Product Description

Astute, even-handed and keenly intelligent, THE NATURAL is the only book to read if you want to understand exactly what happened during Bill Clinton's presidency, and how the decisions made during his tenure affect all of us today.

We see how The White House functioned on the inside, how it dealt with the manoeuvres of Congress and the Gingrich revolution, and who held power and made the decisions during the endless crises that beset the administration. Klein's access to the White House over the years as a journalist gave him a prime spot from which to view every crucial event, both political and personal, and in the case of Monica Lewinsky both, and he sets then forth in an insightful, readable and completely engrossing manner.

THE NATURAL is stern in its criticism and convincing with its praise, and will cause endless debate. It is a book that anyone interested in contemporary politics, in the functioning of the largest democracy in the world, whose decisions affect us all, should read. (20020308)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #517368 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Amazon.co.uk
Primary Colors author Joe Klein offers a non-fictional take on his favourite subject, Bill Clinton, whom he describes as both "the most talented politician of his generation" and "the most compelling". Klein is of two minds when it comes to the man from Hope: he is at once disappointed by Clinton's failure to achieve greatness, but also a defender of what Clinton did do. He can be unremittingly harsh about the 42nd president's personal shortcomings: "Bill Clinton often seemed the apotheosis of his generation's alleged sins: moral relativism, the tendency to pay more attention to marketing than to substance, the solipsistic callowness". Yet he also credits Clinton with running "a serious, substantive presidency" whose chief success was dragging "Washington toward a recognition that a revised form of government activism might be appropriate in the anarchy of an instant economy." Klein is a smart and engrossing writer, and The Natural is an honest liberal's best effort to explain eight controversial years. Readers who supported Clinton will discover new insights into why he didn't accomplish more; those who opposed him will gain a sharper understanding of why he remained so popular with the public.--John Miller

Showtime
'Astute, brisk and brief ... appropriately ambivalent'

Review
''This book is more readable than the others, dense but tight, funny, adroitly written and, in sum, the first savvy synthesis of the Clinton Age.' (New York Times Book Review )

'A supremely fascinating look at a "serious, substantive presidency". No journalist is better matched to this subject than Klein, and his analysis deserves the wide attention it's bound to get.' (Kirkus Reviews )

'No other book published on the subject thus far offers such smart analysis, judicious reporting or accomplished prose. Klein's account of the presidency is remarkably balanced and intelligent.' (Los Angeles Times )

'Astute, brisk and brief ... appropriately ambivalent' (Showtime )

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable (lightweight) account of Clinton's presidency
This was an enjoyable enough read. For someone with only a cursory understanding of American domestic politics, Klein serves up a useful first course: I read quickly, but was left ultimately wanting more. I do recommend this book - its easy reading, but don't expect deep insights and challenging assertions. Its more like a long feature article from a weekend newspaper supplement. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Incisive and balanced account of the Clinton years
Joe Klein delivers handsomely with this excellently researched account of life inside the Clinton White House. Klein deals with Clinton's strengths and weaknesses with refreshing objectivity and delivers an interesting insight into the decision making process and political wrangling undertaken by one of the late twentieth century's most interesting politicians. Where needed, the author pulls no punches and provides an intense critique of Clinton's every move while simultaneously recognising his unique strengths and successes.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in either Bill Clinton or the operation of the White House.

A Picture of the Big Man
One of Clinton's nicknames was "The Natural", after the character in the film based on Malamud's novel about the best baseball player "there ever was." And in some ways he was "the best"; the problem, as this excellent portrait shows, was simply that Clinton had, and still has, some very human flaws.

Although Clinton's presidency was less than magisterial in its achievements, domestic as well as foreign, Clinton himself, in Klein's view, was unique, both in his approach to decision making and in his formulation of unglamorous but important social and economic policy. Klein is critical of his mistakes: the misguided health care bill headed by Hillary; the lack of direction in the early years of the administration; and, perhaps most heavily, of the Lewinsky affair and the handling of it. But he is happy to acknowledge the positive aspects of the man: the intelligence; the human factor; the enthusiasm and passion for a range of issues; and Clinton's ability to retain and apply a huge amount of information about whatever subject he happened to be discussing.

This is a quick and absorbing, personal and continually fascinating account of a flawed, but very important, presidency. It does not contain every last detail of each and every moment Clinton spent in Office; but it does provide us with a look at the nature and character of Bill Clinton. Very much recommended if you want to know more, but don't want to wade through a 900-page memoir.