English Summary/英文概要： Sidney Blumenthal’s memoir and chronicle of Bill Clinton’s presidency draws on his experiences as confidant to both the former president and the First Lady, Hillary Clinton, and as the only presidential aide ever to testify in an impeachment trial.

Every page of this unrivaled, authoritative book attests to Blumenthal’s literary skill, profound understanding of politics, and unique perspective on crucial events of our recent past. The Clinton Wars is a lasting contribution to American history.

Awards/获奖情况： A terrific and engaging read, whatever the reader thinks of Clinton.--- Martin Walker, United Press International

An important document…Blumenthal’s riveting account [of the impeachment] is sharp, spare, and focused. It pulses with the energy of clashing ideologies and strategies and is propelled by the force of the legal, political, and reputational stakes involved. (Bill Bell, New York Daily News) A vigorous bravura performance that brings home again what a tragedy and travesty Clinton’s impeachment really was…The central problems with our political culture that Blumenthal identifies and smartly analyzes remain with us. (David Greenberg, The Washington Monthly) A terrific and engaging read, whatever the reader thinks of Clinton.---Martin Walker, United Press International

In this exhaustive (and at times exhausting) look at the Clinton White House under siege, several themes emerge: the Clintons could have lived the lives of saints and the Right would still have come after them; the Clinton presidency was an effective example of progressive politics; and "advisor to the president" Blumenthal was needed everywhere. The first point has been documented quite well in other books, especially Conason and Lyons’ Hunting of the President and Jeffrey Toobin’s Vast Conspiracy (both 2000), but there’s no denying Blumenthal’s insider status gives this a tantalizing fillip the other volumes lack. He also does a credible, if sometimes pedantic, job of plotting the lines of various political movements, and, of course, he recounts the numerous nefarious antics of Ken Starr, et al., with relish. In the end, though, it’s hard to work up much sympathy for Blumenthal, whose pomposity almost overtakes the narrative (anyone who uses the word jeremiad twice in two pages needs his thesaurus taken away from him). Readers will be forced to skip around to avoid the author’s preening, but the best parts are very good indeed. Ilene Cooper---From Booklist

Blumenthal’s 800-page gorilla of a book is the former Clinton adviser’s indictment of his, and his boss’s, pursuers: Republicans in Congress, Kenneth Starr and his minions and the journalists he says were their patsies. It’s also a defense of his own role in the Clinton scandals and a loyal account of Clinton’s presidency as a highly successful one dedicated to progressive values. The heart of the book is an often tediously detailed account of the Whitewater investigation, the Lewinsky scandal and the impeachment, in which his own role was notable-accused of smearing the opposition, he was known to the anti-Clintonites as "Sid Vicious" and was the only presidential aide called to a deposition at the Senate impeachment hearings (which culminate in a hilarious "Alice in Wonderland" q&a session). The scandals are sandwiched between drier, partisan accounts of Clinton’s policies and actions both before and after impeachment, but with only rare glimpses of Clinton the man. Blumenthal argues that there was "an Italianate conspiracy" arrayed against Clinton, "an intricate, covert, amoral operation bent on power," funded by Richard Mellon Scaife and fronted by a ruthlessly vindictive Starr. But Blumenthal is most damning about his onetime colleagues in the press (he wrote for the New Republic and the Washington Post); journalists admitted to him, he says, that they couldn’t criticize Starr because they needed leaks from his staff for their stories. Blumenthal paints nasty portraits of Matt Drudge (who accused him of wife-beating), the late Michael Kelly (who here displays an irrational hatred of him) and Christopher Hitchens ("capable of doing harm without conscience or regret"). Often fascinating and undoubtedly controversial, Blumenthal’s book will receive much media attention, but most readers will wish it were a whole lot shorter. ---From Publishers Weekly