The Seduction of Hillary Rodham
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | David Brock |
| Products | Biography |
The Seduction of Hillary Rodham is a 1996 biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton authored by David Brock, a former conservative writer who later became a liberal media critic. The book was composed during a period of Brock's ideological transformation, resulting in a work that reflects a blend of political viewpoints.
Background
After the success of The Real Anita Hill, Brock secured a reported $1 million advance to produce a book about Hillary Clinton. The publisher anticipated an exposé critical in nature, akin to his earlier publications concerning Anita Hill and Bill Clinton. To fulfill this expectation, Brock enlisted a research team to assist in the project.
The turn
Defying initial assumptions, The Seduction of Hillary Rodham offered a predominantly favorable depiction of Hillary Clinton, which surprised many within the publishing community. Despite pressure from Free Press and the constraint of a one-year deadline, the volume did not reveal any significant new information. In his memoir Blinded by the Right, Brock revealed that after extensive investigation, he found no substantiation for accusations against the Clintons and therefore refrained from making misleading assertions.
Content
The chapters emphasize central themes as follows:
- Hillary for President
- A Seminar for Radicals
- Love and Squalor
- Stranger in a Strange Land
- Alinsky's Daughter
- The Real Comeback Kid
- Joan of Arkansas
- Wifewater?
- Partners for Life
- Damage Control
- Rodham Rides Again
- Charge of the Light Brigade
- The Revenge of the Ozarks
While generally sympathetic toward Hillary Clinton, the book adopts a critical stance on Bill Clinton, outlining alleged extramarital affairs and characterizing him as the "seducer" referenced in the title. Brock suggests that Bill Clinton's influence largely contributed to compromises in Hillary Clinton’s political principles and personal integrity, delivering a harsh portrayal that borders on personal critique.
Critical reaction
Upon publication, critics noted the absence of groundbreaking revelations. The Los Angeles Times described it as "[e]xhaustive to the point of exhaustion" and "predictably critical, but unexpectedly measured" relative to prior expectations. James B. Stewart writing for The New York Times acknowledged Brock’s effort at fairness but faulted him for occasionally siding with Hillary Clinton’s supporters and minimizing evidence of dishonesty by referencing Republican precedents.
Entertainment Weekly awarded the book a 'D' grade, criticizing its dependence on previously published reports, dense writing style, perceived bias against Bill Clinton, and simplistic understanding of presidential marriages. In the New York Review of Books, Garry Wills contended that Brock sought to depict President Clinton as increasingly unrestrained as he entered his second term.
Brock stated that former conservative associates distanced themselves due to the book’s less aggressive stance toward the Clintons. Jonah Goldberg from National Review argued that Brock’s research was impeded by limited access to liberal sources and suggested Brock had been "seduced" by Sidney Blumenthal, a close Clinton confidant. Blumenthal continued to be scrutinized by anti-Clinton groups in subsequent years.
Sales
Free Press initially printed 300,000 copies—three times the quantity printed for Brock’s earlier successful Anita Hill book. Nevertheless, The Seduction of Hillary Rodham underperformed commercially; The Washington Post labeled it "a disaster." For instance, one bookstore in Washington sold only eight out of 30 copies stocked, while a Baltimore retailer moved just three out of 50 copies. Brock admitted that sales were less than half those of his Anita Hill title, likely below 50,000 units.
Considering the large print run, substantial advance payment, and disappointing market performance, Brock described the publication as a "commercial disaster."