2024 the best us presidents of all time review

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me and Five Days in November reflects on his seventeen years on the Secret Service for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

The assassination of one president, the resignation of another, and the swearing-in of the two who followed those traumatic events. Clint Hill was there, on duty, through Five Presidents.

After an extraordinary career as a Special Agent on the White House Detail, Clint Hill retired in 1975. His career spanned the administrations of Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford. A witness to some of the most pivotal moments in the twentieth century, Hill lets you walk in his shoes alongside the most powerful men in the world during tumultuous times in America’s history—the Cold War; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy; the Vietnam War; Watergate; and the resignations of Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Nixon.

It was indeed a turbulent time—and through it all, Clint Hill had a unique insider perspective. His fascinating stories will shed new light on the character and personality of each of these five presidents, as Hill witnesses their human sides in the face of grave decisions.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books; Reprint edition (May 2, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1476794146
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1476794143
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
Reviewer: Loren Murfield, Ph.D.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An Insider's View and Refreshing Perspective
Review: This is a fascinating insider view to many of the events in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. First person stories are always interesting but this one was especially intriguing since I never knew much about that Secret Service agent who rushed to the presidential limo as the fist shot rang out in Dallas on that fateful day in 1963. I didn't know his name, now I know his compelling story.Clint Hill takes us through his protection of five different presidents. It was fascinating to see the personality differences in how each president approached the presidency and dealt with their own security. I enjoyed how he provided a limited, behind the scenes perspective of many of the national and world events ranging from the Cuban Missile Crisis, to Vietnam to Watergate. It was also very interesting to hear how the Secret Service works. Hill detailed how he got the job, was promoted and even when he was seemingly demoted to the Kiddie Protection and later protecting the First Lady. The content of the book was very informative without being exploitative.But what I appreciated most was how he detailed it. I have read many biographies and more than a few that write a book to inflate their importance as an attempt to secure their legacy. This story does the opposite. Hill reflects the purpose of the Secret Service when he takes the humble approach, highlighting the service he and his colleagues provided. While we do hear it from his perspective, in many ways the book isn't about him but the role he played in that national story. The book reflects the mindset and attitude of the protective detail of the world's most powerful leader. He writes of the joys, privileges and challenges but not from a "I'm important" but "this is what it was like. We don't hear, read or see that perspective or dedication much anymore. So to hear from someone who sacrifices their private life to protect a public official who they may or may not like or agree with is refreshing, intriguing and informative.For me, the most intriguing theme was how he struggled to deal with losing a president on their watch. Even though he was on the First Lady's protection, he felt personally responsible for JFK's death. That is difficult to comprehend in this self-serving world. He always felt he should have done more. Reading between the lines and what was omitted from the story that happened after he left the service, that one incident haunts today, decades later. I appreciate that he didn't drag us through all his misery. His sense of duty to his country but also to his readers is clear. It now makes sense why he didn't write a book much sooner, trying to capitalize on the tragedy.In the world of scandal and tabloids, I'm sure Clint Hill could have shared many other stories that would have shown a different side of those presidents. I appreciate that he took this approach.This book is not only a great peek behind the scenes but a great lesson in service. We can all learn something from Clint Hill and the Secret Service.

Reviewer: M. James
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fascinating personal account of five presidents and the man who protected them
Review: I'm so glad Clint Hill wrote this book and the others about the Kennedy family. All this history, that only he knew, is now written down for all future generations and will never be forgotten. Actually I think Mr. Hill had a bit of a crush on Mrs. Kennedy which is very understandable given how closely he worked to protect her and her beauty and charm. This is a well-written and extremely fascinating book about a world long, mercifully, gone. And as of this writing Mr. Hill is still alive! I enjoyed this book so much and am so grateful to Mr. Hill for protecting American's most important assets. I'm so thankful to the Secret Service - who put up with A LOT!

Reviewer: CXR8393
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Narrative With Honest/Forthright Detail
Review: As the first of three books by Clint Hill (the other two being "Mrs. Kennedy and Me" - 2012 and "Five Days in November" - 2013), all of which I have either read or plan to read, I know that I am reading them out of order. However, I wanted to read this book ("Five Presidents") first so that I could gain a better perspective of his overall career as a Secret Service agent before delving deeper into his [relatively brief] time with the Kennedys.This book is an easy read and I was able to finish it in just a couple of weeks of reading only a chapter or two at a time. Hill and his co-author Lisa McCubbin possess a narrative style of writing that helps readers stay interested and curious to find out what happened next and how "supporting characters" behaved, reacted, and responded. The anecdotes and stories that Hill chose to include in his memoir gives readers a good idea of what it was like to work in the White House and serve as a Secret Service agent for such powerful and interesting people. My only comment which could be perceived as negative (not my intention) is that with each subsequent chapter and/or section following the description of his time with the Kennedys and the tragic events of 11/22/63, he seems to refer back to those times/events with unnecessary frequency. Such as when describing his time serving as a member of Lyndon Johnson's detail...at the beginning of the chapter he might be telling a story about visiting the LBJ Ranch but then somewhat randomly starts recalling the events of 1963. As perhaps one of the more notable Secret Service agents in the history of the organization, Hill was made famous by his actions in Dallas. Being not only an eyewitness but also an active participant during such a tragic event obviously affected Hill greatly; and his honesty in describing how he coped with such emotional turmoil following that event should be lauded and admired. That said, Hill's description of the events on 11/22/63 should not be taken lightly, wherever he happens to include them within the narrative, because this book is still a very good read and provides a great historical account of our nation's Presidents, their families and administrations.

Reviewer: virgie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very interesting
Review: Great book! Difficult to put it down!

Reviewer: Ben
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: So Cool that one person was able to see so much
Review: This was a very cool book from a very different perspective. Cliff Hill was a fly on the wall or in attendance at some of the biggest moments in our countries history. And his story telling didnt give away any bias at all. He told things as they were while giving a great deal of respect to the Presidents he watched over.I really liked this first person story of different administrations and challenges they faced. But also how frustrating it must have been to watch over so many egos!

Reviewer: Danny Oliver
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Eye opener in Secret Service protection
Review: A great in telling the stories of protecting Americans Presidents. His thoughtful story about President Kennedy were from his heart.Enjoyable reading

Reviewer: B. McMillan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Much history in this book from the agent who lived it all.
Review: Thankful that Clint Hill lived to write factual account of events that I lived through. Thoroughly engrossing.

Reviewer: Lynnette
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: the recipient was very pleased with this gift

Reviewer: Daniel Kavanagh
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A very good read told in a very simple fashion. Interesting insights. Not a great fan of Nixon I imagine but gave a very positive review of Spiro Agnew as a person who was kind and amiable. Dedicated to his job. I would’ve liked to read more about his life from 1975 onwards, particularly how his relationship developed with his wife and family.

Reviewer: Joseph E. Downey
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Me gusta muchisimo! Muy interesante!

Reviewer: Nilton Barbosa
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Um excelente testemunho de quem acompanhou de perto o governo de vários presidentes norte-americanos e, pela especial natureza de suas funções, deu o melhor de si para proteger ditos governantes e suas famílias.

Reviewer: Christine
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Loved this detailed view of life with the Presidents . Different political views and life styles .....family commitment . Big decisions to make daily .....and long hard work ....Enjoy the authors style of writing , personal , but not intrusive .