To lose an election to Trump takes some doing

If you're looking for a politically neutral narrative, then you won't find it here.

Too hagiographic at times, the book gives too much importance to the Comey letter as the main reason for her loss, but two days before the election Comey cleared her again which should have resulted in a late surge. Earlier she had struggled against the improbable candidate Bernie Sanders. In a country with a female majority, more voted for Trump, so the misogyny explanation doesn't make sense either

4 people found this helpful

Compelling and entertaining

The inside story of the struggles and dramatic collapse of Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential election campaign makes for a compelling and entertaining listen.

The book was compiled largely from off-the-record insider testimony, which means that much of it is unverifiable, but on the whole it comes across as credible and plausible.

I felt though that the authors glossed over the issue of Hillary's apparent toxicity within her own party during the protracted primary season and within the wider electorate in November.

Doug Wead in "Game of Thorns" convincingly attributes this to the scandals that dogged her husband's career in local and national politics.

"Shattered" would have benefitted from its own analysis of these issues and the extent to which they ruined Clinton's dream of a return to the White House.

The book's conclusion is marred somewhat by the authors' acceptance at face value of Clinton's dubious "The Russians hacked the election" excuse for her loss, despite its complete absence as an issue during the campaign itself.

3 people found this helpful

Disappointing

I was hoping for more insight on the election and the real Clinton’s alas only the last couple of chapters cover the election and anything slightly hitting on the truth is glossed over.

1 person found this helpful

Riveting story - no matter who you backed

Was fearing an overly partisan story. This was sympathetic to Hillary but not fawning or looking to find excuses. Her strengths were explained well and her weaknesses - and those of her team - were laid bare. Would have preferred less emphasis on the primary and more on the presidential battle, but otherwise a colourful and thoughtful account

1 person found this helpful

The delusion abides

The Podesta emails afforded a gllimpse into the green rooms of CNN, revealing a level of collusion which made even the most hardened cynics feel like suckers. You'd have thought this unprecedented breakdown of trust in news media, once the pride of a nation, would at least have merited a mention. Nope. This is like a history of the French Revolution which glosses over how the Bourbons and the clergy might have occasionally overstepped the mark.

There is nothing new here. Aside from the numerous passages in which Robby Mook, and his new-fangled "moneyball" methods, are offered up to take the fall, we have little more than the totally unconvincing portrait of a thoroughly virtuous and humane HRC who was misunderstood by an ignorant, bigoted and salacious voting public.

Worst of all, the campaign's frequent and extraordinarily ugly outbreaks of special pleading, be they self-serving or proxy-patronising, are treated as highlights, described in terms of heavy blows "landed" in a prize fight.

For the first few minutes, encouraged by the preview, I genuinely thought that this book was going to allow me to rediscover the sympathy I felt for HRC throughout her career, the sympathy which faltered and died during her acceptance speech at the 2016 convention. Forget it. The wheels fell off.

1 person found this helpful

A hagiography from Hillary's allies in the media

I'll start with the good things. This book contains a lot of good inside information. They had a lot of access to people in the Hillary campaign. And to their credit, despite their obvious preferences, they do not take the excuses the campaign made for Hillary's defeat at face value.

But it also has some problems. The two journalist writers are clearly biased in favor of Hillary Clinton and against Donald Trump, accusing him of "rank misogyny". They claim that the media was biased against Clinton. They also have some strange and extreme views - suggesting that someone who do not care about Clinton being the first female president are "misogynistic". It is revealing that they use the cringeworthy phrase that social justice activists use for ethnic minorities: "people of color".

The narration is pretty good.

1 person found this helpful

If you're a political nerd, you'll like this book.

However, whilst I consider politics a big interest of mine, this book was too detailed in some areas.

It needed to frame Trump, and why he won, better.

1 person found this helpful

Book should have been called POOR BRAVE HILLARY

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

The only people who will enjoy this book are those who are 100% for Hillary and the Democratic Party as it stands today. Anyone else who is looking for a well researched, open minded , unbiased, even handed book might as well forget it.

Has Shattered put you off other books in this genre?

No, but I will be researching the authors more closely before buying another one.

Have you listened to any of Kimberly Farr’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have not and she did fine. The problem was not the reader.

What character would you cut from Shattered?

Can't cut any characters

Any additional comments?

I knew this was a Hillary apology book by page four or so, but managed to get through it. The authors either have no idea how to research, how to interpret what they learn, or they just don't want to. To say they are biased is an understatement. From all the hype I was expecting an even handed handling of the subject and found that not to be the case. Some big events like Bill Clinton's impeachment are glossed over and almost trivialized ........Hint to the authors.... No, Bill was not impeached for having extra marital sex, he was impeached for lying under oath and obstruction of justice. I think it had something to do with him being accused of sexual harassment or something not very nice, that I know Hillary has said was bad bad bad when others were accused of it. The email debacle is glossed over. Neither author bothered to really look into it or question the fact that Hillary got away with something that any lower level civil servant would have been fired, prosecuted and fined for. Their lives would have been destroyed. And on and on it goes with glossing over events that are easily researched if the authors were serious. America is still misogynist because it didn't elect Hillary. The fact that she is not trusted, even by liberals like Camille Paglia, is not a problem or even delved into. The authors also overuse the standard description of anyone who is not pro Hillary like misogynist, racist, non college educated, bigot...blah blah blah......... Hillary's faults are not looked into very deeply. She is misunderstood, tired, not feeling well and her team was not always up to the job. Hillary's biggest fault is that she cares too much! But then anyone who is truly trying to write a non biased even handed book might have delved into some of her real problems and come up with the conclusion that just maybe Hillary had too much history and baggage to win the election. The Democrats picked the wrong woman.

10 people found this helpful

Good book

Interesting insight to the Clinton election defeat. Detailed background to the reason of here failure. A gripping lead up to the election and sad realisation of her defeat and bases of it.

Can't stop listening!

Am totally gripped, such an interesting tale of twists and turns. Strongly recommend. Loving it.