Living History

One of the most intelligent and influential women in America reflects on her eight years as First Lady of the United States in a revealing book -personal, political and newsmaking. During her husband''s two administrations, Hillary Rodham Clinton redefined the position of First Lady. How this intensely private woman not only survived but prevailed is the dramatic tale of her book.

Hillary Clinton shares the untold story of her White House years and recalls the challenging process by which she came to define herself as a wife, a mother, and a formidable politician in her own right. Mrs Clinton was the first First Lady who played a direct role in shaping domestic policy; she was an unofficial ambassador for human rights and democracy around the world; and she helped save the Presidency during the impeachment crisis.

Beginning with a brief outline of her childhood, college years, introduction to politics, and her courtship with Bill Clinton, Clinton covers a wide variety of topics: life on the campaign trail, her troubled tenure as leader of the President's Task Force on National Health Care Reform, meeting with foreign leaders, and her work on human rights, to name a few. By necessity, she also addresses the various scandals that plagued the administration, from Travelgate to Whitewater to impeachment, though she does not go into great detail about each one; rather, she seems content to simply state her case and move on without trying to settle too many old scores.

Along the way, she offers many apologies, though perhaps not the kind some would expect. She does not shy away from her "vast right-wing conspiracy" comment, for instance, though she does wish that she had expressed herself differently. Regarding the Monica Lewinsky scandal, she maintains that her husband initially lied to her, as he did the rest of the country, and did not come clean until two days prior to his grand jury testimony. Calling his betrayal "the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life," she explains what the aftermath was like personally and why she has elected to stand by her man. In all, Living History is an informative book that goes a long way toward humanizing one of the most recognizable, and controversial, women of our age. Shawn Carkonen