Bill Clinton

The name Bill Clinton evokes several reactions among people, each with its own emotional subtext: economic prosperity, partisan conflict, sexual misconduct, and international peacemaking. In a long history of American presidential memoirs, Clinton adds his to the list in this book. It is lengthy, thoughtful, and carefully crafted. He attempts to provide insight into himself and his leadership while advocating for the policies his administration enacted during his presidency.

I was a show more Republican teenager from a Republican home during the Clinton years. This book evoked memories of loyal opposition. However, Clinton’s successes – combined with W’s relative failures and Obama’s relative successes – have moved me to consistently vote as a Democrat today. Clinton’s memories in this account allowed me to reimagine the history around me. His clear voice provides persuasive explanations for his policies.

The first half of this book is devoted to his life before the presidency. To me, this formed the most interesting part – how exactly he overcame many challenges to rise to the height of political power. Much of the second half (his eight-year presidency) was embroiled with tensions with Republicans and thus was not as enjoyable. However, his passionate advocacy for international peacemaking came through clearly, from Northern Ireland and Africa to North Korea and Israel/Palestine. Providing this rationale for foreign policies is perhaps the most valuable from a historical perspective, specifically how the personalities of the involved characters shaped the failure to find lasting Middle East peace.

Of course, this book was written well before the “Me Too” movement, and the power dynamics of sexual relationships do not make Clinton look good. He acknowledges missteps, both with Monica Lewinsky and with vaguely described earlier mistakes, but he spares readers gaudy details. He talks about personal growth that impeachment and marital/family rifts evoked. He never seems to fully grasp that a leader’s private life always comes out in the public portrait. I took this overarching lesson from events in the 1990s and hold onto it still.

Overall, this memoir is certainly needed to fill out the historical record. Some might criticize him for being too lengthy and thought-out, but isn’t this the job of a president, to care for her/his own country? Frankly, Clinton’s vision for the world is beautiful and good. If one is willing to think through the policy details with him, this book can be beneficial for dreaming the world’s “tomorrow.” Like the Clinton presidency itself, shortcomings in this portrayal’s self-awareness remain, but this frankly can be said for any of us. show less

I found this hidden gem at the annual "Friends of the Library" semi-annual book sale. I'd heard about this novel when it originally came out in 2018. I didn't have the time or the opportunity to read it at that time. So, I was happy to come across this copy.
I'm a fan of Mr. Patterson, so I had high hopes for "The President Is Missing". I was certainly not disappointed! From the first page to the last, this well-written novel by Mr. Patterson and Ex-President Clinton held my interest. All of show more the characters were intriguing and realistic. Throughout the plot, I found myself wondering what our world would be like if these events actually took place. Even though this novel was published six years ago, a lot of the issues hold true today.
If you have not had the opportunity to read this older novel, I would highly recommend it! show less

It is easy to see that Bill Clinton was a charismatic politician: this book brings a tear, a laugh and some moral indignation, but never fails to entertain.

Bill Clinton is cautious about admitting his faults and, if we are to believe Nigel Hamilton's biography, is not always 100% honest about his dalliances. He vaguely admits to inappropriate meetings with ladies but denies all but Monica Lewinski of the names bandied about during his presidency. It seems to be quite a coincidence that, show more whilst so many people were willing to lie to make money from stories of his infidelity, these mysterious others did not try the same trick.

Clinton's strongest defence is that, whilst he should be ashamed of what he did to his wife and daughter, his bad behaviour had no affect upon his presidency. The dirty tricks used against him seem to be based in truth and there, he displays the best side of his character, refusing to hold grudges.

The story of Bill Clinton is fascinating; he undoubtedly influenced political thinking in both Britain and the US, did much to improve the world but ends up more famous for a relationship with Monica Lewinski, and a cigar!

He still rates as one of the greatest men of my era, and a man that I would love to meet: I take my hat off to you, Sir. show less

It pains me to give such a high rating to a James Patterson book but I actually enjoyed this story, even at over 500 pages. The plot serves up a compelling, intricate thriller with interesting behind-the-scenes detail of how the U.S. government might react to a cyber-crisis. The main character, President Duncan, is way too good to be realistic but it's balm to any anti-Trump soul. Credit should also be given for the use of female characters as assassins, skilled hackers, political show more powerhouses, capable heroes, and deceitful villains. The number of important female characters in a political thriller is worth noting. The final two chapters felt excessive in making an obvious point but some readers will revel in the sentiments. show less