She Who Likes To Talk

"The Secretary, A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power" by Kim Ghattas   Time Books  345 pages   $27

Ghattas' back blurb states that she has been the radio and TV correspondent for the BBC's State Department coverage sice 2008.  Her articles have been published in Time, Boston Globe, Washington Post.

Born and largely raised in Beirut, she is the daughter of a Dutch woman and a Lebanese father.  She makes a point of her heritage all through the book which is is a kind of joining of "My Life" and "Hillary's Doings" which can prove difficult for the average reader.  Anytime an author inserts him/herself into a story as opposed to a biography, it can get confusing.

I am not a Clinton fan, so I picked up the book to see if it was a pre-Presidential campaign puff pece and, if so, to try to determine the am9unt of spin given recent events.

About all I learned of substance is that the Clintons - Bill or Hillary - are alwas one hour late for scheduled appearances.  Ghattas says that Hillary wants to spread cheer and US good will via her personal style which is talkative.  Ghattas remarks often on how Hillary will laser in on the person she's talking to as if there were no others in the room.  She has a good memory (and a thick briefing book) and remembers people and events around them including how many children.  

Ghattas Beirut background intrudes often and, indeed, the book (I'm on page 207) seems to concern itself the most with Arabic affairs.  Clinton is praised for telling it (like she) think it is to the Chinese as well as presumably well-intentoned visits to such outposts as Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.  

It would be a great read for someone with a great deal more political interest than I have.  I've only survived by skimming over a lot of the descriptions of situations, reasons for situations, conferences to fix situations and details about political leaders wity (to me) unpronounceable, long names.    
  
The computer is acting up so
1st graf  since, not sice but since
2nd graf Dutch mother, not Dutch woman and delete one "is" in is is
3rd graf  piece, not pece   amount, not am9ount
4th graf always, not alwas
last graf - with, not wity