Living History by Hillary Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with candor, humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban middle-class America in the 1950s and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to student activist to controversial First Lady. Living History is her revealing memoir of life through the White House years. It is also her chronicle of living history with Bill Clinton, a thirty-year adventure in love and politics that survives personal betrayal, relentless partisan investigations and constant public scrutiny.

Hillary Rodham Clinton came of age during a time of tumultuous social and political change in America. Like many women of her generation, she grew up with choices and opportunities unknown to her mother or grandmother. She charted her own course through unexplored terrain - responding to the changing times and her own internal compass - and became an emblem for some and a lightning rod for others.  Wife, mother, lawyer, advocate, and international icon, she has lived through America's great political wars, from Watergate to Whitewater. 

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the only First Lady to play a major role in shaping domestic legislation; she traveled tirelessly around the country to champion health care, expand economic and educational opportunity and promote the needs of children and families, and she criss-crossed the globe on behalf of women's right, human rights and democracy. She redefined the position of First Lady, and helped save the presidency from an unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment.

-------------------------------------------------------

I found this book to be very inspiring and extremely interesting. Hillary Clinton has been on television for most of my life, in fact, I can't remember the time before Bill Clinton was President and Hillary lived in the White House.  I therefore conclude that I must have first become aware of politics and politicians during Bill Clintons Presidency. I always find it interesting to see the story behind the headlines so to speak and although I knew of Hillary Clinton as the First Lady I was unaware of what that role actually entails which is why I picked up this book. I was shocked to find that such an important and busy role, which is in many ways essential to a successful presidency, is actually done without salary. Even considering the perks of living at the White House I would have expected even a small salary to be given due to the work and commitment needed in the role.

The book focused on Hillary's life from birth right through to her run for a seat in the Sentate towards the end of her husbands Presidency. The stories were not just limited to what was reported in the news or public knowledge but the reader is given an intimate look into her life. The book discusses not only her career and political life but also her private life and marriage. Holding no punches she explains how she dealt with public life, raising her daughter while balancing not only her needs but also those of the United States and dealing with the aftermath of her husbands infidelity while all eyes were on her. 

It was well written and Clinton has a clear voice throughout. Her writing is humorous and friendly. The stories she mentions allow the reader to see the softer side of her character and to understand why she fights so strongly for the causes she supports. Personally I was not aware of her own career aspirations until I read this book. Before she became 'the wife of the President' Hillary had her own very successful law career.  When her husband became President she put this on hold in order to fulfil his dreams. However she kept busy and possibly changed the role of the First Lady forever. Hillary took an active role in the White House using her substantial legal knowledge to aid her in policy changes, foreign negotiations, the implementation of medicare reforms to name but a few. 

Overall it is a worthwhile read. It took me a while to work through but it was a rewarding read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I actually took some time away from it and read another book midway through which allowed me to come back to Living History with a renewed energy. I found this book an education into American politics. I knew very little about politics before I began but now find I am more aware of how it works and the steps involved, as the book explains the process in an accessible and simple way.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a great book which I really enjoyed. Hillary Clinton writes in a friendly, open and down to earth manner and is not afraid to mention difficult moments in her life and marriage. I highly recommend this book. 

Fragment Friday

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Raskolnikov went out feeling decidedly confused. The confusion got worse and worse. As he descended the stairs he even stopped several times, as though he had been struck by some sudden thought. And, at last, when he was out on the street, he exclaimed:

'Oh God! How loathsome all this is! And could I really, could I really...No, it's nonsensical, it's obsurd!' he added, firmly. 'Could I really ever have contemplated such a monstrous act? It shows what filth my heart is capable of. though! Yes, that's what it is: filthy, mean, vile, vile!...And for a whole month I've been...'

But he could find neither words nor exclamations with which to give voice to his disturbed state of mind. The sense of infinite loathing that had begun to crush and sicken his heart even while he had only been on his way to the old woman had now attained such dimensions and become so vividly conscious that he was quite simply overwhelmed by his depression. He moved along the pavement like a drunkard, not noticing the passers-by and knocking into them, and only recovered himself when he reached the next street. Looking round he observed that he was standing beside a drinking den, the entrance to which lay down from the pavement, at the foot of some steps, in the basement. Just at that moment two drunks emerged from the doorway and began to clamber their way up to street-level, supporting each other and cursing. Without so much as a thought, Raskolnikov went down the steps. Never before had he been a visitor to the drinking dens, but now his head was spinning and, what was more, he was parched by a burning thirst. 

My Secret Diary - Dates, Dancing, Dreams and Dilemas by Jacqueline Wilson

In 1960, you'd wear stiff petticoats and dancing shoes. Now, you'd wear jeans and trainers. 

In 1960, you'd spend hours listening to records in your local store. Now you'd hours listening to music online. 

In 1960, you'd learn all the steps to the latest dances. Now, you just make up your own moves. 

But girls always have and always will have crushes on boys, argue with their parents, get embarrassed at school, want to stay out with their friends, and spend hours fixing their hair. 

---------------------------------------- 

My guilty pleasure is Jacqueline Wilson.  I love settling down to one of her stories when I'm feeling a bit down or unwell. This week I have been battling some kind of chest infection and so it was the perfect time to grab 'My Secret Diary' off the shelves. I'd already read and thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of the series which covers Jacqueline Wilson's life from birth through to eleven. This book moves on from where the previous book ended and explores her teenage years. 

It was a great book. I loved learning about Wilson's life in the 1960s. It was honestly like a different world back then. Life seems slower and most definitely safer. However I'm sure that is partly to do with the author picking the elements in her book carefully, especially as it is aimed at children. I found it fun to read even as an adult and I really enjoyed the whole thing. 

I found the highlight of the book to be the fact that Jacqueline Wilson used her own childhood diary entries throughout. It gave the book a really authentic voice and you could hear her childhood thoughts and views clearly. I think this is something which is often lost when people discuss their childhood years in autobiographies. Through no fault of their own, the adult in them cannot fail to analyze the time and situation they are discussing, using knowledge that only comes with age. By including her old diaries Wilson successfully brought in the clear, innocent and unaffected ideals of her childhood. I found this very refreshing and loved the way it formed the narrative of the book. 

Even though it is aimed at children don't let it put you off. I really liked it and found the writing imaginative and inventive, while the story was very interesting. It can be read in an afternoon or as I mentioned above, when you are in need of a bit of a pick me up. I'm looking forward to the next installment which will lead Wilson into her adult life and I'm sure it will prove to be just as intriguing as 'My Secret Diary'. 

I rate this book  5 out of 5 stars. 
It was a wonderful book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wilson painted a clear and vibrant picture of teenage life during the 1960s. The Diary entries from her childhood gave the book added depth and really engaged me as a reader. A great book for both adults and children alike.  

Just One More Thing: Stories from my Life by Peter Falk

The reluctant actor who was nominated for two Oscars and who immortalised Lieutenant Columbo around the world shares his hilarious and often touching stories - in his own inimitable voice.

Peter Falk takes us on an acting journey that begins not in Hollywood but in Hartford, where he worked as an efficiency expert for the state of Connecticut. The first day on the job he couldn't find the office - it was in the State Capitol - and ended up in the post office. His time there was no more successful than his attempt to find work as a spy with the Central Intelligence Agency: after high school he had gone to sea as a cook in the merchant Marines, and the union he was required to join was later labelled as Communist-dominated. That didn't settle well with the CIA - spy career over. 

At a loose end, he turned to an old college interest: acting. he came to prominence as an actor in 1956 in the highly successful off-Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh with Jason Robards. Although he worked continuously for the next three years, bouncing from one off-Broadway theatre to the next, a theatrical agent advised him not to expect much work in motion pictures because of his glass eye. However, a talent scout for Columbia Pictures saw star quality in Falk, describing him as a second John Garfield. Unfortunately, Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia Pictures, dismissed this opinion: 'For the same price, I can get an actor with two eyes.'

But in 1958, Hollywood, in the guise of Twentieth Century Fox, came to New York to make a movie - Murder, Inc. They brought the stars with them but hired local New York actors to play the mobsters. Falk landed a juicy role for which he received rave reviews and, incredibly, for his first movie he was nominated for an Academy Award. For his second, Pocketful of Miracles starring Bette Davis, he was nominated again. He wore the same overcoat in both movies. It was his personal coat. He likes to say that he and the coat were undefeated. Two for two. 

Falk went on to become a favourite among film goers; yet it was through television that he reached his widest audience as Lt. Columbo, winning four Emmys for the role. Talking of Falk's personal coats - Columbo's raincoat came out of his bedroom closet. He bought it years before he became an actor. He's been quoted as saying, ' I wanted to wear something people would remember. Bottom line, it's the worlds most famous raincoat'. 

Just One More Thing is pure Peter Falk, and reads as if he's sitting next to you, chuckling as he recalls his remarkable past. 

----------------------------------------

Just One More Thing is exactly what the subtitle states - stories from the life of Peter Falk. It isn't an autobiography in the traditional sense, with chapters starting from childhood and covering nearly every aspect of a persons life. Instead Falk has selected the moments he feels are important, sad, funny, shocking or entertaining. These stories can cover a whole chapter or simply two pages but it is done well and everything flows perfectly. 

I read this book only knowing Peter Falk as Columbo.  I have always enjoyed the show and knew from my partner that he had a glass eye but that was the extent of my knowledge on Falk as a person. However my partner is a die-hard fan of Falk, he really enjoyed this autobiography and pushed me to read it on more than one occasion. Therefore I did and I'm thrilled I took the plunge. 

Falk has a very entertaining voice in the book. I honestly felt like I was talking to an old friend. Even though I was not fully aware of all the people and places he discussed I was still fully engrossed. Falks enjoyment and feelings were infectious and his writing really portrayed his emotions well. I closed this book with a list of films that I am desperate to see. This is simply due to the wonderful descriptions and stories Falk mentioned about his experiences while filming. I didn't encounter a story that I didn't enjoy reading, Falk had obviously taken great care while selecting what to include and omit. This showed in the final result and made it a memorable read. 

I also enjoyed seeing the real side of Peter Falk. He didn't come across as to 'Hollywood' but as a down to earth and hard working individual. I found the fact he is educated to an extremely high level fascinating and especially seeing how this academic background effected his acting career and gave him the confidence to request changes to scripts for example. Falk came across as a very strong personality, although it wasn't stated in writing, by reading between the line so to speak, I was given the opinion that he was a perfectionist at heart and would strive for the very best in himself. This may have made him hard to work with but I also feel he was highly respected for this aspect of his personality. 

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Peter Falk lived an interesting and unique life and was never afraid to jump into something with both feet simply because he was curious. It is a highly entertaining book and will leave you chuckling at his antics. I highly recommend it.

 

Some Sunny Day - My Autobiography by Dame Vera Lynn

 

 

Born Vera Welch in 1917, Dame Vera Lynn's career began at just seven years old when she sang professionally in East End Working Men's Clubs. A successful radio career with Joe Loss and Charlie Kunz in the 1920s and '30s followed - but it was with World War II that she became famous.

With her radio show 'Sincerlty Yours', Vera connected emotionally with the men fighting for their country and those left behind praying for their loved ones, and became known as 'The forces Sweetheart'. Performing the songs she will forever be associated with - 'We'll Meet Again' and 'The White Cliffs of Dover' among others - Vera toured Egypt, India and Burma with the Entertainment National Services Association, bringing troops a sense of 'back home'. But what she saw out there affected her profoundly.

Her career after the war flourished, but Vera never left behind her wartime role. Still heavily involved with veteran and other charities, this is Dame Vera's extraordinary story of her life and her war - from bombs and rations to broadcasts and air raids, and the searing heat of her appearances abroad.

                                               --------------------------------------------------

I have heard the wartime songs of Dame Vera Lynn my entire life, both in the original versions and remakes by more recent artists. However I have never known the story behind the music and the lady who sang them so wonderfully. This book covers Lynn's entire life from her birth through to present day (yes she is actually alive and in her 90's!). However the majority of the book is centred around the war years. I find the Second World War a fascinating subject in any case so I really enjoyed reading about the daily struggles and restrictions that affected the country on a personal level.

Lynn paints a fantastic picture of a time when life was much simpler and the pace of life slower. While explaining the hardships of war she successfully shows how life continued on in much the same way as before. People went to work, enjoyed evening entertainment and children went to school as best they could. I have to say I enjoyed the war years element the most.

I did become a bit bored towards the end of the book which focused on the post war years. It became more of a book about her privileged life and having the ability to buy a twenty-four bedroom house (which turned out to be a much loved but expensive mistake) than a book about a 'real' person. The small details such as the fact she would make her daughters clothes in her dressing room, during breaks between performance's, were what kept me reading. I felt I really gained a glimpse of the real person that I read about in the war years and not the just the image of a music star.

The book also gives a fascinating look into the works of the BBC before, during and after the war. It really portrayed the BBC as having the ability to make or break careers at the drop of a hat, and at times it appeared to have a little to much power and the wish to control society. I found some parts humorous such as the fact that in the 40's television was so expensive that only the rich could afford to view it, so much so that one of the cookery programmes of the day was called 'Cooks Night Off'.

Overall it was a fabulous book to read, I really escaped into the world of music halls, concerts and recording studios. Lynn's voice is strong throughout and you really feel she is talking to a close friend and this really helps make a strong connection with the reader. As I mentioned above I have only heard the wartime songs and so knew nothing of the period or the people, managers or stars she was surrounded by at the time. It didn't matter at all, I was able to easily follow the book and Lynn made me feel like I knew the people she was working with even if I didn't recognise their names personally.

I recommend this books to anyone who has an interest in the Second World War, especially on the home front although it does cover the front line further in. It is also a good read for anyone who likes a good biography about someone who has lived an extraordinary life and achieved remarkable things.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I really enjoyed it and found it a very interesting and thought provoking book.