Hard Choices

Senior Stateswoman in need of Editor

I have often wondered what former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was thinking on May 1, 2011 when that famous photo of her, with her hand over her mouth, was taken in the White House Situation Room as she waited for the results of Operation Neptune Spear. I read/listen to just about everything I can get my hands on about the hunt for and killing of Osama bin Laden, like Mark Owens and Kevin Maurer's "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden" (2012) and former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates "Memoirs of a Secretary at War" (2014). I would have listened to HRC's "Hard Choices" (2014) just for her perspective on that mission, but this book has so much more.

HRC sets forth comprehensive US foreign policy, starting with her husband, Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton, president from 1993 to 2001; George H. Bush, 2001 to 2009; to Barack Obama, 2009 to the present. HRC has been a first hand observer or participant in international politics for more than 20 years, as First Lady; then as a Senator from New York; and then as Secretary of State.

The book is so current, it talks about Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea. HRC's position on Russia is hawkish, and Vladimir Putin should count himself fortunate she isn't president right now. I'm not an up-and-coming or current world leader, or rebel general working on being a dictator, but if I were - and wanted to know where I, or my country stood with the current most-likely-next-president of the United States, I'd find out in "Hard Choices".

If I wanted to know about her husband's infamous dalliance more than 20 years ago, I guess I could read "The National Enquirer" - but I wouldn't waste my I time reading about it and HRC doesn't waste my time writing about it. I would rather know her position on Iran's nuclear enrichment program, Syria's use of chemical weapons, or what might work in patching up international relationships badly damaged by leaks of candid assessments of world leaders in State Department cables. "Hard Choices" talks about those issues, not about whether staying with her husband was a difficult decision.

HRC has a unique view of countries and their leaders. Some nations - for example, China and India - have national feelings and attributes (inferiority and insecurity) that she does not confuse with the beliefs or actions of their leaders. Other very small nations - such as Qatar, with a population about 20% of that of Los Angeles County - are so closely aligned with their leaders, they can't be distinguished. HRC's ability to separate the nutcase in charge from the population as a whole has been key in the Obama administration's arguable successes in various Arab countries.

Which brings me to the editor part: "Hard Choices" is 657 pages in print and 27 hours on Audible. Even with 'a long commute' it took me a while to finish the listen, because, well, I got a mired in the details, and sometimes, I got bored. I had the same problem with Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" (2005). I could have used a Playbill, a world map, and a timeline for both books.

HRC has a great voice, and I would have been happier with her doing the entire narration. She did the introduction, and there's an Easter egg: there's a 15 minute epilogue in her own voice. Kathleen Chalfant is fine, but it's not the same.

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107 of 125 people found this review helpful

Illuminating

Pros: Secretary Clinton is clearly fiercely intelligent and dominates the international landscape. While this IS a campaign book, the breadth and depth is impressive.

She is candid about her ideological position, even though she is more hawkish than the average democrat.

Throughout there are weak points were there is no substance, just platitudes that sound like they've gone through focus groups.

Glad I listened to this book in its entirety, but I did consider quitting a few times.

The reading and production are excellent.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

An Excellent book on Modern History

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book! It is amazing how much diplomacy goes on that you never hear about. As you read this book you'll learn about world history happening right now, which helps shed light on and add context to current events. Reading this book has given me a much great appreciation for the role of Secretary of State and the critical role that diplomacy plays in our international strategy.

Regardless of your political views, this book is a great read! After reading this book though, I have to say that am very glad to have had Hillary Clinton serve as our Secretary of State and I know that our country has benefited greatly from her contributions.

18 of 21 people found this review helpful

As a Republican turned disillusioned libertarian

I appreciated the narrative quality of the book. It would have been difficult to complete had it simply been intended to posture for political purposes. The narrator was well-composed. The material flows well.

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

A wealth of information

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes.Hillary Clinton expertly runs through an incredible amount of information regarding her actions as Secretary of State and the circumstances surrounding them. In this, the short choppy bylines of our impotent domestic media are elaborated upon and fleshed out, casting light on on both the role of US Diplomacy and the countries that received her in her travels.

What did you like best about this story?

If you want some insight into a likely Presidential contender, this is a good spot. This is not Wolf Blitzer, Bill O'Reilly, or even Dan Rather's take on who Hillary Clinton is or what she's done. It is incredible how humdrum, though not boring, some of these issues can seem in her retelling. It is truly the result of one of the most seasoned political figures in the world being completely and totally in the briar patch, bouncing and happy, where most of us would be petrified by the sheer weight of responsibility.

What about Kathleen Chalfant and Hillary Rodham Clinton ’s performance did you like?

I preferred Hillary Clinton's voice, but Kathleen Chalfant did an admirable job of retaining as much continuity as possible.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Clinton can show up in China, go on their television, and speak truth to their power-that women's rights are human rights, Tibet deserves freedom, and poverty is out of control. In response the giant of a country can only hope to keep as many people from hearing it as possible. Only words and nukes can be this powerful.

11 of 14 people found this review helpful

Surprisingly candid

What did you love best about Hard Choices?

I bought this book because first, I wasn't sure what a Secretary of State does, and second, everything I knew about Clinton was through the news. This book was such a surprise for me because I don't normally gravitate towards memoirs & bios. It answered questions I had and then some. Diplomacy is, well, vanilla.. but Hard Choices cuts into the core of underlying diplomatic relations and exposes a nerve that I wouldn't even have guessed was there. For someone I perceived as excruciatingly guarded, Clinton delivered a raw look into her time as Secretary of State.

What about Kathleen Chalfant and Hillary Rodham Clinton ’s performance did you like?

I liked hearing Clinton in the beginning and end, and Kathleen Chalfant's narration had subtle cutting to appropriate warmth that plausibly translated to Clinton herself.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listen to audiobooks while I work, and I couldn't wait to start work the next day. I plan on listening to it again in the near future.

Any additional comments?

If you are genuinely curious about Hillary Clinton, I think you will really enjoy this book.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Decent, but just so long...

I enjoyed this book, but it's long. A couple of the chapters are a bit dry - by the time Syria rolled around it felt a little repetitive. I have more appreciation for how difficult and complex the Secretary of State Job is having read this book.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Will she run?

In the book Hillary Clinton tells about her time as Secretary of State. I had read “The Secretary” by Kim Ghattas and “HRC” by Jonathan Allan and Amie Parnes which covered the same topic. The interesting part of the book for me was her side comments such as her discussion about William Seward; I read his biography last year. He also was a senator from New York who lost his Presidential nomination and the faithfully served Lincoln, the man who beat him, as Secretary of State. She frequently quotes Eleanor Roosevelt which I found delightfully as I am a big fan of Eleanor Roosevelt. The meeting to discuss increasing troops to Afghanistan was also described in detail in the book “Duty” by Robert Gates. Hillary covers in great depth her philosophy of “Smart Power.” She opens her tour as Secretary of State by travelling to Asia. She tells why she thought it was important to emphasize Asia, the problems facing the area, in fact, she goes area by area throughout the book describing each areas problems, what has been done, needs to be done to overcome the problems. She covers Burma, China and Pakistan in depth. A picture of Hillary does come through as a person who is an optimist and very persistent. It appears she keeps going, by building on the small victories so they outweigh the defeats. She goes about breaking things down. She is a disaggregator, who can’t see problems without trying to make it smaller, more manageable, and then she tries to fit the pieces back together again. Between the stories of diplomacy are scattered personal stories about her mother, her life as a college student, meeting and marrying Bill Clinton, her daughter and how much she is looking forward to being a grandmother. The book is cautiously written and free of politically charged rhetoric and appears to be factually correct. The only comments she made about two politically charged issues was on Iraq, she apologized. She said “I got it wrong” and she learned from the mistake. On the deaths of State Department people killed in Benghazi Libya she said she is responsible because she was Secretary of State. Hillary mostly has good thing to say about people including George W. Bush. She quotes a maxim from China’s Deng Xiaoping: “Coolly observe, calmly deal with things, hold your position, hide your capacities, bide your time, accomplish things where possible.” The book was narrated by Kathleen Chalfont and Hillary Clinton.

27 of 42 people found this review helpful

A tone deaf politician

Prior to listening to this book I had been a fan of Hillary and voted for her. I could not understand why she was so despised by people I respected. After listening to this book I understand why she is disliked and would never vote for her again, even if she ran again the despised Donald Trump. Why the change?
Her attitude is that she is president of the world,that she wears a cape and can save any situation. There is no event that can be spared her casuistry. A ridiculous incident in which she rescues a blind Chinese dissident who is manipulating both sides for personal gain, is treated as though Hillary saved the world, rather than for the black humor and ridiculous theater she has created.
Which brings up another problem, her complete lack of humor. She takes herself so seriously. And then there is her unabashed arrogance. Her position is always the only right decision. She does not recognize grays or nuances, And finally the fantasy world she lives in. That the United Sates is the bastion of Human rights and civil rights, when in fact we are a failure in both areas and treat our dissidents much more harshly than most other countries. And finally, the fact she and her husband were responsible for the incarceration of over 50% of black males between 15 and 25 while he was president. She should not be lecturing any one on human rights and civil rights. She is what we used to call a limousine liberal. Using others peoples suffering to make herself look goo. Contrast this piece of trash with the excellent biographies of Leon Panetta and Robert Gates, both written with a sense of humility and humor, and alack of arrogance.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Good way to get a feel who Hillary is

Would you consider the audio edition of Hard Choices to be better than the print version?

The first 2 chapters are read by Hillary herself which makes it personal. The rest is Kathleen which is fine after a chapter or two. Nice to listen too. Insight in international policy, Libya, birma. You get a feel how important Hillary find human GLBT and children rights. Not a very self critical book, would be nice if she was a little but more venerable. She is now strong without a flaw. But she had been attacked enought to allow herself to do this.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful