The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President

Branch, an acclaimed historian best known for his three-volume biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., met his old friend Bill Clinton for regular discussions in the White House during Clinton's two terms in office. Clinton kept the recordings, but Branch kept scrupulous records of the conversations and mines them for this intimate talkfest. Branch reads his own work, with a peculiar distance from the events he describes; he can no longer summon the emotions of their wide-ranging, frequently turbulent debates. The book is still a valuable addition to the already groaning bookshelf of Clinton books, but Branch's reading adds little to the exchange. A Simon & Schuster hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 10). (Sept.)