Historical Dictionary of the Clinton Era
By (author) Richard S. Conley
Publication date:
15 March 2012Length of book:
394 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressISBN-13: 9780810859722
William Jefferson Clinton’s legacy remains a matter of significant contention among historians, political scientists, and pundits even after a decade of time to reflect. The narrative of Clinton’s two terms may be, in some sense, the tale of two different men—or at least two incongruous public views of the nation’s 42nd chief executive. On the one hand, there is the Clinton who left the White House more popular than when he took office—entering with a 58 percent approval rating and leaving with a 66 percent approval rating. On the other hand, an ABC News poll conducted on his last day showed that 67 percent of Americans said Clinton was not honest and trustworthy.
The Historical Dictionary of the Clinton Era covers both sides of the Clinton presidency through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, including the president, his advisors, his family, his opponents, and his critics, as well as members of Congress, military leaders, and international leaders. This book is a vital access point for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the presidency of Bill Clinton.
The Historical Dictionary of the Clinton Era covers both sides of the Clinton presidency through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, including the president, his advisors, his family, his opponents, and his critics, as well as members of Congress, military leaders, and international leaders. This book is a vital access point for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the presidency of Bill Clinton.
Conley (political science, Univ. of Florida; Historical Dictionary of the George W. Bush Era) covers subjects, issues, and people pertaining to Bill Clinton’s election, administration, and a handful of years immediately following the end of his tenure, as well as prominent nonpolitical events such as O.J. Simpson’s murder trial. In addition, the book features a detailed time line, an extensive bibliography, and 13 appendixes of data such as a list of Clinton’s presidential pardons, his yearly approval ratings, and transcripts of his State of the Union addresses. The dictionary’s standout feature is that often, with various broad terms (“budget,” “education policy”), places, and groups, Conley’s entries focus specifically on their importance during that time. VERDICT A large part of the success or failure of a reference book focusing on straight information rather than opinion and analysis is determined by how well it competes with Internet sources on the same subject. In such a comparison, this work is the definite winner. The heavily cross-referenced entries provide a solid picture not only of a specific issue but also of the entire period without sacrificing the opportunity to focus on narrow subjects. For anyone wanting to learn about Clinton’s presidency or the 1990s, this book will be extremely valuable, and for scholars who already know about these subjects, it will be useful as a crib sheet.