On the Road knows how to tell and entertaining story. And that is no small feat. Despite the rather frantic, heady life of those in the political arena - the work itself can be boring, monotonous and - well - make for a less than exciting tale. That however is not the issue here. Far less likely than this, you'll probably noticed instead the almost single-minded liberal slant that Hillary adopts. There is an attempt to make this seem like a natural outgrowth of years dedicated to the former first lady. Of course, one must realize that it would be hard to be around such company and not be caught in the excitement of their cause; but we are only ever given a sneering commentary of the right that edges on domineering.
The humor in On the Road with Hillary is dished out a mile a minute. At its best he reaches nuanced conclusions hitting on the ironies of the distressed political world. At its worst, well, you be the judge of such quaint jabs such as one chapter entitled "Cookie Monster" in regards to, of course, a certain line said by Hillary that certainly offended a large demography of stay at home moms. Its hard to come off hating the man though; he is just as quick to make a self deprecating joke after faulting on the opposing party's line. It doesn't hurt that his tone stays consistently affable and unabashedly his own throughout. He is quick to remind and the reader (should) know; the book is nothing more than an extended anecdote (along with a surprisingly enjoyable process analysis of the work involved in advancing) that takes on an unrelenting unashamed view exclusively from the left side of the camp.
His devotion with the stance, the Clinton campaign, and Hillary herself never falters and borders on more than one occasion with outright adoration. It is to be suspected that working personally with Hillary in a highly emotional, stressed environment would lead to more than just a professionally based connection. As he constantly shows: there will be sweat, blood, and tears. There is a certain level of discomfort placed upon the reader, however, as we are left to speculate upon just how closely he feels with the former first lady. Yes, he's worked with the woman for a good number of years and most likely receded his hair line back a few goo inches with the amount of stress involved; but we are given no mention of his wife back home after such sentimental remunerations of Hillary or even if he has a wife back home to mention. Off-putting as this may be, we are only subjected to endure this a few times throughout the entire course of the text and doesn't prove to be too bothersome.
Upon finishing On the Road, one is most likely to be left with a feeling of new appreciation (if not unguarded hate if you're the type of person that Halley likes to poke so much fun at) for the type of work involved, gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the political life, breathe a sigh of relief along with Halley after a particularly stressful advance job, or feel the heady rush of achievement upon success in the political campaign; for as in all campaigns, sweet victory is a battle won but it remains only a battle in the more far-reaching war.
On the Road with Hillary is not only a celebration of the Clinton family, a look into what really goes on behind the scenes, and a poke - however lighthearted and fun - at the right, but is, at times, an insightful piece too. There is a constant pervading sense that Patrick S. Halley is always on the cusp of some deeper realization. That is, when he puts aside the left or right-wing rhetoric and makes larger extrapolations on politics itself, his ideas are made substantial. However these moments are too far and few between and become obscured just as quickly as they appear by a self-deprecating jab; almost as if he feels uncomfortable when departing from tired ground to make his own view.
An interesting read but certainly not a running candidate amongst the echelons of great political writings, On the Road with Hillary should not be entirely dismissed. It is nhot for everyone to be sure, relying almost exclusively on opinion as its fueling force. But perhaps it is up to the reader to put aside their own opinions, here, and look at a side they may not have seen with a measured nuanced view where he does not. Perhaps there is no greater task asked of the reader than to share along with Halley in his sunny eyed recounts of politics in a celebration of its best, worst, and funniest moments.

Mr Halley is simply a stooge for the Clintons; he is their response to Drudge they hate so much for having first revealed the Lewinsky story; needless to say, Drudge is as a disgusting a character as anyone trying to balance out his role in the media at the behest of the Clintons who know no limits so far as manipulating public response to their doings is concerned;
nice try, Mr Halley--put on a cap instead of Drudge's stupid hat and make a few bucks along the way...

There is always a possibility that your stalwart support of Senator Clinton (D-New York)will yield a second-tier position in the future Clinton II administration.