Clinton in Exile

Starred review from April 28, 2008
Taking on former President Bill Clinton, the perennial object of America's love-hate fascination, biographer and political journalist Felsenthal (Citizen Newhouse: Portrait of a Media Merchant) finds a perfect jumping-off point in Clinton's exit from office, following a scandalous second term, impeachment by the House and George W. Bush's Presidential victory. Chronicling the week of Clinton's transition from President to civilian, through readjustments to suburban New York, working in Harlem, fighting heart disease and supporting Hillary (in the Senate and on the Presidential campaign trail), readers witness a beleaguered "Bubba" rebuild his identity, public and private. Felsenthal uses extensive research and new interviews to present Clinton's story in personal, insightful details; it reads like well-done fiction, starring Clinton as a plucky, unlikely underdog, wildly popular elsewhere in the world while facing an uphill battle at home. Felsenthal is a skilled interviewer, evincing deft moments of revelation; his friend Tom Kean recalls introducing Clinton, shortly after his heart surgery, to a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd: "You could see the color come back into his face...it was almost like somebody had done something for him medically." Felsenthal's own well-considered analysis adds depth, taking in the whole of Clinton's career: "It's as if the missteps and the pain of his presidency were necessary to forge this enormously impressive post presidential product." Anyone curious, but especially those who remain fans, will enjoy Felsenthal's look at Clinton's post-presidency.