What Happened

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Sep 2017 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

“An engaging, beautifully synthesized page-turner” (Slate). The #1 New York Times bestseller and Time #1 Nonfiction Book of the Year: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most personal memoir yet, about the 2016 presidential election.

In this “candid and blackly funny” (The New York Times) memoir, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. She takes us inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules.

“At her most emotionally raw” (People), Hillary describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterward. She tells readers what it took to get back on her feet—the rituals, relationships, and reading that got her through, and what the experience has taught her about life. In this “feminist manifesto” (The New York Times), she speaks to the challenges of being a strong woman in the public eye, the criticism over her voice, age, and appearance, and the double standard confronting women in politics.

Offering a “bracing... guide to our political arena” (The Washington Post), What Happened lays out how the 2016 election was marked by an unprecedented assault on our democracy by a foreign adversary. By analyzing the evidence and connecting the dots, Hillary shows just how dangerous the forces are that shaped the outcome, and why Americans need to understand them to protect our values and our democracy in the future.

The election of 2016 was unprecedented and historic. What Happened is the story of that campaign, now with a new epilogue showing how Hillary grappled with many of her worst fears coming true in the Trump Era, while finding new hope in a surge of civic activism, women running for office, and young people marching in the streets.

Ratings and reviews

Unlike what some of the most insufferable "critics" of this book would have you believe, What Happened reads as an honest, modest, and insightful inflective autobiographical account from would-be president Hillary Clinton; allowing the 2016 presidential candidate a platform to provide her personal insight into her own life during the campaign, her frustrations, her hopes, her disappointments -- all in a book that is more self-critical than what some were lead to believe.

Should have and could have won, and we might have stood a chance if she had. Still, I like to hope there's still hope, and that the toddler-tantrums in the White House will be replaced by true leadership someday. I hope. But then, if all were right with the world, the toddler would never have been bailed out by his daddy, not even once, and therefore would be either homeless or on welfare. Unless his lack of sense and literacy make filling out forms too difficult... Hmm. Lucky his dad was such a great businessman, great at destroying lives to profit. All hail the mighty dollar.

A very good book from a strong woman and a thoroughly experienced politician who, as President, would have continued to make the most powerful country in the world very proud, following in President Obama's footsteps. A great loss, but Hillary Clinton will keep fighting for democratic ideals and traditions and against authoritarianism. Thank you, Mrs. Clinton!

About the author

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the first woman in US history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. She served as the 67th Secretary of State after nearly four decades in public service advocating on behalf of children and families as an attorney, First Lady, and US Senator. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author of seven previous books, all published by Simon & Schuster.