Crisis of Character, a 2016 biography about the Clintons written by former secret service officer Gary Byrne, is an honest inventory of the Clinton’s juvenile delinquent and often chaotic behavior while Bill was Commander-in-Chief. The book provides an insider look into the lives of the Clintons and those around them during Bill Clinton’s Presidency. Gary Byrne skillfully juxtaposes the Clintons (especially Hillary’s) disrespectful, entitled, and rude behavior while in the White House with their predecessors (the 41st president George Bush), whom Gary Byrne also served under.
While Mr. Byrne’s honest account of the Clintons is honest and raw, he is always polite in his descriptions of some of the more X-rated scenes that occurred in the White House while Bill was having affairs. Specifically, Mr. Byrne writes of employees having to clean up after Bill’s torrid escapades in the White House. And he writes of many others in the White House having to cover for Hilary’s violent tantrums that included broken vases and Bill’s black eye.
Most importantly Mr. Byrne offers an honest assessment of Hillary Clinton’s credentials as a would-be Commander-in-Chief. His analysis is that the former first lady does not belong anywhere near the White House ever again. Gary’s perspective of Hillary Clinton, unlike his admirable opinion of Barbara Bush, is that Mrs. Clinton had no respect for law and order or for the truth. Instead, she and Bill, according to Mr. Byrne, are political hacks who care most for themselves and power. Interestingly, the Clintons are described as a couple who do not seem to love each other. Instead, Gary believes they had a marriage of political convenience and that is the tie that binds them together.
BOTTOM LINE: This book is not a salacious tell all, nor a vindictive biography written by a disgruntled ex-employee. Crisis of Character is a uniquely honest portrayal of how the Clintons behaved while in office from the perspective of one of their Secret Service officers. This biography definitely casts the Clintons, especially Hillary, in a very unflattering light that should be shared with anyone who wonders if Hillary should have won the 2016 election against Donald Trump.