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on September 18, 2016
Precision in reporting - that's the sign of a Jeffrey Toobin book about something that really happened. Add analysis and common sense, and you have this story of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal that rocked Clinton's presidency. Compelling and level-headed discussion of motives and consequences. A really good read.
on August 22, 2013
Even all these years later, the Clinton-Whitewater-Lewinsky saga is compelling reading, for so many reasons. While it is clear that Toobin feels that Clinton was attacked and judged far too harshly for the particular "crime" he committed by trysting with Monica Lewinsky, neither does Clinton's repeated boorish behavior get him (Clinton) off the hook with the author. Many of the multitude of books on the subject seem to present either a viciously anti-Clinton picture, or a total apology for Clinton's behavior, but this one manages to toe the middle line pretty well. Toobin is above all an excellent writer, and the story is still so inherently fascinating that it's difficult to put this one down.
on April 29, 2017
Fascinating look inside what really happened with the Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky & the real right wing conspiracy- Ken Starr was not only incompetent, right wing fanatic but not very smart. Jeffrey Toobin writes with authority and great prose.
on June 21, 2000
Toobin brings three invaluable gifts to this work. His writing is lucid, his narartives are engaging and his politics are (as much as humanly possible) put aside in favor of a clear recitation of the facts. He is not without a thesis, however. He is determined to bring the reader to the conclusion that the American judicial system has co-opted the political system; and both of them have been diminished by that fact. While his arguments are powerful, they are not the compelling component of this book, and I cannot bring myself to completely accept his conclusions.
However, as historians turn back to examine these incidents in the future (I believe it will be of far less interest than we'd like to think) Toobin's book will provide an excellent, mostly dispassionate recital of those elements in these events that have a basis in verifiable fact. He avoids rumor, innuendo and propoganda as much as any person intimately invovled with the reporting of the case could possibly manage. He spares no one from any side of the battle (including, but not limited to the fourth estate). He turns a bright light on the actions of all the players but refuses to indulge in a plethora of psycho-babble to analyze motives, intents or feelings. This is a welcome relief for a reader who wants to separate the muddy swirl of politcal spin from the factual events, in an understandable chronicle.
Partisanship is, for many of us, as essential as breathing. We prefer to indulge in a conspiracy of agreement, reading only those who verify our preconceived beliefs and rejecting utterly anyone who challenges them. Toobin must be read with the understanding he will not pander to your most cherished wishes about this Presidency, whatever they may be. That alone makes this book worth reading, re-reading and retaining for the future.
However, as historians turn back to examine these incidents in the future (I believe it will be of far less interest than we'd like to think) Toobin's book will provide an excellent, mostly dispassionate recital of those elements in these events that have a basis in verifiable fact. He avoids rumor, innuendo and propoganda as much as any person intimately invovled with the reporting of the case could possibly manage. He spares no one from any side of the battle (including, but not limited to the fourth estate). He turns a bright light on the actions of all the players but refuses to indulge in a plethora of psycho-babble to analyze motives, intents or feelings. This is a welcome relief for a reader who wants to separate the muddy swirl of politcal spin from the factual events, in an understandable chronicle.
Partisanship is, for many of us, as essential as breathing. We prefer to indulge in a conspiracy of agreement, reading only those who verify our preconceived beliefs and rejecting utterly anyone who challenges them. Toobin must be read with the understanding he will not pander to your most cherished wishes about this Presidency, whatever they may be. That alone makes this book worth reading, re-reading and retaining for the future.
on October 23, 2001
I started out enjoying this book. While not denying a modest democratic slant (an opinion that is at least borne out by the facts), it's still a very well-balanced account of all the various Clinton "scandals" and the legal wrangling that surrounded them. The characters involved in the whole episode are well-presented and the story well-told. There certainly is a comic element, as most of the characters - up to and including the President - are utterly hopeless in one way or another and Toobin rather mercilessly runs them down for it.
That said, I just simply lost steam around page 200. The problem is just that the entire story is so utterly banal and sordid. Most of Clinton's adversaries are utterly beyond social redemption. There are relatively few meaningful conclusions that take more than a few incidents and a couple pages to state (one interesting episode is a forshadowing of the Supreme Court's involvement in the 2000 elections, the appellate court that ruled on whether or not a sitting President could be sued split along party lines - with the Republicans voting for and Democrats against, in direct opposition to their traditional positions). After reading some 25 pages of descriptions of Linda Tripp and her taping of the remarkably hopeless Monica Lewinsky, one starts to lose their stomach for that sort of thing.
At any rate, this is an important episode which deserves an honest, straightforward treatment. The only real flaw in this book is that it really is about twice as long as it should be. Still, if you can deal with that, it is recommended.
That said, I just simply lost steam around page 200. The problem is just that the entire story is so utterly banal and sordid. Most of Clinton's adversaries are utterly beyond social redemption. There are relatively few meaningful conclusions that take more than a few incidents and a couple pages to state (one interesting episode is a forshadowing of the Supreme Court's involvement in the 2000 elections, the appellate court that ruled on whether or not a sitting President could be sued split along party lines - with the Republicans voting for and Democrats against, in direct opposition to their traditional positions). After reading some 25 pages of descriptions of Linda Tripp and her taping of the remarkably hopeless Monica Lewinsky, one starts to lose their stomach for that sort of thing.
At any rate, this is an important episode which deserves an honest, straightforward treatment. The only real flaw in this book is that it really is about twice as long as it should be. Still, if you can deal with that, it is recommended.
on January 16, 2017
Jeffery always delivers
on May 15, 2017
Toobin is an admirable, knowledgeable, serious, and honest writer.
on January 9, 2017
I lived through these events (albeit as a teenager), but I was surprised to find out how much I didn't know about them. It's also helpful to revisit it as a straightforward narrative rather than try to piece it together through years of back-and-forth leaks, bombshell scoops, and accusations. Toobin does here what he does best -- takes a sprawling cast and complicated events and does a methodical job putting it together in a readable form. Like some of his other books, this almost reads like a novel. Like the stories of O.J. Simpson or Patty Heast (which Toobin has also covered), a lot of the meaning here hinges on when we think someone is lying and when we think they are telling the truth.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand the events surrounding Clinton's impeachment.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand the events surrounding Clinton's impeachment.
on September 10, 2016
Terrific research and level of investigative detail. Tobin is a highly credible writer.
