The Hammonds: A Marriage in History Book

Unfortunately the Clintons have always been ripe game for all sorts: especially Republicans. It's rare to find a well sourced, legitimate portrait of the Clinton Marriage, and if you're on the hunt for any such portrait, Christopher Andersen doesn't provide it. It's all surface where he rehashes every bit of Arkansas gossip he could find, without bothering to verify any of the facts. To his credit, he didn't fall for the smears surrounding Vince Foster's suicide. However he can't help himself caricaturing Hillary at moments - something Republicans seem incapable of avoiding.

What he does provide is a tabloid-esque picture of the first couple, with anecdotes that come off like fabrications of the sort Ed Klein would dream up. There are details he fabricates - from Hillary's conversations with Jackie O ( which he could not possibly know) or details about Bill's life when he was 8 years old or Hillary sinking onto a bed, based on something a secret agent listening in from outside the room, supposedly told him ( ????)

He presents every rumor or off tale he has ever heard without dissection. There is little to no corroborating evidence for anything he writes except on some basics which were already known by the time this book was published.

The success of this book at the time was due more to the insatiable desire on many to believe anything about the Clintons, but would I recommend this as some genuine insight into the chemistry between the clintons and their marriage? No.