Chasing Hillary

Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling

By: Amy Chozick

Narrated by: Amy Chozick

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

For nearly a decade, Amy Chozick chronicled Hillary Clinton's pursuit of the presidency. Chozick's front-row seat, initially at the Wall Street Journal covering Mrs. Clinton's imploding 2008 campaign, and then at the New York Times where she was assigned "The Hillary Beat", set off a years-long journey in which the formative years of her twenties and thirties became, both personally and professionally, intrinsically intertwined to Clinton's presidential ambitions. As Mrs. Clinton tried, and twice failed, to shatter "that highest hardest glass ceiling", Chozick was trying, with various fits and starts, to scale the highest echelons of American journalism.

In a rollicking, hilarious, dishy narrative, Chozick takes us through the high- (and low-) lights of a wildly dramatic presidential race. But Chozick's unique vantage point and candor lift the veil from the story we thought we all knew. Here is the real story of what happened, with the kind of inside detail that constantly surprises and enlightens.

But Chasing Hillary is also the unusually personal and moving story of how Chozick came to understand Clinton not as an unknowable enigma and political animal, but as a complete, complex, person, full of contradictions and forged in the crucible of political battles that had long predated Chozick's years covering her. And as Chozick gets engaged, married, buys an apartment, climbs the professional ladder, and inquires about freezing her eggs so she can have children after the 2016 campaign, she dives deeper into decisions Mrs. Clinton had made at similar points in her early career. In the process, Chozick develops an intimate understanding of what drives Clinton, how she accomplished what no woman had before, and why she ultimately failed. And the social fissures in the electorate that would drive angry voters to Donald Trump and blindside Hillary Clinton, unexpectedly bring out the tensions in Chozick's own life - between the red state she came from and the blue state she ended up in, between her desire to climb in journalism as a woman, but be treated no differently than a man.

Mrs. Clinton's shocking defeat would mark the end of the almost imperial hold she'd had on Chozick for most of her professional life. But the results also make Chozick question everything she'd worked so hard for in the first place. Political journalism had failed. The elite world Chozick had tried for years to fit in with had been rebuffed. The less qualified, bombastic man had triumphed, as they always seemed to do, and Mrs. Clinton had retreated to the woods in Chappaqua, N.Y. finally comfortable enough to just walk, no makeup, no pants suit, showing the real person Chozick had spent years hoping to see. Illuminating, poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, Chasing Hillary is a campaign book like never before.

©2018 Amy Chozick (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Insightful, Often Amusing, Always Fascinating

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Amy Chozick reading her book Chasing Hillary. Ms. Chozick does a terrific job balancing personal anecdotes with solid information on how campaigns are covered these days, especially by the New York Times. As a former reporter, I found it fascinating. As a voter, it explained so much that confounded me about the entire campaign and its candidate. (Ms. Chozick is also great at narrating her own story.)
One of the most interesting chunks of the book is Ms. Chozick's analysis/feeling about the way the final days of the campaign were (mis)handled. One anecdote alone - a stop at a Wisconsin Anthropologie store, followed by Ms. Clinton's abandonment of the state - should be taught to all politicos as how *not* to win votes and influence people.
Given the choices in the General Election, I'd vote for Hillary again, but this was a rigged game. I hope the Democrat Party leadership reads - or listens to - books like Ms. Chozick's, and realizes that the American people don't want the Party leadership's and Super Delegates' anointed choice; we progressives want to choose our own. (Yes, I know it can be like herding cats, but sometimes democracy can be messy.)
Democrats like Uncle Joe? Step up. Democrats like "Prince Harry" Reid? Step back.
Well-done, Ms. Chozick. Very well-done.

Wonderful Read

Compelling account of Amy Chozick's work as a reporter covering Hillary Clinton in the presidential 2016 campaign. The book is thoughtful and nuanced. It helped me to understand a little more about what it's like to be a reporter in a presidential campaign. Overall, it's the most thoughtful book about the 2016 campaign that I've read.

Amy Chozick's narration makes the book even better. She captures the vocal cadences of different political figures perfectly. Chozick's narration helps you hear more clearly how the campaign, including its many challenges, had an impact on her thinking as well.

I’m a Trump Supporter

I bought this book, to get a better understanding of WHY anyone would support HRC. I enjoyed it and do feel enlightened. It was also fun to just relive that amazing election year. Thanks Amy

A Genuine Look Into HRC's Campaign

This book felt like an honest look at the tremendous effort it took to get HRC elected. Despite coming short of the goal, many lives including the Authors were poured out in trying. Overall, I felt the Authors portrayal was sincerely positive and did not cast HRC in a negative light. It actually endeared me more to HRC and increased my respect for her. The Author too, pays tribute in her personal testimony to the unthinkable sacrifice so many paid in the effort. They should not be forgotten. Well written and narrated!

excellent recap of first hand experience

loved it and recommend it to snyone still trying to understand why hillarys lost the election

Great story!

Amy is a great storyteller, and narrator. I learned a lot about Hillary Clinton, a lot about how candidates interact with the press corps, and a lot about the New York Times. All told with great humor!

as a republican, I enjoyed the read

Amy's writing style is excellent and I love hearing the author read her own words. Interesting to see the campaign from a reporter's vantage point. Also to learn a lot about the life of reporters on the road handling a campaign. Kudos Amy. You have enlighten me. I hope this next chapter in your life's book is as rich as your words in "print" has had as an imprint on my life.

Painful but necessary

A critically important story about the 2016 presidential campaign and the decisive failed media roll. Terribly painful to learn how the free press a cornerstone of American democracy failed so spectacularly. But necessary to understand how and why if we are to make America great again, the way it was before the 2016 election. Thank you Amy for writing it, but you will need to do much more to earn the title respected journalist should you try that profession again. The Russians and Trump couldn't have succeeded without you. A free press is a Constitutional right, but rather than upholding that sacred duty you chose the pursuit of happiness instead. No mulligans here but a lot of hard work to do

Very biased

Book didn’t share many new tales of HRC but more focused on how Trump was a predator who got elected. Ignores the reality of HRC being unqualified therefore unelectable. Bad mouths Trump supporters in a way the media will embrace. Very disappointed.

Riveting and so well told!

Riveting and so well told! Amy's storytelling is outstanding. Her insightful account of the life after a Journalist makes the book well-rounded and complex.