Rating: 
Summary: Merely a disguised effort at advocacy
Review: This book is very well researched and tells a whole lot about the investigation of President Clinton. Ostensibly the point of view is very forgiving toward Starr & Co. and vilifies Clinton et al. However, amidst the entire righteous warrior vs power run amok blather, there are clear indications of the true nature of the investigation. After reading this book I am left with the sense that the lack of popularity of the OIC and Starr is completely justified. Here is a group of ego-driven individuals who have one thing in mind:"...get the guy." And now knowing that 200 FBI agents were assigned to this investigation at the very time al-Qaida terrorist cells were being formed, within the jurisdiction of the FBI, for the 9/11 attacks, I am very jaded about this investigation indeed.
Rating: 
Summary: Look Between the Lines
Review: This book is very well researched and tells a whole lot about the investigation of President Clinton. Ostensibly the point of view is very forgiving toward Starr & Co. and vilifies Clinton et al. However, amidst the entire righteous warrior vs power run amok blather, there are clear indications of the true nature of the investigation. After reading this book I am left with the sense that the lack of popularity of the OIC and Starr is completely justified. Here is a group of ego-driven individuals who have one thing in mind:"...get the guy." And now knowing that 200 FBI agents were assigned to this investigation at the very time al-Qaida terrorist cells were being formed, within the jurisdiction of the FBI, for the 9/11 attacks, I am very jaded about this investigation indeed.
Rating: 
Summary: A hard hitting and balanced account
Review: This is a hard hitting and fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most sensational investigations in history. Not being particularly partisan myself, I found it to be balanced and equally unflattering to both sides, often in ways not consistent with the news reports.During the investigation, I never found the Ken Starr described by the media to be consistent with the man I saw giving Congressional testimony. This book presents a more believable picture of the real Ken Starr. I am now convinced that it was not some right wing vendetta, but rather a quixotic quest by a politically naïve, high minded and truth obsessed prosecutor whose idealistic view of the legal system stood in the way of his effectiveness. While Starr may have out-lawyered the Clinton team in the courts, his single-minded and hubristic belief that truth would lead to justice caused many political missteps that handed his opposition all the ammunition they needed to destroy him in the arena of public opinion.... . This treatment emphasized the OIC perspective far more than that of the White House and in that way I felt it to be an incomplete account. However, that which was included was very insightful and revealing. The OIC was always subject to wild speculation and unsubstantiated attacks because of their inability to speak openly about the investigation. Though I'm sure the prosecutors took the opportunity in their interviews to put their own positive spin on events, this book at least gives their side, and in that way it is a valuable addition to the historical record. An intriguing book. I definitely recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This smarmy little work of personal opinion, conjecture and gossip fits in neatly with its subject: independent counsel Kenneth Starr and the private lives of any human being that had any contact with President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary. Highly recommend wearing your gloves to keep the oil off your hands.
Rating:
Summary: Lewinsky scandal: the prosecutors' views
Review: Truth At Any Cost does not pretend to be evenhanded. Instead, co-authors Susan Schmidt and Michael Weisskopf examine the Lewinsky affair from the standpoint of those inside the Office of Independent Counsel. The result is a new perspective on an exhaustively covered scandal. This book dwells little on Whitewater and the other investigations that led to the appointment of Independent Counsel Ken Starr. The authors instead concentrate on the sexual scandal that led to Clinton's impeachment and how Starr and his subordinates responded. It would have been nice to know more about the men and women who investigated the president, but the focus is on personality rather than biography. The authors depict Starr in a much different light than the oft-demonized caricature that was spoon-fed the public. Again, it would have been nice to know more about Starr's background, but the concentration is on his character. Starr is presented here as a conscientious but politically naive lawyer better suited to the bench than to the OIC. Although relatively brief, the book drags a bit but picks up steam in the latter chapters as the independent counsel gathers and compiles evidence against the president. A few new revelations emerge along the way. Among them is Hillary Clinton's central role in the defense of her husband and in the counteroffensive against his opponents. This book is worth reading just to see why, as well as how, the prosecutors pursued this case so vigorously. Their motivations often run counter to the stereotypes floated at the time, and this makes for a new spin on an old story.
| 
