Allen, who formerly worked in the Arkansas State Department of Education, began this biography of the 1992 Democratic presidential nominee as a doctoral dissertation; Portis is a former editor of the Arkansas Gazette. There is nothing scholarly about this work, however, and it fails as journalism as well, given the speed of events. Having promised to focus on Clinton's education policy and its impact on the Arkansas school system, Allen and Portis handle this superficially, though their account of Clinton's and his wife Hillary's roles in instituting teacher testing and of the state's lobbying and interest-group politics may enlighten some readers. Their real concentration is on the details--none of them new--of Clinton's upbringing, his marriage, his gubernatorial elections and especially his recent history: his alleged affair with Gennifer Flowers, his draft record, his marijuana use and his performance in the candidate debates and primaries. Hillary Clinton emerges as a powerful force. Allen and Portis seem undecided, however, about whether Bill Clinton is capable of true leadership and whether he will put good policies or good politics first. The book will be of interest mainly to those who have not read a newspaper in the last eight months.

Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Biographies of presidential candidates published in election years frequently show evidence of being hastily written. This one on Democratic presidential candidate Clinton is no exception. It contains factual errors, apparent contradictions, and sometimes awkward writing. Another characteristic of many election-year biographies is lavish praise of their subjects. However, despite an introduction (not written by the coauthors) that places Clinton "clearly in a class with the framers of the Constitution of the United States," this book is generally balanced in its treatment of the Arkansas governor. Its principal contribution is its explanation of the candidate's educational reform program in his home state. The book will be useful to some lay readers who wish to learn more about Clinton, but its appeal is not likely to last much beyond the November election. If Clinton wins, much better popular biographies will be written. If he loses, few general readers will be interested. For other election books, see "On the Campaign Book Trail," LJ 3/15/92, p. 110-12.--Ed.

- Thomas H. Ferrell, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette

Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.