The Age of Clinton

A political historian's insightful and engaging assessment of President Clinton, his administration, and the turbulent era he helped define. The 1990s saw seismic shifts in culture, politics, and technology that radically altered the way Americans did business, expressed themselves, and thought about their role in the world. At the center of it all was Bill Clinton, the charismatic yet flawed Baby Boomer president and his polarizing yet popular wife Hillary. With the Cold War over, America was safe, stable and prosperous. Yet Americans felt anxious and unsure of our role in the world. This was the era of glitz, grunge, and Bill Clinton: a man of passion and contradictions whose complex legacy has yet to be clearly defined. Through an enlightening year-by-year analysis, historian Gil Troy considers Clinton's presidency alongside the cultural changes that dominated the decade. In so doing, he answers two enduring questions about Clinton's legacy: how did a president who accomplished so much leave Americans thinking he accomplished so little? And, to what extent was Clinton responsible for the catastrophes that followed his departure from office, specifically 9/11 and the collapse of the housing market?