Overview

From the Center to the Edge is the first historical interpretation of the politics and public policies of the Clinton administration. Eminent political historian William C. Berman describes in penetrating detail the origins, evolution, and transformation of Clinton's programs for change as well as the reasons for its various successes and failures. Berman sheds new light on both domestic matters-such as welfare reform, deficit reduction, and the impeachment process-and key foreign policy issues, including American relations with Russia and China, and the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo. From the Center to the Edge provides a balanced but critical perspective of the Clinton administration, and is strongly recommended for anyone interested in presidential politics and recent American history.

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9780847696154

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Reviews

William Berman has established the framework and agenda for serious historical consideration of the Clinton presidency. This is a thoughtful work, that properly measures seismic shifts in economic and cultural life, as well as the evolving nature of the presidency, and takes us far beyond the momentary obsession with trivia and gossip. We are in his debt.--Stanley Kutler

A CliffsNotes guide to the Clinton era. -- Ronald Brownstein The American Prospect William Berman transcends the familiar mass of gossip, punditry, and political trivia to examine Bill Clinton's administration in the broad context of recent American political history and structural economic change. This is the wisest book on the Clinton era... -- Leo P. Ribuffo, George Washington University William Berman has established the framework and agenda for serious historical consideration of the Clinton presidency. This is a thoughtful work, that properly measures seismic shifts in economic and cultural life, as well as the evolving nature of the presidency, and takes us far beyond the momentary obsession with trivia and gossip. We are in his debt. -- Stanley Kutler, author of The Wars of Watergate Berman concisely chronicles Clinton's presidency, with its wild swings between policy success and personal and political crisis. CHOICE The 'edge' of the book's title refers to the humiliating Capitol Hill inquiry arising from Clinton's Oval Office dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. Yet Berman, author of three previous volumes on contemporary U.S. politics, has mostly managed to avoid that abyss. Instead he offers a concise, balanced recounting of the cascade of political maneuvers that occurred in an almost manically busy, explosively reactive period of Washington politics. His focus, like Clinton's, mostly dwells on domestic affairs. -- Gavin Scott National Post William Berman's history of the Clinton administration is remarkably clear and complete. I am especially impressed by the even-handedness of Berman's judgments. His book will set a standard for later histories. -- James T. Patterson, Brown University William Berman transcends the familiar mass of gossip, punditry, and political trivia to examine Bill Clinton's administration in the broad context of recent American political history and structural economic change. This is the wisest book on the Clinton era. -- Leo P. Ribuffo, George Washington University From the Center to the Edge is a brief and readable political history of the Clinton presidency... William Berman's account of the Clinton years is packed with information about many issues, both domestic and foreign. Presidential Studies Quarterly A clearly written and judicious interpretation of the politics of the Clinton era. An achievement that this concise volume, published so soon after Clinton left office, avoids the over-heated rhetoric of the 1990s and presents a balanced view of its subject. This book is a valuable addition to the U.S. presidency literature. It is a good selection for serious students of the presidency who want a concise, straightforward, single source review of the Clinton years. Political Studies Following his well-regarded America's Right Turn, Berman provides us with a neat summary of the Clinton presidency. He delivers a concise exposition of the increasingly accepted view that Clinton slew between his desire to reform and his instinct for political survival. Demonstrating admirable sensitivity to the context within which Clinton worked, Berman presents a president caught in a power struggle between warring parties. A good preliminary guide to the domestic policies of the Clinton years. -- Jon Herbert, Keele University American Politics Review The primary strength of the book is that it is a brief and generally even-handed introduction of the Clinton presidency and would be a valuable introduction to anyone that might be unfamliar with the topic White House Studies Essential reading for those hungry for hard information about Bill Clinton's political successes and failures. An authoritative, even-handed and significant book. -- Niall Stanage Sunday Business Post From the Center to the Edge is an excellent place to begin a serious study of the Clinton presidency, and it would serve well as a supplemental text in a course on recent American history. Berman's insights are likely to become the conventional wisdom about the Clinton White House. The Historian

A CliffsNotes guide to the Clinton era. -- Ronald Brownstein The American Prospect William Berman transcends the familiar mass of gossip, punditry, and political trivia to examine Bill Clinton's administration in the broad context of recent American political history and structural economic change. This is the wisest book on the Clinton era... -- Leo P. Ribuffo, George Washington University William Berman has established the framework and agenda for serious historical consideration of the Clinton presidency. This is a thoughtful work, that properly measures seismic shifts in economic and cultural life, as well as the evolving nature of the presidency, and takes us far beyond the momentary obsession with trivia and gossip. We are in his debt. -- Stanley Kutler, author of The Wars of Watergate, author of The Wars of Watergate Berman concisely chronicles Clinton's presidency, with its wild swings between policy success and personal and political crisis. CHOICE The 'edge' of the book's title refers to the humiliating Capitol Hill inquiry arising from Clinton's Oval Office dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. Yet Berman, author of three previous volumes on contemporary U.S. politics, has mostly managed to avoid that abyss. Instead he offers a concise, balanced recounting of the cascade of political maneuvers that occurred in an almost manically busy, explosively reactive period of Washington politics. His focus, like Clinton's, mostly dwells on domestic affairs. -- Gavin Scott National Post William Berman's history of the Clinton administration is remarkably clear and complete. I am especially impressed by the even-handedness of Berman's judgments. His book will set a standard for later histories. -- James T. Patterson, Brown University William Berman transcends the familiar mass of gossip, punditry, and political trivia to examine Bill Clinton's administration in the broad context of recent American political history and structural economic change. This is the wisest book on the Clinton era. -- Leo P. Ribuffo, George Washington University From the Center to the Edge is a brief and readable political history of the Clinton presidency... William Berman's account of the Clinton years is packed with information about many issues, both domestic and foreign. Presidential Studies Quarterly A clearly written and judicious interpretation of the politics of the Clinton era. An achievement that this concise volume, published so soon after Clinton left office, avoids the over-heated rhetoric of the 1990s and presents a balanced view of its subject. This book is a valuable addition to the U.S. presidency literature. It is a good selection for serious students of the presidency who want a concise, straightforward, single source review of the Clinton years. Political Studies Review Following his well-regarded America's Right Turn, Berman provides us with a neat summary of the Clinton presidency. He delivers a concise exposition of the increasingly accepted view that Clinton slew between his desire to reform and his instinct for political survival. Demonstrating admirable sensitivity to the context within which Clinton worked, Berman presents a president caught in a power struggle between warring parties. A good preliminary guide to the domestic policies of the Clinton years. -- Jon Herbert, Keele University American Political Science Review The primary strength of the book is that it is a brief and generally even-handed introduction of the Clinton presidency and would be a valuable introduction to anyone that might be unfamliar with the topic White House Studies Essential reading for those hungry for hard information about Bill Clinton's political successes and failures. An authoritative, even-handed and significant book. -- Niall Stanage Sunday Business Post From the Center to the Edge is an excellent place to begin a serious study of the Clinton presidency, and it would serve well as a supplemental text in a course on recent American history. Berman's insights are likely to become the conventional wisdom about the Clinton White House. The Historian

Author Information

William C. Berman taught for nearly thirty years at the University of Toronto where he is now professor emeritus of history.

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