The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton

by Peter Baker

Book Overview

Offers a perspective on the Lewinsky scandal, impeachment of the president, and the overwhelming media coverage.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068486813X
• ISBN13: 9780684868134
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Tidying Up The Mess

The Breach is arguably the best political book of recent years. The Washington Post's Peter Baker took a topic everyone was sick of, and summarized it -- sticking to what really mattered. The book chronicles the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Period. Baker shows what went on behind the scenes, what deals were cut to keep Clinton in office, and the ambivalence of Republican leaders about pursuing a politically unpopular course. He shows why some members of both parties came to loathe Clinton, and how Clinton's own lieutenants felt. And he reveals why events unfolded as they did, and how once started, the process could not be stopped -- despite the efforts of some Republicans to "turn off impeachment" for fear of rushing down the wrong track of history. This is not a book about sex, nor a book about the Clinton marriage. Baker is writing a history for history, and sifts through all the pundit babble and misdirected salaciousness to report accurately on one of the most important events of recent American history. For anyone who was transfixed by the magnitude of the events but couldn't stomach the way it was handled by much of the press, this is the book for you.

Detailed, Non-Ideological Look at Clinton's Impeachment

This is a very well researched, even-handed study of the entire Clinton impeachment and trial episode. Often, the books examining this topic are clearly ideological (for example, Schippers horribly written, self-serving "Sell Out"). Baker does a great job of providing insight on the various stages of the events that made up this time in our nation's history. He does this by having almost unparalled access to the thoughts and conversations of the major players. For example, what better way to know what various Senators were thinking during the trial than to examine journals and notes belonging to those Senators? Due to his excellent reputation for veracity and fairness, Baker was given access to such sources (e.g., Senator Collins' impeachment diary) and to conversations normally kept private from reporters/researchers. If you are a student of history, of Clinton, or of Congress, this book is a must read. Personally, I've read most of the impeachment books, and this is the best. What is most amazing is the insight into the way the events actually unfolded; the public gets to see (often for the first time) how very differently things could have gone if only one person had done something, or said something, differently. For example, had DeLay decided not to wage his "let's impeach" crusade; had several moderate republicans been approached differently, had Clinton (at several points) shown actual contrition, impeachment and/or a trial may have never occurred. Great book!

Will Stand the Test of Time

The Breach is a highly readable and faithful history of the six months between August 1998 and February 1999, during which time occurred the almost surreal impeachment and trial of President Clinton. Mr. Baker has woven a narrative which is built on a mountain of documentation, including interviews, court and Congressional transcripts, diary entries, e-mail exchanges, etc. Drawing on his obvious talents as a journalist, he is able to distill the spin and partisanship from the documentary material so as to render an account of these volatile events which is about as objective as one is going to get. The hopes, fears, desires and intrigues of all the parties involved during the crisis--particularly the White House, Democratic and Republican members of the House and Senate--are all laid bare in this book. Although the author is pretty evenhanded, it was impossible for me (a lifelong Democrat) to read this narrative and not come away with a healthy distaste for the unrepentant Mr. Clinton. In the epilogue of The Breach, shortly after his acquittal in the Senate, Mr. Clinton states in an interview that he is wholly unashamed of being impeached; indeed, in his view, he feels he ''saved the Constitution'' by standing up to the dark forces arrayed against him (presumably the Independent Counsel and the House Republicans). However, notwithstanding the well-chronicled machinations and vituperations of both Democrats and Republicans, The Breach, by dint of its sheer objectivity, makes all too clear who was the sole author of our Nation's impeachment woes.

Everyone should read this well-documented, insightful book

The people involved and the story of the impeachment are well known, but this book is so compelling in it's detail and behind the scenes reporting of events. I could not detect a bias by the author, and I am amazed that so many people involved in the episode spoke so revealingly to him. There was so much going on behind the scenes that we were not privy to, previously. It is an insight not only into the impeachment process, but into the politicians who were so conflicted in their roles and decision-making. It is just a wonderful book!

The Final Book

This is an insightful, well-written account by a someone who was given unprecedented access to all of the players. Baker is not only a gifted writer, but is a talented investigative reporter who knows how to write without injecting his own bias into his writing. Undoubtedly his well-deserved reputation for accurate reporting was a major reason why so many opened up to him. This is a book that readers -- regardless of their personal views -- will find insightful, and perhaps, the "final" book on this sordid affair. It will certainly be a book that historians will refer to in years to come.