After a President of the United States, (and his wife, as well), are no longer President, they are expected to each write a book.
My Life, was written by Bill Clinton, to tell about his life, during the 8 years, (2 terms), that he was President of the United States.
He begins with his life in Hope, Arkansas, where his alcoholic, step-father, beat his mother. It stopped when Clinton hit him with a gold clubs. The importance of this event was he felt his step-father taught him to keep secrets.
He also learned to live parallel lives, where he could focus on one thing, and but the other things happening to him, in ’’boxes’’ to be opened, when they needed to him.
.:Some History:.
President William Jefferson Clinton was born in 1946. He was the 42nd President of the United States.
After graduating from highschool he went to Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., and graduated with a degree in the School of Foreign Service. He wanted be a professional musician, (he played the saxophone), but he was given a Rhodes Scholarship, so her went to Oxford University. When he moved back to the United States he went to the Yale Law School.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, (from Chicago), also attend the Law School at Yale. Both were part of the young Democrats movement, and they met at a meeting.
They were married in 1975, and have one child, a daughter, named Chelsea, (she was born in 1980). He also tells about his half-brother, who was an alcoholic and a drug addict. Bill and Hillary stood by him over many years, until he was ’’dried out’’, from both addictions.
Before he was the President, he was elected to be the Governor of the State of Arkansas, for 5 terms.
.:Legal Problems:.
President Clinton spent a lot of time defending himself against Ken Starr who was the attorney who was looking into the Whitewater case. This was about a land deal that failed.
Paula Jones, accused him of sexual harassment, when he was Governor. She lost some of her credibility when she confirmed that she had accepted money, (to pay for her law suit), from a few conservative groups. Then a few State Troopers said they arranged sexual meetings for Clinton. This was called ’’Troopergate’’, and David Brock reported it. Brock, apologized, after he was caught taking money from the same groups as Paula Jones.
Clinton was charged with perjury (lying under oath) about his affair with Lewinsky to gain advantage in a sexual harassment case brought by Paula Jones, a case he later settled by paying Paula Jones $850, 000. A Federal judge found Clinton also to be in contempt of court for lying in a deposition and ordered him to pay a $90, 000 fine.
.:My Review:.
He writes about the laws that he created to make the United States a better place to live in.
He writes about he balanced the budget, (I couldn’t understand this bit).
You’ll learn about the things he wanted to do, (like medicare for everyone), but was stopped by the Congress, (the majority were Republicans).
You will read how he got Yitzhak Rabin and Anwar Sadat to sign a peace agreement, and how he got Rabin and Arafat to shake hands for the media.
I found it amazing to learn about his long talks with Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich.
He writes about Monica Lewinsky, and how Hillary reacted when she heard about it.
This man can cry, as he did when his friend Vince Foster, committed suicide and Rabin and Sadat were assassinated.
He crying in front of the TV cameras when he lied about Monica Lewinsky.
.:My Thoughts:.
I have lived through the Presidencies from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bush Jr. Ronald Regan was a great communication but not as good as Clinton.
He writes his book like he was in your livingroom having a chat with you.
I think it is great that he moved to the State of New York, to support his wife’s run for the Senate.
I think it’s wonderful his office is in the middle of Harlem, a very dangerous place to be, if you’re not an African American. By moving his office there he has helped save this community.
The office is for the charity fund, that he has established to help stop A.I.D.S. in Africa.
.:My Conclusion:.
I enjoyed this book very much and if you like to read non-fiction, I know you will enjoy this books, because you’ll laugh and cry with him.
This book is available at all book stores in Canada and the United States.
It is also available on line at:
https://amazon.com
If you are ever visiting Littlerock, Arkansas, you will find the first edition in the new William Jefferson Clinton Library.
.:Other Information:.
This book was issued by the Knopf. publishing house, in September of 2004.
The ISBN #0375414576.
I have the hard copy book, that has 950 pages, (including the 32 pages of photographs).
I bought it at a Duty Free Shop, for $25.00 CAD.
Thank you for reading my review.
©LL2004