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In His Own Words

by Bill Clinton

In His Own Words

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Bill Clinton: In His Own Words is the 1993 Newmarket Press compilation of Clinton speeches and statements from his 1992 campaign and the early months of his first term. Edited by Donald T. Phillips, the volume covers Clinton's biographical voice, his policy positions on health care, education, and the economy, and a selection of his strongest oratorical moments from the 1992 cycle.

Compilation political books work in proportion to whether the speaker is interesting to listen to at length. Clinton in 1992 is interesting at length. The volume covers his Arkansas-governor years, his 1991 New Covenant speech (the conceptual frame for the 1992 campaign), and the first months in the White House. The compilation thinking gets a little shallow in places, but Clinton's voice carries.

Recommended for serious students of the Clinton presidency, for readers interested in books like In His Own Words as a historical record of the 1992 campaign voice, and for anyone curious how the speeches developed before they got the polished My Life retelling. Three stars and a useful primary source.

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