Living History (book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Hillary Clinton |
| Products | Memoir |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
Living History is a 2003 memoir authored by Hillary Clinton during her tenure as a U.S. senator representing New York.
Background and writing
In December 2000, Simon & Schuster agreed to an $8 million advance for Living History, an amount considered nearly record-breaking at that period. The timing of this contract—finalized after Clinton's election but prior to her assuming office—prompted ethical debates among observers. Nonetheless, in February 2001, the Senate Ethics Committee gave its approval to the deal.
The book's creation involved three ghostwriters: experienced author Maryanne Vollers, speechwriter Alison Muscatine, and researcher Ruby Shamir. This team worked closely with Clinton, who meticulously reviewed and revised drafts late into the night. In the acknowledgments section, Clinton expressed gratitude for their crucial roles in shaping her narrative voice and compiling comprehensive research. Despite their substantial input, none were credited as co-authors—a standard practice in political memoirs—contrasting with other politicians of the era, such as Senators John Edwards and John McCain, who acknowledged their collaborators on their publications.
Critical and commercial reception
Critics offered mixed evaluations of Living History, often commending the sections detailing Clinton’s early years while finding fault with the extensive focus on routine First Lady activities and a perceived lack of openness regarding contentious issues like the Lewinsky scandal.<ref>Commentators highlighted discrepancies between Clinton’s depiction of her childhood and Carl Bernstein’s 2007 biography of her father in A Woman in Charge, where he suggested that Clinton frequently interprets aspects of herself and her history differently than others do.<ref>
The memoir achieved remarkable commercial success, selling over one million copies within its initial month and setting a new benchmark for first-week sales of a non-fiction work.<ref> This performance surprised many publishing insiders who believed Simon & Schuster had paid excessively, as well as skeptics such as CNN's Tucker Carlson, who publicly questioned its market potential.<ref> Clinton’s active promotional efforts—including signing approximately 20,000 copies despite physical challenges—played a significant role in driving sales.<ref> By 2007, earnings from the book had surpassed $10 million.<ref>
Audio records
The audiobook version of Living History, narrated by Clinton herself, earned a nomination for the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.
Paperback edition
A paperback version was issued in April 2004, which included a new afterword where Clinton reflected on her experiences during book signings.