Stickin': The Case for Loyalty (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Throughout the whole period that the president was being investigated, on occasions too numerous to count, people would approach to give me an opinion..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bill Clinton, Ken Starr, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Democratic political consultant James Carville returns with a book that promises "not a lot of highfalutin philosophizing" on the subject of loyalty. Stickin' is largely a response to the Monica Lewinsky scandal and President Clinton's impeachment, a period during which Carville ruthlessly defended the man he helped elect to the White House in 1992. Carville says Clinton was "a grown man acting stupid with a young woman" and comments that "in my world, you don't abandon a guy over sex." The predicament recalls a famous quote by 19th-century British prime minister Lord Melbourne (dutifully cited by Carville). A colleague told Melbourne, "I will support you as long as you are in the right." Melbourne replied: "What I want is men who support me when I am in the wrong." Carville considers this level of loyalty a lost virtue. "Nowhere in the entire world is disloyalty more rewarded and rewarded well than in Washington," he writes. Stickin' is a highly partisan book, full of cantankerous, sometimes funny, and occasionally unfair attacks on Republicans, which will delight Democratic readers who have cackled their way through Carville's previous bestsellers, We're Right, They're Wrong and ...And the Horse He Rode in On. It's a slim book with a simple message: "Stick with your friends. And stick it to your enemies." --John J. Miller

From Library Journal

The head of President Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign returns with another blatantly liberal take on the virtues, or lack thereof, of the political life. Carville (And the Horse He Rode In On) offers an exegesis on loyalty--"stickin' " to your friends while sticking it to your enemies. The author defends the president despite the Lewinsky affair and skewers conservatives such as William Bennett, Kenneth Starr, and Patrick Buchanan for actions he considers far more scandalous than sex. He offers some more serious discussions about the loyalty among soldiers in wartime and how the closeness between Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers broke baseball's color barrier. As a bonus, some Cajun recipes from Carville's Louisiana--meant for the not-health-conscious--help spice up the book. Republicans will be infuriated, and Democrats will be gleeful; recommended (purchase "liberally") for public libraries.
-Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 edition (January 18, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684857731
• ISBN-13: 978-0684857732
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #715,664 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tells the truth and doesn't give a damn if anyone agrees!, January 21, 2000

By A Customer

This is James Carville's best book so far. The folksy recollections cut to the bone of truth and provide a refreshing candor like no other. I love James' honesty and loyalty to President Clinton. Also, he points out the hypocrisy and disgusting fakeness of people such as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and William Bennett. His reflections on his Catholic faith are brutally honest and candid. James is the curmudgeon's curmudgeon, with humor like a modern Mark Twain. I love him!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than just about the Clintons..., March 2, 2000

By	M. Johnson "admiralmpj" (Southern California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I did buy the book, expecting more attacks on the Right Wing who tried to overturn the results of the 1996 Election (oh, by the way...Scoreboard, fellas), but I took more away from the book than that. This book has actually touched me, especially Mr. Carville's revelations about how he got his start, and what a rough start it was.

The book is about the concept of loyalty, how hard it is, how trying it can be. Of course, most of Mr. Carville's experiences are going to come out of the Clinton Debacle, but he goes through bits and pieces of his life, and I felt I learned something from it.

Now, I can't recommend it fully to Republicans, but even I would tell them if they could get past the Clinton part, there is something worthwhile here. Good read.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent but not on the level of Mr. Carville's other efforts, January 22, 2000

By	Warren Davis (Dalton, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Stickin': The Case for Loyalty is well worth reading for any of the James Carville fans out there. I am a Republican but I enjoy the passion and loyalty that Mr. Carville displays in his books and TV interviews. I am a huge fan of his other books which I strongly suggest to anyone. However Stickin' left a bad taste in my mouth. For one it really gives no new reasons for why Carville "stuck" with President Clinton. We all know the story. Two, it rarely invokes the sense of humor that we expect and enjoy. Read We're Right They're Wrong, ...And the Horse He Came in One, and All's Fair first. If you're hooked try this one.