THE COMEBACK KID: The Life and Career of Bill Clinton

by Charles F. & Jonathan Portis Allen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1992

If Clinton wins the White House, he should consider choosing as his press secretary either author of this subtle panegyric. ""This biography,"" write Allen and Portia, ""is a thorough examination of a man who dreamed of being president...from his earliest days."" Thorough, perhaps, but also delicately biased. Portis (a former editor of the Arkansas Gazette--""whose editorial page,"" the authors note, ""had been a constant Clinton supporter through the years"") and Allen (who began the book as a graduate project at the Univ. of Mississippi) give the lion's share of quotations to Clinton-admirers: ""Bill Clinton was very enthusiastic and a very dedicated professor,"" says a former student of the governor in a typical statement. And, at times, the authors gloss over damning facts (e.g., a clear Clinton lie regarding a question about his college-drug use becomes a statement that's ""not entirely true""). But Allen and Portia are frank about their subject's titanic ambition and do an adequate job of tracing the candidate's earlier years (scarred by tragedy:, his father died before Clinton was born; his stepfather died when Clinton was 21; and, in 1984, Clinton's younger brother went to prison for cocaine distribution). Of most interest are the in-depth coverage of Clinton's years as governor, which convincingly portrays Clinton as a man passionate about reform, particularly in education; and the concluding chapter, which--while swiping at Ross Perot (""wild promises"") and proclaiming that Clinton will defeat Bush ""if the campaign becomes one of ideas and issues"" instead of ""personal attacks""--urges Clinton to give up his overriding fear of losing and to take the risk of stating ""hard truths"" in the upcoming campaign. By no means a definitive biography, but not flack-fluff either; and, for all its slant, the most informative text available on the man who would be President.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1992

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Birch Lane/Carol

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1992

Categories: NONFICTION