Bill Clinton: An American Journey | A Biography By Nigel Hamilton

In this new biography of Bill Clinton, Nigel Hamilton brings all the magisterial authority he brought to his Whitbread-winning biography of Monty, and all the talent for tracking down and checking secret, divisive material he displayed in JFK: Reckless Youth, which for months surpassed the American bestseller charts. Born into a family of 'white trash' in backwoods, racially segregated Arkansas, he lived under an abusive, aggressive stepfather, who had to fight him violently on one occasion to defend his mother. As a youth, he would be inspired by the movement for civil rights, especially Martin Luther King, and as a student, he became a long-haired hippy musician, engaged in radical politics, and also discovering free love. Hamilton tells the story of how hand in hand Clinton's sexual and political career grew. It is a book on several levels about sexual politics, demonstrating how Clinton's life was influenced by shifting attitudes. Here's a man who, far from being a sexual predator or exploiter of his position — like JFK — was swept to power because he was worshiped by people, whether Democratic Party helpers, American electorate women — or indeed Hilary Clinton, whose highly manipulative personality is proven to be vital to his success. Throughout his adult life, Clinton has been polygamous and Hamilton's interesting portrait of a marriage explores Hilary's relationship with his very impressive number of girlfriends. The book also describes his time as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, his political apprenticeship and his rise to power, culminating in his 1992 election as President.