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Clinton in Exile: A President Out of the White House | 
 enlarge | Author: Carol Felsenthal
Publisher: William Morrow
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 130383
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.2 x 1.5
ISBN: 0061231592
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.929092
EAN: 9780061231599
ASIN: 0061231592
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
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Condition: BRAND NEW! Great Gift! 100% Professionals Since 1976! No Marks Ever! First edition, First Printing Hardcover in dust Jacket! In Stock NOW! Ships Right OUT!
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Product Description
Just before noon on January 20, 2001, the most powerful and arguably most ambitious man in the world relinquished the public stage, reluctantly, at the young age of fifty-four. Having endured infamous scandals and impeachment, President Bill Clinton left office with record approval ratings—and embarked on an uncertain journey. Since then Clinton has moved in and out of the shadows of this "exile," leaving the millions who knew him to wonder: How has this man of such outsized talent and passions adjusted to leaving power? Based on more than 150 interviews with the former president's friends, associates, and sometime enemies, Clinton in Exile takes readers from Clinton's last hours in office, through his indulgent personal life and well-publicized humanitarian efforts, to his front-of-camera and behind-the-scenes coordination of his wife's presidential campaign. - What is the status of his relationship with Hillary? What would be his role if they were to return to the White House?
- What happened behind closed doors that may have influenced the pardon of Marc Rich?
- Who is the woman rumored to have been Clinton's postpresidency girlfriend?
- What does Clinton privately acknowledge to be the greatest mistakes of his presidency?
- What's happened to the Clinton-Gore relationship since they left the White House?
- What is the nature of Clinton's relationship with George H. W. Bush?
Noted biographer and journalist Carol Felsenthal has spent two years investigating these questions among many others, and her reporting gives a fascinating and textured portrait of this complex man. Clinton in Exile is the definitive biography of one of the most towering, intriguing, and deeply controversial figures of our time.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Deconstructing Bill Clinton's 21st Century Life with a Democratic Ax to Grind June 26, 2008
If you were a Bill Clinton fan, you'll find this book to be overly critical and full of too much innuendo. If you are a Republican, you will be dissatisfied with this book as being too Democratically oriented. If you are a Democrat who cannot forgive Bill Clinton for getting involved with Ms. Lewinski, this book will be right up your alley.
Everyone who saw me carrying this book was puzzled by the title, which means to suggest that Bill Clinton is not very welcome with many Americans but is loved abroad. But I'm not sure that's accurate. I daresay that if he could run for president again his standing in the polls would be much higher than that of President Bush or the apparent nominees from the major parties. That title gives you a tip-off that Ms. Felsenthal has an agenda . . . which is to remind everyone that the Democrats didn't do very well after Bill Clinton fell from grace.
Although Ms. Felsenthal interviews a lot of people who were once close to Bill Clinton, she never identifies which ones are now major Obama supporters . . . which undoubtedly colored their views. I believe that's poor research that harms the value of what she wrote. In particular, I was struck by how many of the most negative comments came from prominent Obama supporters. Since the interviews took place during the campaigning, could it be that some responses had a political motive behind them? I don't know, but I'm skeptical.
She also seems to be quick to take credit away from the leadership roles that Bill Clinton has played. She is much more impressed by Ira Magaziner's hard work on helping reduce AIDS in Africa than in Bill Clinton's ferocious fund raising for the same cause. The truth is that both are needed, and the two men have worked as a team for a long time. One doesn't take away from the other.
From that, you get a sense that Ms. Felsenthal has an extremely high opinion of what an ex-president should be able to accomplish: Raise tens of billions annually, solve the world's most difficult problems single-handed in a few years, and never be seen in public with anyone who ever indulges in improper behavior. Well, that would be nice. I suspect that the George W. Bush period of being an ex-president will yield a more reasonable set of expectations. In that context, Bill Clinton's first years out of office will have to be re-examined.
I did like the photographs.
 A balanced look at what Clinton has done since he left the White House May 31, 2008
16 out of 19 found this review helpful
Let me start by asking what you have thought about the various Hillary biographies that have come out? If you like Carl Bernstein's book or even found it too critical, you will view this book as an attack piece. If you have liked the books by Dick Morris, Bay Buchanan, and other critics, you will find this book not critical enough. However, this book is not anything like the disdainful books on Clinton by R. Emmett Tyrell, Jr. I believe that if you liked the book "Her Way" by Gerth and Van Natta and the way it reported her life with a balance of praise and criticism, I think you will find this book enjoyable and informative.
Carol Felsenthal simply reports what Bill Clinton has done from his last days in office through supporting the Hillary campaign for President to February 2008. The story begins with the chaotic last days of leaving the White House, how much Bill did not want to leave, and just touches on the corrupt pardons. However, the author says that the stories of the Clinton team trashing the White House and removing the "Ws" from the computer keyboards is mere myth. There is no question that if Bill could have run for a third term he would have. What is scarey is that if he had, he would have had a good shot of winning it.
The book deals with Clinton's restlessness. Felsenthal is unstinting in her praise of Clinton's charisma, his rock star like reputation on the world stage, and the good works he has done in helping raise funds for Africa and many other initiatives including his own Clinton Global Initiative. However, Felsenthal is also clear about Clinton's self-serving aspects to so many (if not all) of his good works. She exposes his lust for money and his grubbing approach to thousands even while he has tens of millions. The Clinton hunger for honors such as a Nobel prize is also highlighted. Since Carter and Gore both have one, Clinton's need to be so honored has become almost an obsession.
I enjoyed most her reporting of the people he hangs out with and who it is that provides him with private jets, his huge income, and what their lives are like. Clinton likes to hang out with movers and shakers and is closest to billionaires who have an appetite for luxury and a strong desire for lots of women. When talking about Clinton's attitude towards female companions other than Hillary, the author doesn't name names, but makes a few suggestions about some women he has been seen with. Of course, this aspect of his character means nothing to his supporters and his detractors have so many more specific reasons to dislike him.
We also get to see behind the scenes in what team Clinton did to derail the TV movie, "The Path to 9/11" and how obsessed the Clintonistas are in creating a positive reputation for Bill by highlighting his efforts against Terror, which shouting down all criticisms. Of course, there is the whole question of what it was Sandy Berger took from the archives and destroyed. Some say there are copies, but do the copies have the hand written notes and margin comments? I wish we could find out.
The information about his support of Hillary and her campaign is quite timely even though it appears right now as if the nomination will go to Obama. But you can never count the Clintons out. There is also a chapter on the implications of having a former President as "First Gent" and all he would likely be involved in despite laws and regulations barring him from many things he would certainly love to pursue. We also get to follow him making tens of millions as a hugely paid speaker and even see him do some pro bono work, but for the causes of people who have already paid millions to his Library and/or are big Hillary supporters. The whole Clinton Library thing is raised in this book and there are many odd aspects to this particular institution, but no hard scandal is identified. Still, you should read about it and think about what it says about Bill and Hillary.
And, of course, there is the whole effort to escape the Monica thing and the impeachment. So many of Clinton's supporters still feel that if not for Monica Gore would have won, 9/11 would not have happened, and we wouldn't be in Iraq. What an odd view of reality. You can't say if someone hadn't committed a foul at some point in the game that the game would have gone the other way. Everything else would have changed. Bush and Gore might not have even been the nominees. And does Al Qaeda really care who is in the White House? But this is what they say in the moments of recrimination and anguish.
I think you should read the book and learn about Bill because he isn't going away and neither is Hillary. They are going to push themselves into our lives for decades to come. It pays to know what they are really up to because the Public Relations work will never expose the reality behind the image they are trying to sell you. This book is a balanced look at the reality.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
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