Rating: 
Summary: Just Another Clinton Hater
Review: I have read Living History and I am halfway through My Life...I also own 2 Rush books...This book is nothing but trash. I found its obscenity to be darkly hilarious. I don't know why the author is so angry at Hilary?!! Anyways I read it for laughs also it was 60% offf when i bought it. It is also a very quick read. I give it one star because i don't believe it. Another reviewer stated that his opinion is unbiased...i digress. I would reccomend it as an excellent piece of obscure gonzo journalism at its mediocrity.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, Even-Handed Bio
Review: -
OK. First things first.
Christopher Andersen is not one of those Clinton-Haters that seem to be everywhere. He's a very objective journalist, and he's done an admirable job of giving us a clear, non-"smear-job" look into Hillaryland.
When Hillary does something he admires, he says so. He thinks positively about many of her public policy objectives. He praises her determination, her drive, and her intelligence. But, it's also clear that the Hillary he documents is a far cry from the well-coiffed diva we see on the boob tube.
So, anyone who "reviews" this book by calling it a Right-Wing Attack Piece, a Smear Job (or whatever) obviously DIDN'T READ THE BOOK.
Period.
Andersen covers Hillary's life from her upbringing in Chicago (she NEVER liked the Yankees, even though she wore a Yankees hat while campaigning for Senator from New York), through her college years, through Bill's Governorship and Presidency, right up to April 2004.
Here are some tidbits that I DIDN'T know, even from the right-wing radio guys:
1. Hillary was a Republican before she went to Wellesly and got her brain washed by the likes of Saul Alinsky. She even worked for GOP candidates in her Freshman year (she was always VERY active in politics).
2. When Bill was Gov of Arkansas (Hillary HATED Arkansas, thought it's citizens were "hicks") a fellow named Dan Lasater went to jail because of Roger Clinton. Lasater was a big financial backer of the Clintons.
Lasater's bond trading firm, Collins Locke & Lasater, was chosen to underwrite $637 million worth of state bond offerings for a grand total of $1.7 million in fees.
When the First American Savings and Loan Association of Oak Brook, IL, went under, the FDIC sued Lasater and his firm for $3.3 million. The ROSE LAW FIRM represented the FDIC, and Hillary - who NEVER divulged her relationship with Lasater to the FDIC - worked out a settlement that only required him to pay $200,000.
3. According to Yugoslav Army Chief of Staff Nebojsa Pavkovic, Hillary narrowly escaped assassination during a visit to Macedonia. Orkan, a Serbian weapons system developed by Serbia and Hussein's Iraq, was aimed at the camp Hillary was in. Milosevic passed on ordering Orkan to fire on the camp.
Just weeks before, Milosevic DID order his troops to blow up Tony Blair's helecopter in Skopje, but his troops did not carry out the order, fearing retaliation by the British.
4. Andersen lists, in rather disturbing detail, the amount of US property the Clintons removed from the White House when they moved out in 2001. They carted out in excess of $400,000 worth of White House property - twice what they declared (this is OUR property, as US citizens, not the Clintons').
They eventually returned $50,000 worth of gifts, and paid $86,000 to cover items they stole. This leaves over $260,000 worth of taxpayer property still unaccounted for.
This was obviously more than the "silverware" that the press said they took - couches, paintings, desks, other furniture, art pieces,....
The book is well researched. Andersen lists many sources (although I agree it would have been nice to footnote those sources).
And, contrary to what someone else posted here, the author DID do extensive interviews for this bio.
The picture that emerges is one of a ruthless, bloodthirsty politician who is willing to say and do anything to get elected, stay in office, and portray herself as America's Evita.
The REAL Hillary is nothing like her public persona. Thanks to Andersen for peircing through the veil and allowing us to clearly see the woman behind the mask.
-
Rating: 
Summary: A stunning portrayal of a fearless leader
Review: First, I want to acknowledge that Hillary is a lightning rod for people, most of whom seem to admire or despise her, while rarely does anyone have an emotionally neutral opinion of her. Given that, it is no doubt that this book makes some statements that many will likely find offensive, but the more important aspect of this book is whether or not the depictions, stories and anecdotes that frame the character of this American icon are in fact true.
I was stunned, no make that shocked and appalled, at some of the inside glimpses into her character. When one thinks of the First Lady of the United States, the words elegant, proper, grace and such usually come to mind. However, Hillary is far from demonstrating any of those personality traits. If even one in ten examples in this book of her swearing like a drunken sailor, or treating those who were there to serve her with disdain bordering on abuse, are in fact true, she is the kind of woman that should never be held up as role model, much less serve our country in a position of power.
Politically Hillary is a product of the left leaning culture of the early 60's academia. This worldview she carries to this day, having been a strong supporter of the PLO and assisting her husband in pardoning terrorists and ensuring Clinton would not capture Bin Laden when we had several opportunities under his Presidency.
The most disturbing depictions are of the hundreds, or more likely thousands, of extra-marital affairs Bill Clinton engaged in with the full knowledge of Hillary. Any doubts that this "marriage" is really a sham designed to further their political careers is removed if even a tenth of these depictions are accurate. We all know Bill is an alley-cat with little to no moral center, but even I was shocked at the extent of his sexual escapades, which continue to this day. Oh wait, that Monica thing was all a "vast right wing conspiracy" right?
The book is an easy read, and one that paints Hillary Rodham as the quintessential ego-maniac out for personal gain. The shameful last minute pardons she oversaw, the pilfering of White House property and the pursuit of her own power at the expense of others is shocking, disturbing, and in the end will be her undoing. One example of her "it's all about me" approach is the way she slammed Newt Gingrich's book deal publicly, then promptly turned around and took almost twice as much for her own book. (Page 207).
The book is a quick read, well documented in the back with pages of source material. I have no doubts at all that there are aspects here that the author took "poetic license" with and perhaps embellished some of the recounts. However, even if we only look at the facts that are admitted by Hillary herself, the result is clear. If you are even remotely considering a vote for her in 2008, this book will likely change your mind. Hillary is as callous and heart-less a person as have ever been in the political spotlight, and this book contains far too many documented examples of her behavior to dismiss.
Rating:
Summary: A Danger to America
Review: For a while, I had begun to think that maybe my dislike for, and strong opposition to, the political thinking of Hillary Clinton was way out of proportion to the real threat she presented to our country. I do know that all other presidents in my lifetime, dating back to FDR, always considered what was best for America above their own personal, selfish interests; but the Clintons were different in this respect. It was always what was best for them, to hell with the country. I guess over time, my harsh evaluation of HRC had begun to soften.Reading this book got me back to where I should have remained: No question, she presents the most real danger to our American way of life of any active political figure. She is ruthless, self-serving, lacking conscience and reflecting all the tendencies of what the psychology texts refer to as a person with a character disorder. Although I am personally rather conservative in my political philosophy, I do have great respect for the liberal point of view when expressed by someone with sincerity; HRC's views are driven by her lust for power and control rather than by sincere interest in the welfare of our great country. What saddens me is that about half of the American people seem to think she is wonderful and even consider that she might make a wonderful president someday. I worry for my grandchildren. Read the book, kids.
Rating: 
Summary: The in-evita-ble yet inaccurate comparison
Review: Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first lady of the United States at the very peak of my own personal obsession with Eva Peron. Shortly after my returning from a student exchange program in Argentina in 1993, I sent Hillary Clinton a letter asking her opinion on Eva Peron. I did receive a reply, a generic form letter, of course, that said something along the lines of "I am happy that young Americans such as you are taking part in the democratic process." What saves me from feeling too embarrassed about my letter to Hillary Clinton is to keep in mind that I was only 17-years-old when I wrote it, and even as a teenager I realized that it was not so much that Mrs. Clinton bears any remarkable resemblance to Evita (aside from the fact that they are both blonde first ladies), but that people's reactions to the two ladies were occasionally similar. In other words, it's not so much that Eva Peron and Hillary Clinton are alike, but that people the world-over tend to make the same assumptions about powerful women. The main assumption made about Eva Peron is that she was a power-hungry woman who groomed her otherwise ineffectual husband for the presidency, knowing that power would eventually fall into her own hands. As perhaps the foremost "scholar" on Eva Peron that Amazon.com has to offer, I can testify to the fact that this is a complete distortion. Twenty-four-year-old Eva Peron was merely an actress when she met 48-year-old Juan Peron at a charity event in 1944. Juan Peron, on the other hand, had grown up attending military schools in Argentina, eventually became a high ranking colonel, and for nearly a decade had built a base of support among the poor and lower classes, though few had ever predicted he would become a politician in his own right, least of all the president of the nation. It was the poor and the lower classes, buoyed by circumstances beyond Juan Peron's control, that swept Peron into office in 1945 (see Lawrence Levine's INSIDE ARGENTINA FROM PERON TO MENEM for a description of these events). Evita had absolutely nothing to do with Juan Peron becoming the president of Argentina. Christopher Anderson makes the same assumption about Hillary Clinton that people have always made about Evita: that she propelled her husband to the presidency. I am not nearly as educated in Mrs. Clinton's life as I am in Evita's (I have even corresponded with Evita's great-niece, Cristina Alvarez Rodriguez, founder of the Institute for Historical Investigations of Eva Peron; http://www.evitaperon.org/ ), but since AMERICAN EVITA is founded on the idea that Evita and Hillary are similar, and I know that Anderson's assertions about Evita are false, I have to conclude that the very foundation of AMERICAN EVITA is bogus. (We'll set aside the fact that Argentina is, of course, part of the South American continent and therefore Evita is technically the "American Evita" as well. My Argentine host father was Dr. Jorge Di Fiori, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Argentina, and he considered North and South America to constitute only one continent.) And the prognosis for this book only gets worse from there. In short, Christopher Anderson is not what I consider a good writer, or at least not a good writer of political science. A quick glance at the book's dust jacket explains why: he has worked for People magazine and Vanity Fair. While these are fun magazines that I occasionally read (though usually only while standing in the check-out line), I do not turn to them for political analysis but movie reviews and the latest in celebrity fashion. If you are interested in a serious anthropological biography of Eva Peron, I would recommend EVA PERON: THE MYTHS OF A WOMAN by J. M. Taylor. If you are interested in mere speculation and gossipy prose, look no further than Anderson's AMERICAN EVITA. Andrew Michael Parodi
Rating:
Summary: The scariest woman in politics
Review: Hyperbole aside, if even a third of what the author presents has a basis in fact, this woman is absolutely frightening. It is unimaginable to think what could happen to this country if she were to become president.
Rating:
Summary: wrong title
Review: I did not read this book nor plan to. I would simply like to point out that the original "Evita" Eva Peron, was also an American. Isn't Argentina part of America? Aren't Candians Americans? There is no country named America, just a continent. By the way, only in the USA is the American continent divided into north and south.
Rating:
Summary: Not a believable book
Review: I started reading this book because I assumed from the description of the author's background (a critically acclaimed author of 25 books, former contributing editor of Time, written for the New York Times, etc.) that he was a responsible, objective journalist. Instead what quickly became obvious is that this book is an effort to trash Hillary Clinton. It is an extremely negative account of her and her husband's public and private life. What gives Andersen away is his use of language. People he doesn't like "guzzle vodka" instead of merely drinking it. At one point Hillary grabs Juanita Hickley in an "iron grasp". At another Hillary "loathes" a radio talk show host. Andersen constantly puts foul words into her mouth and makes assumptions that he could not possibly know (such as her inner feelings about people from Arksansas). Another giveaway to his bias is his statement that Chelsea was advised by her mother (at the height of the Lewinsky affair) not to read the newspapers and she (Chelsea) did just that. How could Andersen know for a fact whether or not Chelsea Clinton read newspapers at this time or not?
I personally do not like either of the Clintons. I did not vote for Bill Clinton and I have strong reservations about Mrs. Clinton. I read this book in an attempt to get a better and truer understanding of her. In that effort I was thwarted by Mr. Andersen's obvious bias. Someday maybe someone will write an objective book on Hillary Clinton, but this isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Criticisms are well laid out but sexist
Review: So This guy hates Hillary. Fair enough, but why? Most of his criticisms seem to come down to one and only one basis: she's a woman in a man's world playing a man's game and doing it just as well as any man. She is criticized for "refusing" to change her image to get her husband elected governor and not taking his name. She is made out to be a bitch because she, like most federal politicians, put a positive, smiling face on and take advantage of situations to make themselves the more likely vote.
Whether you hate or love the woman, this book is pointless to read. Let me save you the time.
This book basically says: Hillary is a power-craving, cold-hearted bitch that uses everyone including her husband to achieve ultimate, unchecked power. Bill is a p***y-whipped, charming, Southern who can't help being a little incapable and being a constant womanizer because he i after all, Southern. All this book does is tell you about Hillary usig this to get to power and giving this friend a job and Bill haveing relations this intern/secretary/Miss Arkansas/friend/friend's wife. Just to make it a little more even, Hillary is credited with an affair of her own.
This is a terrible book. It seems to be nothing but name-calling backed up with evidence that actually makes Hillary look like a strong, confident, capable, motivated, initiative taking woman as often as it makes her look bad.
I only read this book to get another perspective before reading her autobiography. Well this is't another perspective, it is simply a grown up version of "Butthead!"
Rating: 
Summary: Fun Read, But Nothing New Here
Review: There are countless words to describe Hillary Rodham Clinton. Brilliant. Unscrupulous. Conniving. Ruthless. Vindictive. Ambitious. Corrupt. Malevolent. I could go on and on (and on), but the fact remains I can't add any additional words to my list after reading AMERICAN EVITA, Christopher Andersen's alleged hard-hitting biography of the Woman Who Would Be King.
Andersen merely recycles, rehashes, and regurgitates information that has long been common knowledge. We all knew Hillary was a radical in the Sixties, with ties to the Black Panthers, the PLO, and other fringe wacko groups. We all knew Hillary married William Jefferson Clinton due to political expediency and ambition. We all knew Hillary was the behind-the-scenes power broker for all of Bill's campaigns, and that she was in charge of damage control when yet another "bimbo eruption" made headlines. We all knew (and know) she swears like a drunken sailor. And we all know she wants to be president. So, Mr. Andersen, would you kindly tell us something new?
Granted, much of the material presented was delightfully fun to read (for example, Bill's constant, rampant womanizing), but I also got the impression the book was hastily written to meet the publisher's deadline. And while Andersen pulls his information from a vast array of published accounts, news items, and interviews, he also occasionally drops in a zinger or two from unnamed sources. That doesn't work for me: If an author is to have any credibility, that "former staffer," or "friend," or "White House aide" had best be named--otherwise the quote has little merit.
AMERICAN EVITA is a fun and fast read, but it's kind of like eating a mayonnaise sandwich. There's just not a whole heck of a lot there.
--D. Mikels, author, WALK-ON
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