Our 42nd President, Bill Clinton

Bill Jefferson Clinton Some specific events from the plot are: October, 1975, when he marries Hillary Rodham. A year later, he is elected Arkansas State Attorney General. Then on January 10th, 1979, he is elected Governor of Arkansas. He continues until January 1991. Next year, he is nominated president at the National Convention in New York. On January 20th, 1993 William J. Clinton, was sworn into office, as the 43rd president of the USA. A conflict that Bill faced was when he announced his presidency. He was asked questions like "Did you ever smoke marijuana?" or "Why did you go to a segregated golf club". By summer of 1992, people were still not sure if Bill should be president. The resolution that he made was to survive and continue on. The attacks on his character were very painful but he managed.

Because this Scholastic Biography of Bill Clinton was published in February 1993, the month after his first inaugural, it is more about how Clinton became President than it is about his presidency. Jack Roberts begins with Clinton begin nominated for President at the 1992 Democratic Convention, then goes back to the beginning when Bill Blythe was born in Hope, Arkansas. However, it is clear throughout this book that the focus is explaining Clinton's path to the White House. While not exactly partisan, this biography clearly wants to be enthusiastic about Clinton's election. Of course, this is not unique; I have found similar biographies about both George Bush and the new president, George W. Bush. On the back cover it appears there was a sub-title to the book, "Bill Clinton: A desire to make a difference." Roberts also makes an effort to highlight issues and concerns that would be of particular interest to young readers. The last chapter articulates Clinton's "New Covenant," that was supposed to be his vision for leadership. I am not sure any one even remembers that was his intended name for his administration, obviously chosen with an eye towards the history books. "Our 42nd President: Bill Clinton" is without illustrations, although the back cover does have the now famous photography of young Bill Clinton shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy back in 1963. In retrospect, given what came to pass over the eight years Clinton was in the White House, this book seems rather naive, but as an introduction for young students to the person who had just been elected President of the United States, it does a nice job of providing as much political ideology as it does biographical detail.