An exhaustive, soul-searching memoir, Bill Clinton's My Life is a refreshingly candid look at the former president as a son, brother, teacher, father, husband, and public figure. Clinton painstakingly outlines the history behind his greatest successes and failures, including his dedication to educational and economic reform, his war against a "vast right-wing operation" determined to destroy him, and the "morally indefensible" acts for which he was nearly impeached. My Life is autobiography as therapy--a personal history written by a man trying to face and banish his private demons.

Clinton approaches the story of his youth with gusto, sharing tales of giant watermelons, nine-pound tumors, a charging ram, famous mobsters and jazz musicians, and a BB gun standoff. He offers an equally energetic portrait of American history, pop culture, and the evolving political landscape, covering the historical events that shaped his early years (namely the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and JFK) and the events that shaped his presidency (Waco, Bosnia, Somalia). What makes My Life remarkable as a political memoir is how thoroughly it is infused with Clinton's unassuming, charmingly pithy voice:

I learned a lot from the stories my uncle, aunts, and grandparents told me: that no one is perfect but most people are good; that people can't be judged only by their worst or weakest moments; that harsh judgments can make hypocrites of us all; that a lot of life is just showing up and hanging on; that laughter is often the best, and sometimes the only, response to pain.

However, that same voice might tire readers as Clinton applies his penchant for minute details to a distractible laundry list of events, from his youth through the years of his presidency. Not wanting to forget a single detail that might help account for his actions, Clinton overdoes it--do we really need to know the name of his childhood barber? But when Clinton sticks to the meat of his story--recollections about Mother, his abusive stepfather, Hillary, the campaign trail, and Kenneth Starr--the veracity of emotion and Kitchen Confidential-type revelations about "what it is like to be President" make My Life impossible to put down.

To Clinton, "politics is a contact sport," and while he claims that My Life is not intended to make excuses or assign blame, it does portray him as a fighter whose strategy is to "take the first hit, then counterpunch as hard as I could." While My Life is primarily a stroll through Clinton's memories, it is also a scathing rebuke--a retaliation against his detractors, including Kenneth Starr, whose "mindless search for scandal" protected the guilty while "persecuting the innocent" and distracted his Administration from pressing international matters (including strikes on al Qaeda). Counterpunch indeed.

Listen to audio version (by the author) as well as read

Since I'm on the road a lot, I bought the audio version. I'm glad I did this because I got to hear the author's telling of his story.

Of course it's not the world's greatest writing or story telling, but then that's not what I was expecting.

On the one hand the book is extremely personal and candid, telling of the President's difficult childhood and his remarkable survival and rise to public life through it.

On the other hand, it does not go into personal relationships in a way that the hype for the book leads the reader to expect.

While their privacy should be respected, especially given the horrible expose that has occured, the Clinton's seem to have worked through issues in their relationship. This work would be valuable and healing to share in more detail with others.

What impressed me most in the book also deeply saddened me: how easy it is for a party or group who doesn't like a particular elected official to bring harm to that person, rightly or wrongly, through discrediting campaigns.

Whatever your political persuation, you should come away from this book believing this ease of manipulation needs to be addressed for the health of both the presidency and the nation. And that's a very important reason to read the book.

An honest appraisal

President Bill Clinton offers an interesting, comprehensive overview of his life and times. The tragedies of his childhood are stark. His emergence from rural Arkansas to become a Rhodes Scholar, governor, and the second youngest man elected president of the United States is a fascinating read and an outstanding accomplishment.
The book might better have been written in two volumes; yet it pales in comparison with the length of the first three volumes on LBT by Robert Caro. I skimmed a few paragraphs, but I was quickly drawn back into the text by the interesting material. Although some parts read like excerpts of the White House diary others offer compelling insights into the development of his policies or the background to decisions that I don't remember being written about at the time.
Bill Clinton demonstrates more self awareness than most people, especially current political leaders. His explanations of his decisions caused me to rethink some of my disagreements on some of his policies. He would have been a better press secretary for his administration than those who served in this capacity.
I was surprised by the strength of his self criticism and his charity to most of his Republican adversaries. He seems to now have an understanding on how his unfelt anger at his abusive, alcoholic step-father, the Neo con Republican witch hunt etc. caused him to act so poorly in his private life and his characterization of Starr's persecution seems right on target. It is amazing that after the pure hatred that was/is heaped on him that he can write with such civility. He clearly is grateful to our country for the opportunities that he was given. Like a few other presidential biographies this is a book I will likely reread a decade from now. I highly recommend it not only for those who were his supporters but for those with an open mind. It's likely to drive those who hated him crazy, but so were the poles showing a 70% job approval rating for him during much of the Starr investigation. I wonder if Ken can be prosecuted for wasting 70 million dollars and causing such harm to many people connected with Clinton?

A Fascinating Look At The Most Controversial President

A Fascinating Look At The Most Controversial President

This book will intrigue anyone who cares about America. You get an insider's view from the divisive man himslef. You'll also learn the struggles all presidents must face, and the role the media played in helping and hurting Clinton.