Rating: 
Summary: To Understand is To Forgive? To Indulge?, by fermed
Review: Said Madame Staël: "To understand everything makes one very forgiving." This is a book about understanding -or trying to understand- the psychosocial roots of our First Dysfunctional Family. It takes us back to their childhood and their families; but whether such information sponsors tolerance and forgiveness is debatable. Some will find this pair just as despicable after reading about their background as they did before arriving at such knowledge. Others, of course, may react differently.The writing is excellent, and not at all what one would expect from a former correspondent from the tabloids. Jerry Oppenheimer is careful about his writing craft, and his views are moderate, well balanced and fair. He documents profusely, and is in good control of his material at all times. For some, the careful disclosure of Bill and Hillary's background may lead to an understanding of what drives them, and thus to a greater acceptance of them (or, maybe of one but not of the other). Some readers will find in the Clinton's background the reason and justification for their astonishing vulgarity, the crudity of thought and temperament that they share, and their remarkable mendacity. In any event, this is a non-partisan and honest book that, despite its subject matter, is neither salacious nor obscene. The book contains a good index and it is well referenced. Highly recommended for those not yet satiated by this subject matter.
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Summary: State of a Union: Or Why Hillary is a Terrible Person
Review: Seductive in its wily argument, this book gives such a spin-doctored view of Hillary Clinton that it barely qualifies as non-fiction. I say the doctored view is of Hillary, because Bill is a bit player in this book. According to Oppenheimer Hillary was the puppet master all along, keeping Bill in the marriage and adhering to the "Plan", a phrase he uses as practically equivalent to the "Final Solution". With no real insight into either Clinton, with no evidence except second-hand stories from women also involved with Bill and campaign workers, Oppenheimer concludes that there is no real love in the Clinton marriage, only a power arrangement. As if because two people sharing real world goals precludes love and warmth. A gossipy diatribe full of innuendo and negativity.
Rating:
Summary: State of a Union: Or Why Hillary is a Terrible Person
Review: Seductive in its wily argument, this book gives such a spin-doctored view of Hillary Clinton that it barely qualifies as non-fiction. I say the doctored view is of Hillary, because Bill is a bit player in this book. According to Oppenheimer Hillary was the puppet master all along, keeping Bill in the marriage and adhering to the "Plan", a phrase he uses as practically equivalent to the "Final Solution". With no real insight into either Clinton, with no evidence except second-hand stories from women also involved with Bill and campaign workers, Oppenheimer concludes that there is no real love in the Clinton marriage, only a power arrangement. As if because two people sharing real world goals precludes love and warmth. A gossipy diatribe full of innuendo and negativity.
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Summary: Rupert Murdoch Hit Job
Review: The book is full of National Enquirer type gossip. All unsubstantiated or substantiated through questionable sources. People will be talking about the alleged ethnic slur but a close look at the story shows the whole thing was orchestrated by the usual Murdoch network as a hit job on Mrs Clinton to derail her campaign. First it appeared on Drudge Report, then Murdoch owned NY Post and then Murdoch owned FOX "news"(we distort, you decide). I can't help but wonder how much Rupert Murdoch paid the Frays to refresh their memory after 26 years.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This is a facinating insider's view. They are a class act couple.
Rating:
Summary: This was fascinating!
Review: This was a fascinating, fast read, and a more well-balanced look at the Clinton's marriage then the press would lead you to believe.
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Summary: An Accurate, Carefully Researched Portrait of the Clintons
Review: Unlike Peggy Noonan's trashy tome about Hillary Clinton which I lambasted in another review, this book was excellent, being factual, carefully researched and well written. The author delves into family histories of both Clintons, which helps the reader to better understand how their upbringing shaped their personalities. Oppenheimer interviews numerous friends and relatives who were close to the Clintons, and disputes some inaccuracies found in other Clinton biographies.
Of all the books I've read on Bill and Hillary, this one portrayed them the most objectively and fairly. It is not a one-sided, gossipy tell-all but a careful study of the Clinton's marriage and an analysis of their very diverse, but complimentary personalities: Hillary as a strident, intense, ambitious perfectionist from the Midwest and Bill, an affable, laid-back, shrewd, womanizing Southern boy. Their strengths helped them to achieve their goal of the Presidency; but their weaknesses proved to be their undoing.
Theirs is not a marriage of love but one of raw political ambition and power, a business partnership in which a deal was struck before their nuptials. Of the two, Hillary comes off the worse. Her foul mouth and vicious "go-for-the-jugular" attacks against opponents and friends are legendary. Bill, clearly eclipsed and overpowered by his strong-willed wife, resorts to behaving like an oversexed school boy, unzipping his fly at the drop of a hat. Possibly his excessive womanizing is because Hillary castrates him on a daily basis, so poor Bill has to make sure his equipment grows back and is in working order....hmm, that sounds like a familiar Greek myth, only instead of entails being ripped out by a vulture and growing back overnight, we have...,well you get the picture. This book is out of print, but if you can snare a used copy here at Amazon.com, you're in for an intelligent, enjoyable read.
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