The Seduction of Hillary Rodham

At the time of its hardcover release - 1996 - David Brock was the top-gun reporter for The American Spectator, writing several exposes on Anita Hill & Bill Clinton and penning a best-selling 1993 book, The Real Anita Hill. With a dour photo of Hillary Rodham gracing the front cover of the hardcover edition - a la Hill's picture on the less-than-flattering biography - it appeared at first glance that Brock was positioned to attack the then First Lady through new revelations and late-breaking angles. In this case, the picture is quite deceptive, as Brock writes a straight-forward unauthorized biography of Rodham, where journalism pushes sensationalism into the gutter, with a focus on the core values which led her into the political arena before her marriage to Bill Clinton. Brock depicts Rodham coming of age in the 1960s, growing up in a conservatative suburb of Chicago, Illinois, having an early education in Republican politics. Her political conversion can be summed up in a line from her 1969 Wellesley College commencement address: "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible." What appeared to be a fast-track to a career in politics - after a stint as a staffer on the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate investigation - Rodham abandons this quest, marries Clinton and moves to Arkansas. Brock meticulously moves through this period of professional triumph, setbacks and personal anguish within a rocky partnership caused by Clnton's peccadilloes. By striding past banner headlines and finger-pointing accusations, Brock shows a profile in courage due to following the whims of the heart, which is a timeless tale.

I picked up this book to gain further insight on the Clinton's. I have read what I consider the most reliable and informative book on the "Boy Wonder" by David Maraniss (First in his Class), and I wanted to learn more about Hillary as she prepares to run for the Senate. I found this book to be a fairly balanced and compelling book. Brock portrays Hillary as a intelligent, committed woman who made apparently bad choice to marry the Devil in Ms. Jones, and follow him from Yale to Arkansas, from triumph to tragedy. Brock portrays a woman who made a Faustian bargain in marrying Clinton and hasmany problems because of it. As he says, Brock believes that Hillary and Bill are some sort of co-dependents. I had this feeling after seeing how radiant she was after the accusations of Lewinsky started to arise two years ago. Hillary Clinton comes across as a very sad woman who has chosen to look the other way during numerous transgrssions by her husband, both sexual and legal. To me I felt she is the perfect anti-feminist because she denied her own obvious gifts and subverted her own desires to get her husband elected President. Clinton himself comes across as a real doofus(just look at the wonderful pictures(the first one of Hillary is enough to make anyone regret living through the Sixties-YIKES! ). she comes across as a lonely woman, who is committed to her causes because of a belief in them, and because it must take her away from an obviously unhappy married life. This book made me feel a real human affinity for Hillary. I don't agree with her politics, but I still think she is an interesting woman. The President comes off like a real sleaze, and he seems to make her one as well by both association, conspiracy, and her own behavior.Ultimately, she reminds me of those people in life who see life through their own granny glasses, and can't stand to have anyone disgree with them.A worthwhile book!

This book is detailed, objective, complete, and a very readable book. Not gossipy . . . Not biased . . . Just plain GOOD. Highly recommended, even though it's not entirely up to date . . . (but don't we know enought about Bill/Monica, anyway? )

This is the book conservatives throughout Washington were waiting for, panting at the thought that David Brock would do to Hillary Rodham Clinton what he had done in an earlier book to Anita Hill. Conservatives, who love to posture about honesty in journalism and such places, were disappointed to discover that David Brock had indeed written an honest book, but, alas, one which gave the lie to the fulminations of the bow-tied clad class of ninnies who make their living cluck-cluck-clucking over the efforts of some to come to terms with the greed and callousness of the modern world. For that reason alone, this is a book worth reading.The other, better, reason is of course the subject of the book herself. Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of the most significant women in American history. She has not (let us hope) reached the pinnacle of her career. In truth, she would have (will?) made a better president than her more politically-skilled husband. While she is still, like many beautiful women, an enigma, this book helps to understand her as no other book has yet done.

A wild story, full of interesting "insider" stories and gossip about the Clintons and their circle. In short: Hillary -- morally correct but misunderstood; Bill -- EVIL. One begs the question: what was David Brock's real agenda for this book? His earlier scathing attacks on All That Is Clinton makes one question wonder from where this burst of pro-Hillaryism comes.