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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 9 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
An insider's peek at the Clinton White House Aug 13, 2010
By Don Temples
For those who are interested in the White House as a residence combining history and style, insider staff memoirs are great finds, and there aren't that many of them. They provide the stories and understanding of what it is like to live and work in our White House.
These books are rarely "who slept with whom" or "who said what about someone" kind of books. For average Americans whose only connections to the White House are from pictures or video, or who may only get as close as the iron fence that surrounds the President's Park, these books take us past the gates, up to the door and then inside the Mansion.
Melinda Naumann Bates was the Director of Visitor Services for the 8 years of the Clinton White House. She has written with a strong personal voice about what it meant to her to run the visitor program, the annual and historic Easter Egg Roll, and other major events at the White House. Because of her personal friendship with President Clinton that extended back to the mid 1960s when they were students at Georgetown University, she also gives us a chance to ride along on the roller coaster that was the highs and lows and ups and downs of the Clinton years.
She honestly subtitles this a Democratic memoir -- this is her story, and she is loyal to the Clinton Administration and its programs. Attempting to be a good public servant, particularly in a service-heavy role as hers, she lets us see the pressures from the other side, the tensions between Congress and the Executive, and how a President's friends (in this case, his native Arkansans) could sometimes be a bigger pain (for staff, at least) than his enemies.
She does not ignore the impeachment years, but again, gives us an honest picture of her experience and thoughts during what is one of the stranger times in 20th Century American governing. As we get farther away from the impeachment trial, people will be quite perplexed about how it happened, and how it felt for the administration during it. She let's us know what it meant to her and her colleagues.
Mostly, the book is about her love for her job, her desire to truly improve what she was tasked with managing, the fun and frustration of being in this wonderful and amazing historic workplace/home. And the White House becomes the focus, over and over. She truly cared for it. By the time I got to the end of the book, I could strongly feel her reluctance to leave the house and her job. This book is now on my White House shelf.
Closed doors are opened. Jul 17, 2010
By Leon Pascucci
Bracingly frank, Melinda's recounting of the inner workings of the Clinton White House is a great read for anyone interested in the White House, the Clintons and the people who run the great institution of the President's House. An eight-year veteran of a demanding position, a true insider, Melinda takes us behind closed doors and we see
what daily life was like during the Clinton years. Ups and downs, humor and anger, but always with an inspiring loyalty to the institution of the Presidency. I loved the book!
Her thumbnail profiles of the leading characters of that time is fascinating, crisp and she tells us EXACTLY what she thinks of everyone. And the readers gain a keen appreciation for the sheer amount of work required to make the functioning of the White House appear so seamless and effortless. As a White House guest myself several times, and tour taker as well, this is a rare glimpse of the dedication and excellence at the White House.
Fascinating! Mar 25, 2010
By D. Rosenfield
Clintonista is full of colorful detail and so much fun to read! The author's position as director of the White House Vistors' Office put her in a position to tell all the best stories about White House parties and politics: the thread that ties together her many varied anecdotes from dining with movie stars to offending visiting royalty. I also really enjoyed her more familiar observations of President and Hillary Clinton whose work and actions were seen most clearly by those working with them to accomplish their aims, and whose personal habits and foibles the White House staffers had to learn to work with . . . or around.
The author's story of finding, landing, and holding a job in the White House, of working closely with President Clinton, congressmen, and the throngs of American citizens who came to visit the White House every day, is animated and personal. I was frustrated for her when Washington bureaucracy extended into the most mundane tasks, amused when the whims of the president and first lady made the White House staff scramble, and highly entertained by her experiences with drunken dignitaries and indignant girl scout troupe leaders alike!
Brimming with insider tidbits and engaging stories, Clintonista delivers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton during the eight years that they occupied the White House, and gives us a good look at what it takes to keep that house in order. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone curious about the Clinton administration or the workings of the White House, or anyone who's looking for an entertaining read!
A Marvelous and Fascinating View Inside The White House! Oct 27, 2009
By M. Alan
Upon reading the first few pages, I found this book very difficult to put down. I was profoundly moved by the candor, genuineness, and warmheartedness with which Melinda shared her life's experiences. The book was not only among the best I've ever read about The White House (since I served there as well), but also was one of the most touching stories I've ever read about a truly remarkable lady whose enthusiasm, perseverance, and warmth set her upon a unique and marvelous path that is sure to be paved with many more illustrious achievements.
I highly recommend it to anyone who would appreciate a fascinating, authentic, and heartwarming account of an insider's view of the Clinton White House.
Excellent Book Sep 08, 2009
By Marsh Cassady
"Author"
Melinda Bates has written a riviting book. She shows us the ins and outs of running the White House Visitor's Office and invites readers to share her memories of the eight years she spent there. The content includes enough anecdotes about politicians and other celebrities to please anyone. I highly recommend Clintonista. It's a great read and hard to put down.
See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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