HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton

A riveting biography which combines deep reporting and West Wing-esque storytelling to reveal the strategising, machinations and last minute decision-making that have accompanied one of the greatest political comebacks in history. The story of Hillary's phoenix-like rise is at the heart of HRC, a thrilling political biography that journeys deep into the heart of "Hillaryland" to discover a brilliant strategist at work. Masterfully unfolded by two White House correspondents, HRC offers a rare look inside the merciless Clinton political machine. Drawing on over two hundred top-access interviews with Hillary's intimates, colleagues, supporters, and enemies, it portrays a seasoned operator who negotiates political and diplomatic worlds with equal savvy. Loathed by the Obama team in the wake of the primary, Hillary worked to become his greatest ally, their fates intertwined in the work of re-establishing America on the world stage after the disastrous Bush years. HRC puts readers in the room with Hillary during the most intense and pivotal moments of this era, as she mulls over the president-elect's offer to join the administration, pulls the strings to build a coalition for his war against Libya, and scrambles to deal with the fallout of the terrible events in Benghazi - all while keeping one eye focused on 2016.

About the Author :
JONATHAN ALLEN is the Washington Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News. An award-winning reporter, he has written extensively about Congress, the White House and national politics, and appears frequently as a political analyst on national television news programs. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Stephanie, and their children, Asher and Emma. AMIE PARNES is the Senior White House correspondent for The Hill newspaper in Washington, where she covers the Obama Administration. A ten-year veteran of political journalism, she travelled with the Clinton, Obama and McCain campaigns while covering the 2008 presidential race for POLITICO. She appears frequently on MSNBC and has also been featured on CNN, Fox News and other networks.

Review :
Well researched, well written and with plenty of inside access, it makes a strong case that Hillary is set to run again — and makes you hope she does. Allen and Parnes who have researched their subject assiduously and write in clear, readable prose, have written a book peppered with telling anecdotes. Crammed with revelations about Mrs Clinton’s service with Team Obama. It is the correct starting point for an appraisal of a compelling character who might, at the age of 69 in January 2017, be sworn in as the most powerful woman in the history of the world. Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, both respected political journalists who cover the day-to-day of the White House and Capitol Hill, start in the moment of defeat and plot “a tale of political resurrection for which the final chapters remain unwritten” . . . Whether or not she finally breaks the glass ceiling, she will make a tremendous story. A character-driven psychodrama, chockablock with sweaty descriptions of its players . . . It's no easy feat to wring page-turning narrative juice from four years of state craft, but Allen and Parnes have relied on 200 sources . . . to get them the gossipy goods. [HRC] provides useful context and intelligent analysis, and a highly readable account of her tenure at Foggy Bottom . . . pumped full of colorful you-are-there details. A revealing window into the le Carré-like layers of intrigue that develop when a celebrity politician who is married to another celebrity politician loses to yet another celebrity politician, and goes on to serve the politician who defeated her. HRC manages the rare feat of being both important and entertaining. It opens with a juicy chapter detailing the punishment and reward of Bill and Hillary’s political enemies and friends. But the meat of HRC is its narration of her role in tackling crises in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Libya — an amazingly tumultuous period that provides the best preview of what a Hillary Clinton presidency might look like, at least for foreign policy. Fast and contemporary with a sense of urgency and an almost a televisual feel, giving the impression of a Washington not too far from something like House of Cards. The authors don’t scrimp on detail, either, to make for a weighty, if friendly, portrait.