Living History

By: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Narrated by: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with candor, humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban middle-class America in the 1950s and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to student activist to controversial First Lady. Living History is her revealing memoir of life through the White House years. It is also her chronicle of living history with Bill Clinton, a thirty-year adventure in love and politics that survives personal betrayal, relentless partisan investigations, and constant public scrutiny.

Hillary Rodham Clinton came of age during a time of tumultuous social and political change in America. Like many women of her generation, she grew up with choices and opportunities unknown to her mother of grandmother. She charted her own course through unexplored terrain - responding to the changing times and her own internal compass - and became an emblem for some and a lightning rod for others. Wife, mother, lawyer, advocate, and international icon, she has lived through America's great political wars, from Watergate to Whitewater.

The only First Lady to play a major role in shaping domestic legislation, Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled tirelessly around the country to champion health care, expand economic and educational opportunity and promote the needs of children and families, and she criss-crossed the globe on behalf of women's rights, human rights and democracy. She redefined the position of First Lady, and helped save the presidency from an unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment. Intimate, powerful and inspiring, Living History captures the essence of one of the most remarkable women of our time and the challenging process by which she came to define herself and find her own voice - as a woman and as a formidable figure in American politics.©2003 Hillary Rodham Clinton (P)2003 Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS. is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Within the limitations of the genre, Clinton has produced a surprisingly engaging and, at points, even compelling book." (The Los Angeles Times)

A fine woman

Would you listen to Living History again? Why?

It is really a great book and a great story. It is very inspiring specially for women. She really a strong woman.

What did you like best about this story?

What I like about the story when she began her life as a student, lawyer and politician. Specially those times that they met her husband. I am fascinated how she handle being in politics and her family.

Have you listened to any of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Any additional comments?

I like the way she deliver it or narrated. She is so confident and very fine.

Wonderful

This was wonderful read by the author and had some really great insights on her life in the White House

Love It or Hate It

I've noticed the reviews seem to be "Love It" or "Hate It" on this one, they are split along ideological lines, and probably decided by most reviewers before even cracking the cover. It really comes down to deciding which side's lies you choose to believe, or if you choose to have an open mind and try to put perspective on the bigger picture.

So here's my attempt, trying to minimize ideology: It started slow, getting through the first hour or so was a drag - background bio data that was very dry. One person that I know who tried reading the book didn't get past this. It does get better, and becomes more interesting, however.

One has to keep in mind the perspective of the author, and the desire to show herself and the Clinton Administration in a positive light. As in any memoir, of course she will accentuate the positive and diminish the negative - she's not done with politics, after all. The spin is expected, and so with that in mind, it offers a somewhat plausible history of what happened in the White House during those years.

Do I believe everything? Perhaps not. But perhaps I believe more than I don't, and can see the tough choices that were made, the tough spots they were put in, and the mistakes that were made in the perspective of the people living through them. And most of it seems a lot more plausible than what has been attributed to them by the opposition.

While it was interesting to hear it read by the author, most of the reading was somewhat impassive. You could tell it was read by a politician, so even was the tone.

All that said, I'm glad I listened. Should it be the only perspective of the Clinton Administration you read? Probably not, but it will give you a bit of the human side of the equation.

So, which side's lies do you choose to believe? If you know the answer already, you probably won't get that much from this one.

a must read

As a woman and a lawyer who grew up at the same time as Senator Clinton, I found I could not stop listening. Her style engaged me and and tne entire book is full of information and insight. I loved it.

Love it. It is always good to hear the other side

This book answered many questions that I wanted answered by the subject herself. loved it

A look inside Hillary's Life

This book goes beyond the negative press stories. That always tried to make the Clinton 's appear phony. I never believed these stories anyway.

don't stop.....:)

a woman for our times. thoughtful insight. did much to temper my view of the jobs done

Enjoyable, honest, and transparent

Enjoyed this account of HRC’s time in the White House and beyond. Hearing her account first hand of the road to get there, the politics that defined her time there, and the scandal that rocked her personal life paints a clear picture of the person she was, is, and continues to be. Human qualities present themselves thoroughly through her account and I was please to hear this publication read by her.

Fantastic look into her life

Hillary Rodham Clinton presents a warm, funny, and thoughtful look into her public and private life spanning from her youth to her run for the Senate. I recommend for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of how she thinks and how she arrived at some difficult decisions in the spotlight.

Good listen and a good read

I read another person's criticism about her narration speed being "too slow", but I prefer the narrator to speak slowly than to speak fast in an audio book. Her speed was not bad, she spoke very clearly and I didn't miss a word. I loved her stories about her family, and about her relationship with Chelsea. Her struggles with her husband's infidelity made her more 'human' and believable. I almost felt like I knew her by the end of the audio book, which I didn't get in the book itself. The only thing missing was the photos, but you can always look at them at the bookstore...