Her Way (book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | June 8, 2007 |
| Founder | Jeff Gerth, Don Van Natta Jr. |
| Products | Biography book |
| Parent | Little, Brown and Company |
Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton is an investigative biography examining the life of former First Lady and United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Authored by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr., the book was published on June 8, 2007, by Little, Brown and Company.
Background
During their investigation, the writers conducted interviews with approximately 500 individuals, some of whom chose to remain unnamed due to fears of retaliation from Senator Clinton or her team. The release of this biography coincided with another significant work, Carl Bernstein's A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton. In a competitive move, both publishers advanced their publication dates, with Bernstein’s volume appearing three days earlier.
Contents
The narrative is divided into five sections:
- Prologue.
- First Partner (chapters 1–6): Chronicles Clinton’s formative years and her supportive role in Bill Clinton’s political ascent, covering their marriage and early life in Arkansas and Texas.
- First Lady (chapters 7–15): Explores her evolution into the role of First Lady, focusing on initiatives such as healthcare reform and the intense public examination during presidential controversies.
- First Woman (chapters 16–27): Highlights her progression through the Senate, service as Secretary of State, and two presidential bids, underscoring her attempts to shatter gender barriers and become the first female president.
- Epilogue.
Political impacts
Released amid the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008, the book generated unease within the Clinton campaign, which The Washington Post described as "anxious" about potential disclosures. The Clintons harbored particular resentment toward Her Way due to Gerth’s prior involvement in the Whitewater investigation during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Despite several revelations, neither book inflicted significant political harm.[1] A spokesperson for Clinton dismissed these works as merely "cash for rehash." Furthermore, Media Matters for America questioned Gerth’s reliability, citing his history of flawed reporting on the Clintons in the 1990s.[2]
Overall, Gerth and Van Natta’s biography was perceived as somewhat critical, whereas Bernstein’s was more favorable; however, both were regarded as mainstream and credible. As noted by The Washington Post, unlike many ideologically motivated critiques, these biographies came from established journalists affiliated with major publishers, lending them greater legitimacy.[3]
Critical response
Critics frequently evaluated Her Way alongside Bernstein’s biography.[4][3][5]
Reception of Her Way was mixed.[1] Historian Robert Dallek, writing for The New York Times, characterized it as "almost uniformly negative," concentrating heavily on scandals and less favorable aspects of Clinton’s character, while viewing Bernstein’s work as more balanced.[5] Due to the authors’ connection with the newspaper, this particularly severe critique was assigned to an external reviewer.[1]
In the London Review of Books, Professor Linda Colley criticized the book's dependence on anonymous sources but praised its incisive examination of Hillary Clinton’s speeches and public remarks.[4] Several commentators noted that Her Way provided extensive detail on Clinton’s Senate tenure—a subject less thoroughly covered by Bernstein.[1]
New Yorker contributor Elizabeth Kolbert observed that the authors struggled to uncover new damaging information. She cited an incident involving Lee Telega, a Cornell extension employee who briefly worked in Clinton’s office; Gerth and Van Natta highlighted a minor paperwork oversight as evidence of misconduct, demonstrating their inclination to exaggerate trivial matters.[6]
Promotion and sales
Her Way launched with an initial print quantity of 175,000 copies. Its marketing efforts included a debut feature in the New York Times, although a follow-up installment was ultimately canceled. The authors engaged in multiple media interviews, capitalizing on the Clintons' disapproval by using the promotional slogan: "The Book She Doesn't Want You to Read."
Initial sales momentum was modest, with Nielsen BookScan recording only 7,000 units sold within the first ten days—approximately one-third of the sales achieved by Bernstein’s book and considerably fewer than Clinton’s 2003 memoir Living History. The title did not secure a position on the New York Times Best Seller List.
In a year-end analysis, CBS News described Her Way as a commercial disappointment, estimating total sales to be near 20,000 copies.
External links
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