Naked Presidents: A Alternate History (ISBN 0595124712)

The Handshake That Changed Everything:
Alternate histories have become a genre in their own right, with WWII being by far the most popular historical period re-examined, but this is the first alternate history I've encountered that addresses perhaps the most fascinating single episode of the 20th century: the JFK assassination. But while political junkies find that event and its aftermath a bottomless source for conspiracy theorizing, it is to Silver an instrument for a greater and more contemporary political purpose, and indeed a tool for destroying conspiracy theories altogether. A quote attributed to Ben Franklin establishes the theme: "impeachment is the political equivalent of assassination." The novel is split into two sections: JFK is one half and Clinton the second, and both men, whose handshake was captured on camera in actual history, veer from that innocent point to grand reversals of fortune in an alternate, more Democratic dominated universe. In Silver's world, JFK's infidelities become public knowledge thanks to enemies like Hoover, and spark the nation's first independent counsel investigation and impeachment trial, whereas Bill Clinton is shot and killed by an ex-Marine named McVeigh in revenge for the Waco tragedy. The result is a thought experiment that largely succeeds in altering the way we think about presidential legacies: Clinton as the heroic figure that JFK became in our reality. But Silver goes further: in order to rewrite Clinton's tale, he rewrites the Reagan years and shows how the Iran-Contra scandal, had it broken sooner, might've brought down that administration and destroyed the Reagan myth. Conservatives will find much of the plot twists pushing, if not puncturing the envelope of credibility (e.g., Clinton as an Army General) but those with an open mind and a sense of humor, and particularly historians, should find much to ponder (the way in which Ken Starr becomes a Supreme Court Justice is only one of many, many inventive twists). Silver's point to all this? He spells it out in one of his two epilogues: he wants to redeem Clinton's tarnished legacy. Perhaps stating the obvious, the plot itself goes a long way toward achieving that in this novel-as-thought-experiment, although the characters of JFK and Clinton ultimately remain two dimensional men; we get to see very little of their thoughts aside from their shared sexual obsession, and interestingly it is the two leading women in this saga, Judith Exner (in the JFK section) and Hillary Clinton, who become fully realized human beings. Silver clearly knows his history: the most important single episode that informs this narrative is not the JFK impeachment or the Clinton assassination but the Cuban Missile Crisis, which he details in his prologue. Both Republicans and Democrats would at least agree that our near-miss with nuclear annihilation in 1962 was The Event to define the character of any presidency.

Interesting read:
I am a huge fan of the Alternate History genre, and I picked this book up on a whim. I have to say, it is really a great read, though not in the top level of the genre. I think the premise of Kennedy being impeached was a great one (after all, he was doing quite a bit behind the scenes personally and politically that could have really messed him up). It was refreshing to see a novel that didn't make a "Kennedy survives his assasination" plot into the second coming for America. Kennedy was a man, albeit a great one, with all the faults of a man. His term (or terms) might have played out very messily considering what time period he would have served in (would anyone really have wanted to be in the Oval Office in 1968?) Silver's treatment of Clinton was thought provoking as well. I find it a bit of a hard stretch on the career Air Force thing (not that he was cowardly, I just think he would have transitioned into the private sector/ political arena sooner). I realize though this detail hinged a lot of the plot. All in all, I would recommend it, it is a thought-provoking novel.

Interesting Premise:
I enjoy Alternate History -- so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. The evolution of this alternate timeline without the JFK assassination: Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Space Program, all are changed. If you buy the premise of Clinton in the military, the evolution of his political career is also intriguing. The alternate timeline is not greatly different than our own, but different enough that it makes you think. What I did not enjoy about this book is the author continually inserting himself into the story. It was irrelevant and distracting. I could have done without the cutesy attempts at humor -- a few sentences on legalizing marijuana would have been interesting without pulling a character from Animal House. And worst of all: the extremely graphic sex scenes. I am not a prude, far from it. But again, the story was not improved by long drawn out descriptions of the characters' sexual activity. Interesting premise. I enjoyed the contrast of JFK and Clinton and the reversal of their reputations. But I think the storytelling was second rate.