Sailing in a Sea of Words

Book: Five Presidents - My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford

Author: Clint Hill with Lisa McCubbin

Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir/U.S. History

Summary: As he did in the New York Times bestselling books Mrs. Kennedy and Me and Five Days in November, retired Secret Service agent Clint Hill brings history to life with Five Presidents, a rare and fascinating portrait of the American presidency. Clint Hill delivers a stunning perspective from the eyes of an everyman who saw the most historic moments of the twenty-first century during his seventeen years protecting the most powerful office in the nation. Hill walked alongside Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford, seeing them through a long, tumultuous era: the Cold War; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy; the Vietnam War; Watergate; and the resignations of Spiro Agnew and Richard M. Nixon. With a unique insider's perspective and a moving touch, Hill sheds new light on the character and personality of these five presidents, revealing their humanity in the face of grave decisions. -Gallery Books, 2016. 

After reading Mrs. Kennedy and Me, I knew I would read anything Clint Hill wrote. He has been a witness to such incredible moments in history and I was more than curious to know what his life was like after the Kennedy assassination.

Hill wastes no time in keeping to the facts of his experiences and he sticks to just the facts without overemphasizing or over exaggerating anything. He very rarely gives his opinion and when he does, it's very brief and kept to a minimum. He doesn't tell the reader how to think about a situation or a person. I really appreciated that as it is a danger to historical memoirs - the writer inserting too much of his/her opinion on the events outside of their own lives. 

Hill writes in chronological order - starting with Eisenhower and ending with Ford. If you're not a fan of Johnson, you may not enjoy this as Johnson is the president that Hill spent the most time with. I won't "spoil" anything, but I found Hill's each unique relationship with each president really interesting. I enjoyed seeing how Hill interacted with his colleagues and how history affected him on a personal level.

If you're not a fan of U.S. history, presidents, or the Secret Service, this book is not for you. I still found Hill to be great writer and storyteller. His narrative is engaging and he keeps your interest easily. I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad Hill decided to write it. It's a wonderful read and I think it's a rare person who wouldn't like it.

I give Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford an A+.

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